- Breathing
The smoke from the wildfires really got to Jamie. Her eyes itched, she sneezed incessantly and her breathing was terrible. Freddie has dragged her to the doctor and that landed her on steroids.
“Ihhchoo, hihchoo. Ugh…ahhchoo, haatchoo, hatschoo.” Even her sneezes had changed – louder, harsher, stronger.
She has a nasty cough, but the doctor had reassured Freddie that it would take time for the medication to help with that.
“Huh-ahchoo! ATCHOO!” The sneezes forced her from lying to sitting, and she blew her nose loudly. “Tired of this.” She rasped, laying back down.
Freddie lay beside her, listening, as he had done since the fires started, for any change in her breathing until he fell asleep.
- Waiting
Alyssa stood by the front door, holding her coat and purse. Alex was technically ready, but he’d sneezed coming down the stairs…and continued sneezing, slowly.
“Huhchuh.” He grabbed a tissue.
“Uhchuhh.” A minute later.
“Huhchuhhh…ehchuhh.”
Finally, after another long minute, “Huhh-uhhchuhhh.” He blew his nose in the tissue and tossed it, tucking a few more in his pocket, heading to Alyssa and out the door.
- Fake
It was a long staff meeting. Alex loved to talk sometimes. Freddie shot a look at Tim, and Tim shrugged back as if to say “what can you do?”
He shifted in the uncomfortable chair, desperate to get up and walk around. He saw Ella stifle a sneeze silently across the table and had an idea.
He waited a few minutes before “Huhh-chuhh.” He faked the sneeze.
Waited about 30 seconds. “Huhh-chuhh. Huhh-chuhh.” He could feel Alex’s eyes on him. “Huh-chuhh.” He faked a final sneeze and got up from the chair. “Excuse me.” He mouthed, leaving the room under the guise of needing to blow his nose.
- Tender
Alex wiped carefully at his runny nose. It was red, sore and chapped; even the lotioned tissues irritated his tender nose.
“Huhhh-chuhh.” He sneezed, sighing and sniffling.
He reached for more tissues and gingerly blew his tender nose. He’d be glad to be over this cold.
- Starlight
Jamie sat on her perch on the bed of Tim’s pickup. The boys and Alyssa had decided to go camping, and Tim had had the idea that if she stayed on his truck and slept in the car, maybe she could come along too, for once.
So far, it seemed to be working…kind of. Yes, she was sneezing, but not as crazily as the last time they’d tried. She leaned back on to the bed of the truck and stared up at the stars; she hadn’t seen stars since she’d moved from small town Minnesota.
“Hiitschoo, itschhoo.” She rubbed her nose on her hoodie sleeve as Freddie blessed her.
She pointed out constellations to him, pulling her hoodie around her as it got colder in the desert.
“Ihhtschooo, huhhiitschhoo, itschoo.” Freddie shot her a concerned look. The sneezing was picking up.
“Maybe we better go to the car and go to bed,” he suggested.
- Need
”Huhhchishh.” Freddie sneezed into cupped hands.
“Huhhchishh, uhhchishh, chishhh, uhhchishoo, uhhhchishh.” He kept his hands firmly in front of his face.
“Huhhcshh, hurrchshh.”
“Bless you. You ok?” Jamie came in with a box of tissues.
“I deed to quit sdeezig.” He sniffed.
Jamie hid a smile. “I think you need a tissue more.” She said as another sneeze burst out of him.
- Seasons
Alex and Jamie were in agreement on the seasons. Winter was the best. Fall and summer were ok. Spring was the absolute worst.
Case in point: they sat inside on a sunny May day while everyone else was outside. They were watching Alyssa best both Tim and Freddie at the basketball hoop.
“Heh-chuhh, uhh-chuhh.” Alex sneezed. “Would be nice to be out there.” He commented.
Jamie snatched up a tissue. “Ihhtschooo. You’d be miserable, and you…uhhtschoo…you know it.” She reminded him, matching him sneeze for sneeze.
- Friend
It was nice to have a friend who understood, Jamie mused. Even though Alex’s allergies weren’t a quarter as bad as hers were, he took the same attitude as she did. They weren’t going to interfere. The only time she ever saw him get frustrated by them was when they interfered with filming movies or shows.
But today wasn’t one of those days. Today he was off and and spending time in the pool with his daughter and friends, laughing, splashing and sneezing.
She heard a muffled “ehh–chuhh” as she headed towards the pool.
