Lock-down © 2020 by
David Lee
Quinton Lambert had to act quickly or he wouldn't have a place to lay his head. For the past two years, he'd been living in the basement of the house owned by his adoptive parents. Living there at the age of 25 might make him sound like a slacker, but the opposite was the truth. The walkout unit with full-length windows in the sitting room which looked out on a well-kept back yard was a far cry from a dungeon, and he didn't sit there all day long playing video games. He was a young professional.
He was living there for a couple of reasons. His family had encouraged him to save his rent money for a down payment on a house of his own. They also loved having him near. He'd proven to be as kind and loving as if he'd been their own flesh and blood. In their twilight years, this was a particular blessing. Ed Lambert couldn't see well enough to drive, and Edna was far enough into dementia that she could scarcely be left unattended.
The current crisis had arisen when it became evident that the couple would need move into an assisted living facility. They could no longer be left alone for the period of time Quin was away at his job. To raise the amount of cash needed to place the couple in a decent home, the house, and most of their possessions would need to be liquidated.
Quin hastened the sale along despite knowing that he was going to have to either buy or rent something without having sufficient time to fully research his options.
One of his colleagues from the utility company listened to his tale of frustration and came up with a plan which would temporarily alleviate his woes.
"Why don't you move in with me for a while?" Cody Wilcox offered. "I have a three-bedroom ranch that's a lot more room than I need. You'd be welcome to bring whatever furnishing you wish to keep because I have very little in the house.
"Since we've worked as a team together for over a year and a half and we've never had a difference of opinion, I think we'd get along just fine. On top of that, we could save money by commuting together. Plus, we could bounce ideas off each other, when they came to mind, instead of having to wait for the next day. I don't mean that we'd always bring our work home with us, but you know, it could make us even more productive."
"Wow! That's a great idea. I see advantages for both of us! I don't want to sponge, and you know I make about the same salary as you do, so I could contribute half the mortgage payment and we could split the utilities. We could draw up an agreement with the option of my moving out when I find a place of my own."
"Yeah, it would be good to have a contract so neither of us feels we're being taken advantage of. I don't think that would happen, but it is best not to chance messing up a friendship. And, I won't let you make half the mortgage payment since your name isn't on the deed! We'll figure out something that's equitable."
On the following weekend, Quinton rented a small U-Haul truck to move the larger items that he didn't want to part with. Cody helped him with the lifting, and they accomplished it all by noon on Saturday.
Finding places to put the additional furniture wasn't difficult. As Cody had said, he had very few possessions. The additional pieces gave the place more comfortable, homey feeling.
There was plenty of space in the second largest bedroom for Quin's queen-size bed, matching dresser, side tables and TV. He even had some paintings that he'd done to hang on the walls. It was all coordinated.
Cody found himself hoping that this would become an ongoing situation. On top of finding Quin to be a terrific person to work with, he had some feelings for the guy which ran deeper. He knew he'd have to be careful not to express them too overtly, or risk damaging their working relationship. Maybe he shouldn't wish for their new state of affairs to last.
If Cody could have read Quin's mind, he would have been amazed at how similar their thoughts were. Quin was hoping that he could keep his own secret from becoming a disruptive force.
During their first month of being housemates, everything went smoothly. They had similar tastes in food, so when they took turns cooking, the menu was always to their liking. Whoever wasn't in charge of preparation did the cleanup. Quinton quickly learned Cody's organization of items in the kitchen and made sure the utensils and food stuffs were kept in their designated places. Cody was so organized that he had a small dry-erase board on the inside of the pantry door to keep track of canned goods, oil, spices, and the like when they were running low. It was a great system when two people were using the same supplies for cooking.
The first glitch came in early March, and it wasn't a problem of either man's making. When they arrived home on a Wednesday after work, the house was rather chilly. Cody checked the thermostat and found it was operating and calling for heat. Quinton accompanied him to the basement where they discovered the furnace was showing an "error" readout. Cody called the shop which had installed the equipment, and they sent out a serviceman immediately.
Quin had a small electric heater he'd used occasionally to take the chill off his apartment in the spring, and he plugged it in near the kitchen table while he worked on dinner. Cody spent part of the time watching the repairman.
"Well, I have good news and bad news," the furnace man told him. Which do you want first?"
"The good news, I guess," Cody gave a wry smile.
"Okay, it's under warranty so it'll be repaired at no cost to you."
"That's great! So, what could be bad?"
"This particular part has failed on, I'd say, 60% of this model's units. That means we don't have it in stock. The replacements aren't subject to the same failure, but it will take from two days to a week to get one."
"Well, It's March, and warmer weather is on the way. It could be worse!"
"Yeah, you're lucky it didn't go out in January. At least now, it won't get cold enough outside to freeze any water pipes."
The men ate their dinner sitting close together in the kitchen with the heater not far away. It wasn't bad, but it was likely to put a crimp in their evening plans, including sleeping.
Quin had a solution in mind, but he was initially hesitant to voice it until he found that Cody seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"We could bed down near the gas-log but it wouldn't be as comfortable as a bed. Another thing we would do is to crawl into a small space together to conserve body heat."
"Hmm... Since I have a heater and a smaller bedroom, we could share my bed if you don't think that's weird. If we slept in lounge pants and piled on enough blankets, we might not need the heater. I'm sorta uncomfortable with having it run when we're asleep."
"That's a great idea!" Cody exclaimed, almost too eagerly. "It would be a lot better than sleeping on the living room floor, and I have that big duvet on my king-sized bed that we could throw over your covers and it would be almost like being in a tent."
They soon set to work on making a comfortable "nest." After doing so, they took turns showering in the main bathroom with the space heater going. Then, they dressed in lounge pants and T's and climbed into bed.
