College Colds

Living in a dorm, it was only a matter of time before one – or both – of them got sick.  Colds spread rampant through the building, and both were convinced the only reason they’d made it this long without catching anything was that they ate right, slept enough, and washed their hands frequently.   Neither of them were big into partying, and they mostly stuck to their room, exposed to each other.   Ethan kept wet wipes in the room, a habit Dustin picked up.   They were cautious, especially with Dustin’s asthma and Ethan’s diabetes. 

It was a November day when Ethan started sneezing more.   His allergies had died down a week or so ago.  He thought it strange for him to be sneezing more now, but also thought maybe his allergies had kicked up again.  He wasn’t the only one to notice. 

“Hahshoo!” 

“Bless you.  You ok?  Been hearing a lot of that today.” 

Ethan sniffled and blew his nose.  “‘M fine.  Think my allergies just started back in again for some reason.” 

Dustin nodded.  His were year round, so if there was a resurgence of fall allergies, he wouldn’t notice.    

Ethan pushed aside his homework, looking at his watch.   “I’m gonna get ready for bed.” He yawned, suddenly tired.  He changed and went down to the bathroom to brush his teeth, then took his medications.  He grabbed a tissue to wait for the sneeze that inevitably followed the nasal spray.  “Hatchoo!”  The force of the sneeze pitched him forward.  ‘That came faster and was harsher than usual’ he thought. 

He crawled up into his bed, and covered up, only to find he had a hard time getting comfortable.  Dustin gave up on homework half an hour later, got ready for bed and switched out the lights. 

Once in the dark, it took Ethan a few minutes to figure out why he couldn’t get comfortable.  He had a dull headache behind his eyes, and his throat was scratchy.   ‘Allergies must have come back in full force,” he reckoned.  It wasn’t until he got comfortable that he noticed that his right ear ached slightly, which Always meant he had a cold. 

He woke the next morning to Dustin shaking him awake.  “I let the alarm go for 5 minutes.” Dustin informed him. 

Ethan didn’t respond, feeling the need to sneeze intensify.  He rolled away from Dustin and let out a powerful “Ahtchoo!” at the wall.  He nodded at Dustin’s blessing and took the tissue he handed him.   “Might want to stay away from me,” he sniffled and cleared his throat.  “I’ve got a cold.” 

“I’ll do my best.”  It was going to be hard in their small dorm room, even if Dustin hung out elsewhere during the day; he still had to sleep there.   

Ethan climbed down and got dressed.  “Gotta make time to get cold medicine between classes.”  He sniffled, planning to first stop at the convenience store on campus, and hit a pharmacy that evening.    

Dustin reached into their catch-all drawer – Ethan’s top dresser drawer and handed him a box.  “Mom worries too much.” 

“Tell her thanks.”  Ethan washed down the pills with a class of water.   “Breakfast?”  Dustin nodded, and with a sneeze, Ethan led the way out of the room. 

With his plan to study in the library and the lounge, along with the help of a can of Lysol (also courtesy of his mom), Dustin avoided the cold for 2 days. 

Saturday morning, he woke up with a deep, rumbling cough that matched Ethan’s. He had a headache, a sore throat.  And his sneezing definitely wasn’t just from allergies – he’d woken himself up twice in the night sneezing. 

Ethan looked over as Dustin started coughing, then grabbed a tissue, flopped back on his pillow, and sneezed.   

“HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo!” He blew his nose loudly and looked over at Ethan. 

“Bless you.  Did I give you my cold?” 

Dustin nodded.  “Feels that way.”  He sniffled, coughing again.  He climbed out of bed and dug out the cold medicine.  Thankfully, Ethan had had the foresight to buy more.   

The orange juice burned his throat as he swallowed, and he coughed again.    

“Hatchoo!” Ethan sneezed from behind him, blowing his nose into a tissue he held in his hand.    

Dustin jumped.  He hadn’t even noticed Ethan get out of bed.    

“Sorry.”  Ethan apologized, sheepishly, sitting down at his desk and checking his blood sugar.  “I need to go make something to eat.  You want anything?” 

Dustin wasn’t hungry.  “I’ll wait a couple hours until the dining hall opens.” 

Ethan nodded, gingerly wiping his nose.  He headed down the hall to the kitchen, returning with half a bagel and peanut butter which he picked at.    

“You’re not hungry either.” Dustin noted. 

“Never am when I’m sick.” Ethan shrugged.  “Wreaks havoc with my blood sugars, which sucks.”  He managed to finish his bagel, then pulled out his intro to psychology book.  “Gonna study while I feel ok.” 

Dustin nodded, following Ethan’s lead, and pulling out his economics book and got to work.   He figured Ethan knew when best to study with this cold.   By 10:00, his stomach was growling, but he knew unless he wanted to eat alone, it was best to wait until 11 when Ethan would eat.   “Hahkishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo…HahKishoo.”  He wiped at his nose with a tissue. 

“Bless you.”  Ethan called over for the second time that morning.  “I’d love to tell you the first day is the worst, but…” 

“You’d be lying to me?” He sniffed. 

“Yeah…HahAtchoo!” 

Dustin waited for Ethan to blow his nose.  “Bless you.” 

“Thanks.”  Ethan turned back to his text, pen never stopping moving.   Dustin looked over to see what had Ethan so rapt, only to find him doodling in his notebook.    

“I’m pretty sure dinosaurs explain the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pretty well.” He commented. 