“Bless you,” she said as she approached and slid in.
- Swift
She tugged at the box of Christmas decorations on the basement shelf. She was just too short to grab it, so she was tugging and sliding it. Finally, she was able to pull it off the shelf, not noticing the smaller box on top of it. That fell down, bringing a years worth of dust with it.
Her reaction was swift.
“Hiitschoo, hiitschoo, itschoo, Huhh…itschoo, huhhh…Ihhschoo….Huhh…uhhhihhtschoo, itschoo, itschoo, itschoo, itschoo…Huhh…itschhoo.”
Freddie heard her from the top of the stairs and went down. He made his way over to her, and took her arm. “Let’s get you upstairs. Careful, there’s broken glass.”
“Ihhhtschoo…Huhh…huhhh…itschoo….Huhh…itschoo”. He guided her upstairs and to the Kleenex box.
- Elusive
Freddie rubbed at his itchy nose. He sniffed hard. He was right on the verge of sneezing, but it wouldn’t come. He sniffled and tried blowing his nose.
The tickle neither abated nor increased.
He sniffled. Still nothing.
Poked at the tip of his nose. Nothing.
He craned his neck to look out the window at the sun. The tickle intensified, but the sneeze eluded him.
“Hiitschoo!” Jamie walked into the kitchen, sneezing effortlessly. He glared at her as the urge to sneeze dissolved.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“You stole my sneeze.” He grumbled.
- Animal
Jamie liked to walk in the rain; she loved being outside and her allergies tamed when it rained. So, this rainy day, she was out walking through the neighborhood when she saw the puppy running towards her and the street. She dashed after it, the animal lover in her thinking only of its safety and not the allergy attack that would ensue.
She grabbed the attached leash before the the puppy reached the street. “Gotcha!” She said softly, letting the puppy sniff her. “Do you have a tag?”
She bent down in front of the dog, rubbing her nose. “Toby.” She read before a powerful sneeze enveloped her. “Ihhhtschooo! Sorry, Toby,” she said as he startled. “I’m allergic t-to you. Hiiitschooo.” She started down the street towards the address listed on the tag, leash in one hand, Kleenex in the other. 2 blocks and 6 sneezes later, she heard a voice yell “Toby!” and saw her a down the block neighbor running towards her.
“You found him, Jamie!” The teenage boy yelled excitedly. “He saw a squirrel and got away from me,” he admitted.
“Hiitschoo, ihhtschoo!” Was Jamie’s response as she handed over the leash and took a few steps back. “They do that,” she sniffled, sneezing again.
“Bless you. You ok?” Realization crossed his face, and he stepped back from her with the dog. “You’re allergic.”
She nodded, failing to hold back another sneeze. “Ehhtschoo.”
“Thank you so much for catching him. Really. I’ll take him home now.”
“Keep a good hold od himb. Hiiihtschoo, Schooo, ihhhtschoo!”
“Bless you. You ok to walk home?”
She nodded. “Dode this before.” She said wiping her nose with her tissues and heading back the way she came.
- Feathers
It was ski trip time which Tim loved. Growing up in Wisconsin, he’d learned to ski at a young age, and only the Minnesotan, Jamie, could keep up with him.
He bought a new coat for this trip. He’d tried it on in the store, but hadn’t worn it yet. It was now, when he put it on as they got close to the cabin that he noticed something funny: it made his nose itch.
“Heyehhshoo.” He sneezed a few minutes later. “Ehhshoo.” He shook his head. That was weird. Unless he had a cold, he rarely sneezed, he thought as he sneezed again. “Huhhyuhhshoo…uhhshoo.”
“Bless you” Freddie said from next to him. “You ok? You never sneeze.”
“I hope you’re not getting a cold.” Alex said from the driver’s seat.
“It’s not a cold. I feel fine. My nose is just….uhhhtuhhhshoo, huhhhshoo…really itchy all of a sudden.” He took the tissue Jamie handed him and blew his nose. “Thanks.” He told her.
“Are you allergic to something?” She suggested.
He chuckled. Jamie was the allergy queen, so of course her mind would go there. “I’m allergic to feathers.” He sniffled. “I doubt any showed up in the last 10 minutes….huurahshoo, ahhshoo.”
“Jacket’s new, right?” She asked. He nodded. “Let me see the tag.”
He turned so she could see the manufacturer’s tag. “Your jacket is filled with goose down.” She informed him. “You’re allergic to it.” She stated, matter of factly.
He groaned, slipping it off and throwing it in the back…noticing the irritation in his nose begin to abate. “I guess I need a new jacket tomorrow.” He sniffed.
- Blankets
He peeked in on her when he heard her coughing. She was asleep, still coughing. Alex gently shook her awake, noticing how entangled she was in the blankets. He offered her a drink of water from the bottle beside the bed. She shook her head, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth and nose.
“Hiischoo, hiihihhschoo…uhhihhschoo” she sneezed loudly. He offered her a tissue instead. She blew her nose, then took a drink of water. She lay back down, trying to kick the blankets into some semblance of order over her.
Alex chuckled. “Just lay still, Lyss.” He gently extricated her from the blankets, then tucked her in.
- Glasses
Alex never wore his glasses. Except on days like today. Between the smoke in the air from the wildfires 50 miles away and an insanely high pollen count the past week, his eyes were so swollen and irritated, contacts weren’t happening today.
“Huhhchuhh.” He sneezed his way around the bathroom as he tried to remember where he put his glasses. “Ehhchuhh, Ehhchuhh.” He grabbed some toilet paper and blew his nose.
He dug through the drawers next to the sink, briefly wondering if they were in his nightstand as his had closed around the glasses case. “Huhhchuhh.” He wiped at his nose and slipped them on so the world came into focus…itchy and watery, but focus.
- Rest
He was supposed to have a date tonight, but as his cold worsened, he had called to cancel.
The frequent coughing and sneezing during the phone call had certainly convinced her she didn’t want what he had. She’d told him to call when he was better.
“Call when he was better.” At least that didn’t mean he’d missed his chance, he mused as a set of sneezes broke his thoughts. “Heyehhshoo, ehhshoo.” He grabbed a tissue from the ever present box by his side and scrubbed his nose.
What else had she said? He thought, laying on the couch. Oh, rest…she had gently told him to rest and feel better.
- Haze
Freddie watched as Jamie sneezed repeatedly into a wad of tissues. Unsure what had set her off, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Jamie?”
She looked up at him, a hazy, pre-sneeze expression on her face for a few seconds before her face snapped back into her tissues with a strong “Hiitschoo!”
He sighed. Apparently he’d find out what the cause was when she’d gotten control of her nose. Until then, he’d just be supplying more tissues, he thought, as he prepared a new set to replace the wad in her hands.
- Hotel (follows starlight)
”hiiitschoo.” Jamie sneezed.
Going to the car had not helped.
“Hiitschoo! Ihhtschoo! Uhhhh…ihhtschoo…Huhh…uhhh…ihhhtschoo!”
She blew her nose as Freddie looked on with concern.
He put the key in the ignition and turned the car on. “You’re not gonna get any sleep. I’m taking you to a hotel.”
Her response was another flurry of sneezes.
- Tea
Freddie made his way into the staff lounge. Tim was at the coffee maker, making a cup of tea. He handed the basket of k cups to Freddie. “Still got your cold?” He mumbled, hoarsely.
Freddie turned before taking the basket. “Hehh-chishhh.” He muffled into his elbow. “Yeah. Sounds like you do too yet.” He put the cup in the machine and started making his tea.
“At least Alex hasn’t caught it yet.”
A familiar “Ehhhchuhh” was heard from behind them, and they turned to see Alex walk in, blowing his nose on a crumpled tissue.
“Tea?” Freddie offered.
- Soup
Alex sat at the kitchen table stirring the bowl of chicken noodle soup Alyssa had gotten for him before she went to go teach her class. He knew he needed to eat; he simply wasn’t hungry. An intensification of the constant tickle in his nose forced him to turn from the table, sneezing down at the floor.
“Ehhhchuhhh….uhhhchuhhh, chuhhh, chuhhh….huhhhChuhh.”
Grabbing a napkin, he blew his nose and went back to the soup. He picked out a piece of carrot and took that as a bite. He did like carrots.
- Unforeseen
“Heyehshoo, ehhshoo.” Tim sneezed as Alex walked into the office he and Freddie shared.
Freddie looked up at him and then at Alex. “Go away, Alex. Tim’s allergic to you today.”
Tim had to admit, Freddie may have a point. Every time Alex got near him today, his nose stuffed up, and he started sneezing. He blew his nose as Alex rolled his eyes.
“You can’t be allergic to a person.” Alex pointed out but going over and standing by Freddie.