Ethan sighed.  “I can’t concentrate.”  He looked at his watch.   “If we leave now, we’ll be at the dining hall at 10:30.   Hungry?”   He asked, glancing at Dustin’s notebook.  “How do airplanes explain supply and demand?” 

Dustin laughed.  “I think it’s fair to say neither of us can concentrate.”  He slipped his shoes on and reached for his hoodie, stuffing a couple tissues in a pocket. 

Ethan did his blood sugar check and insulin, then got ready to head out with Dustin. 

Dustin managed a good breakfast while Ethan picked at his, eating just enough.   They sat in a corner for close to an hour, giving Ethan time to eat what he needed.  And far away enough from everyone that their coughing and sneezing was less noticeable and embarrassing.    

They returned to the dorm room after breakfast, and Dustin collapsed on the couch.  “Hahkishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo…Hahkishoo.”  He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took the tissue Ethan handed him.  

“Headache?” Ethan shot him a sympathetic look, sitting next to him. 

Blowing his nose, Dustin nodded, then leaned against the back of the couch.   “I suppose this was inevitable.” He sighed. 

“In a 12×16 room?” Ethan chuckled.  “Yeah.”  He paused.  “Sorry.” 

“‘S ok.  It’s not like we didn’t try to avoid this.” 

  Dustin had spent most of his waking hours out of the room and had joined Ethan only for meals and their one shared class.   Ethan had taken care to cover his coughing and sneezes with tissues or his sleeve, not his hands, and to wash his hands, either with soap and water or with wet wipes as frequently as possible.   Dustin hadn’t touched anything on Ethan’s side of the room before getting the cold medicine this morning.   And Dustin had sprayed down the room with Lysol twice a day, preferably when Ethan wasn’t in the room, as they’d found the fine spray made him sneeze, meaning Dustin needed to start his sanitizing over.   But, Ethan was right, in a shared space that small, it was only a matter of time.    

“Going to go back to your dinosaurs?”  Dustin coughed. 

Ethan gave a half smile.   “I know I should study, but…Hahshoo!” 

“Can’t concentrate?” 

Ethan shook his head. 

“You get into a groove, and then you sneeze or start coughing and lose it.” 

“Exactly.” Ethan confirmed.  “Plus I’m tired from coughing all night.” 

“Oh, good.  I’ve got that to look forward too.”  He pulled his shirt up over his nose.  “HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo…hahkishoo.  As if the sneezing wasn’t enough.  I woke myself up sneezing twice last night.” He complained. 

“I know.”  At Dustin’s confused look, “I was awake.  Coughing.”    

“I didn’t hear you.” 

“Over your snoring?  How could you?”  He paused, taking a tissue and holding it in front of his face in anticipation, eyes closing, nose crinkling.  After a long second, he relaxed.  “Lost it.” He explained at Dustin’s look. 

“Hate that.” Dustin commiserated.  “Did I keep you up?” 

Ethan shook his head.  “I started coughing every time I got comfortable enough to fall aslehh…ehhh…HehhAhhtCHOO!”  He sniffled.  “Sorry, I know that was kinda loud.”   

“God bless you.  And ‘kinda?’” 

Ethan blushed as there was a knock at their open door.  Their across the hall neighbor was standing there. 

“That Ethan?” He asked.  At Dustin’s confirmation, he turned to Ethan.  “Bless you!” 

“Thanks,” Ethan mumbled, flushing even redder and trying will the couch to swallow him.    

Dave went back across the hall, and Dustin burst out laughing.  “Again, ‘kinda loud?’” 

“Shut up.”  He gave his nose a congested blow.   “That only happens sometimes when I have a cold.  I lose the sneeze, then it comes back even stronger.”  Scrubbing his nose, he yawned. 

“Thanks for the warning. I can’t shake this constant sneezy feeling.” 

“This is the sneeziest cold I’ve had in ages.   I bet your allergies don’t hehhlp…Hatchoo!  I sneeze more when I’m tired.” He explained. 

Dustin groaned, ducking down into his shirt again.  “Hakishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo…HaKishoo!”  He grimaced at the dampness the sneezes left on his shirt collar before grabbing at the tissues and giving his nose a gurgly blow.   “Looks like your cold wasn’t the only thing that was contagious; your sneezes are too.” 

“Bless.  Sorry.” 

“So, if we’ve decided homework is out for the day, and we don’t want to spend the day drawing in our notebooks, what’s the plan?” 

Ethan shrugged.  “I could use more sleep.  I just don’t want to move.” He shifted, leaning against the arm of the couch. 

“I can’t argue with any of that.  I may have slept most of the night, but I’m still tired.” 

“Can we take the day off?” 

Dustin stood up and grabbed the pillows off the beds, handing Ethan his.  Ethan scrunched himself up on the couch; Dustin was too tall to do so, then grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch.  With Dustin’s help, he draped it over the two of them.  “Ahshoo.” He let out a weary sneeze.   

“Bless you.  TV?” 

“Don’t care.” 

Dustin flipped through the channel until he found a movie that looked interesting.  Pulling the blanket tighter around him, he rubbed his nose, trying to forestall the oncoming sneezes.  His attempts proved fruitless, and he attempted to make his already quiet sneeze even quieter so as not to disturb Ethan.  “HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo.” 

“Bless you.” Ethan mumbled sleepily. 

“Thanks.” He yawned, muffling a few coughs in his sleeve.  After a few minutes, he heard Ethan’s light congested snores on the other end of the couch.   As for himself, he only remembered about 10 minutes of the movie.