“Something new in your hair? New body wash…aftershave?”
“Cologne.”
Freddie nodded. “It’s nice,” he said as Tim sneezed again and glared at him. “But I think it’s setting Tim off. Tim, Alex is gonna get really close to you; have your Kleenex ready.”
Tim nodded as Alex went and sat next to him. 30 seconds later, Tim moved his chair away, turning away from Alex
. “Hehhshoo, Heyehhshoo, ehhchoo, huhhehchoo, huhhuhhchoo, ahhchoo, huuhrahhshoo, haayahshoo, uhhhshoo, huhhhahhshoo.” He blew his nose and caught his breath.
“Bless you.” Alex and Freddie said in unison, Alex moving as far away as he could get.
“I did not see that coming.” Tim said. “I’ve never been allergic to any of that before.”
- Boxes
Alex was digging through his basement, digging through boxes trying to figure out where he put his Christmas decorations.
“Ehchuh.” He sneezed. The basement was full of dust and cobwebs. And boxes.
Each box raised a layer of dust into the air. He had been on the road for Christmas last year, but this year, he had his daughter, so he wanted to put on the bells and whistles.
“Ehhhchuhh, hehhhchuhh, huhhh….uhhchuhhh. Ugh.” He wiped his nose on his sleeve and kept looking.
Finally, in the back corner of the basement, 2 boxes of Christmas things. Trying not to drop the boxes as he sneezed, he carried the dusty boxes upstairs.
- Agony
Agony was the right word to describe it. High pollen counts plus smoke from the wildfires plus a head cold. Or as Alex put it, the perfect storm of misery. Jamie was in agony.
She sat on the couch, making an attempt at reading a book, but mostly sneezing.
“Hiiitschoo, ihtschoo! Iithschoo!” She blew her nose and tried to focus on the page through watery eyes.
Freddie came in carrying a cup of tea. “It sounds like your throat is starting to get sore.” He commented.
She nodded, but didn’t take the cup from him. He looked at her questioningly. “Gonna sneeze agai…aiitschoo, itschoo, ihhtschoo, hiitschoo, tschhoo, schoo, hayyetschoo, ehhtschoo! Ugh.” She blew her nose, then took the cup.
“Bless you, baby. Think you can try to sleep? I know you didn’t get much last night.”
“Probably not, but I can try. Closing my eyes might feel nice.”
He took her book and covered her up on the couch.
- Fireworks
They’d been together for a year now. He loved everything about her. Her reddish-blonde hair, her clear green eyes. Her fiery determination. Even her temper.
She was his firework.
He bent down to kiss her. Even though she pulled away a few brief seconds later to sneeze he grinned.
She still made him see fireworks.
- Touch
”Huhh-chush.” Freddie let out a stuffy sneeze, tried to blow his nose and sighed. He could not get the congestion to move. Nor could he even breath through his nose. He flopped back against the pillows and waited for Jamie to come home from work.
He must have dozed off because she was home before he knew it. “Hey Jabie.” He sniffle, giving his nose another useless, honking blow.
“Hey sweety. You’re really stuffed.” She commented.
“I cad’t breadth through by doze at all. By sdot doesd’t ebed bove whed I blow id.”
She gave him a sympathetic look before stepping into the bathroom. She returned with the vapor rub.
“I hade thad stuff.”
“It’ll get your nose running again.” She unbuttoned his shirt. “Gonna let me?”
He nodded, and she began massaging the menthol ointment onto his chest.
- Lullaby
Alex sat in Kristin’s room with her. He knew she was 11, but he had just spent the evening in urgent care where she had been diagnosed with strep and a double ear infection. Which made his head cold seem pretty insignificant.
“Can you sing to me, dad?” She asked.
He coughed. “Oh, um, kiddo, my voice isn’t that great right now.”
“Please, like when I was little?” She looked over at him with big blue eyes.
He smiled. Anything for her. “Northern lights in our skies, plants that grow a-and opend…ehhchuh…your mind, things that swim wi- ihhchuhh..with a neon glow, how we all got here, nobody knows. These are real things. These are…ehhchuhh…real thigs.” He pause and sniffled. “Oh, what a world, don’t wanda leave, all kind of magic around us, ih..it’s..itschuhh…hard to believe. Oh what a world, and thend there is you. Oh, and thend there is you.” He stopped to cough.
She handed him a tissue. “Blow your nose, dad.”
Aggedy Ann 