Since it was still too early for sleep, they propped up and watched TV on the widescreen set Quin originally had in his living room. Fortunately, they liked the same kinds of programs.
During the night, they migrated a bit closer together. At one point, Cody awoke to the feeling of something poking him in the back. In his semi-conscious state, he reached back to find out what it was. He nearly jumped when he identified it. He went back to sleep with a smile on his face.
Later, Quin roused slightly when he felt Cody's arm across his body. He had a similar reaction.
Since both men wore light beards, Quin's brown-black and Cody's strawberry blond, they didn't need to shave in the morning. Having had showers the night before meant that a quick cleanup was all that was needed for work. Dressing, brushing their teeth, and styling their hair didn't require much time either.
Carrying the heater to the kitchen, they made a hearty breakfast before driving to their job. Neither brought up anything about their close contact during the night. The details were a bit fuzzy and no one had been upset.
"How do you feel about working a little later and going to Cheddar's for dinner?" Cody asked. Since it's my turn to cook, I'll buy."
"Suits me, but if you pay tonight, then I should treat tomorrow night. Or, we can go Dutch to keep it all even."
So, that's what they did.
The second glitch came on March 16th when orders came to practice social distancing. At the headquarters of the utility company, it was decided that half the techies would be working at home and the other half would be coming in. Then, the next week, they would switch. Much of their programming could be done remotely, and they might eventually have to do it all off-site if the Covid-19 virus became pandemic.
Since the men were paired in their tasks, it was logical for them to be together during the lock-down. The first week, they were both to go into headquarters. That was fine with them because they were still waiting on the part for the furnace and they wouldn't have been as comfortable at home, even with the gas fireplace in the living room.
On Wednesday, exactly a week after the breakdown, the furnace was up and running fine. Cody had to go home on his lunch hour to let the repairman in, so he ate a sandwich while there and didn't miss any time from his job.
The first week of social distancing passed fairly uneventfully. Since they were going in every day as usual, the impact of isolation didn't hit them much.
It had more effect on Quin's life because he wasn't able to see his parents. No visitors were allowed for fear of spreading the virus among a very vulnerable population. Quin understood the need, as did Ed. Edna didn't, but she usually forgot about it as quickly as she began to complain.
Quin phoned frequently to check on his father. The old man's spirits seemed good as he adjusted to institutional living. It freed his mind for other things, realizing Edna's care didn't all fall on him.
Knowing the reputation of the facility, Quin rested easier too. Whatever happened, his parents would be taken care of in the best possible way.
After their first week of hunkering down at home, the guys were looking forward to being at headquarters again. However, by then, the order came all employees who could work remotely should do so. Other than wishing to get to the gym, the men could adjust. Fortunately, Cody had a treadmill, and recumbent stationary bike, and an old Soloflex machine in his basement. Most of the equipment had been left by the previous owner who was too lazy to move it. He'd resented having it clutter his basement, but now it looked like a godsend.
With the occasional trips to the grocery store, and getting exercise, Cody and Quin kept their spirits up. When they had to go out for supplies, they did it individually and they used masks and gloves. It was important to cut the risk as much as possible.
The following week, Quin received a call from the care center with bad news. Ed, along with several other seniors, had contracted the Covid-19 virus. He was being moved to the infirmary for treatment and, in his absence, Edna needed to be housed in the memory-care unit until he was well again.
Quin felt helpless. He couldn't be with Ed to comfort him, and Edna couldn't understand what was happening. To help them keep in touch, the care facility arranged for Ed and Quin to converse on Skype. That cheered Ed up immensely. They tried to do the same with Edna, but she kept wondering why her son was in that computer.
Ed worsened and was put on a ventilator. Quin feared the outcome. Edna became more and more agitated.
One night, a call came from the social worker asking Quin if he could talk to his mother on the phone and calm her down. Of course, he said he would try.
"Quin, I'm so worried about Papa. It's cold and miserable outside and he's not home. He could be out there lying in the street!"
"Mama, he's in the infirmary. Didn't they tell you? He has something like the flu and they don't want you to be exposed too. He'll be home when he gets well."
"You're not telling me the whole truth," Edna said. "It must be that virus from China. I heard about it on the TV and it's killing a lot of people!"
"I wasn't lying, Mama. I didn't want you to worry unnecessarily. He's getting good treatment."
"Okay, I won't worry. I'll pray for his recovery."
The tears in Quin's eyes told Cody that all was not well. He wasn't going to pry, but he put an arm around his housemate's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
"Hey, I know it's supposed to be spring, but would you like a cup of hot coca to cheer you up? With that rain and wind outside, it might as well be February instead of April."
"That sounds great! I see you have the gas log on. We could sit on the sofa and maybe watch an old movie to distract me."
Even with the fireplace going, the light throw Cody spread over them didn't feel oppressively warm. It was cozy and comforting. The scene could have come from an old episode of Ozzie and Harriet, had one of them been a female.
Quin had another call from the care center early in the morning. Edna had died in her sleep. The news was sad but not totally unexpected. In a way, it was a kind of relief. Edna was at peace, but what would happen to Ed if he found out?
"Hey, Quin, I'll call the office and tell them the news. I'm sure you'll have the week off for bereavement. There'll be arrangements and all."
"I appreciate it, but I think I should work today as usual. The hackers aren't taking a break. In fact, they have time on their hands to find new ways for disrupting the power grid.
"Besides, my parents have deeded their bodies to the University of Iowa medical school. It's all arranged, even for the Amana funeral home to transport. They do it a lot cheaper than the ones in Cedar Rapids, and my family didn't believe in wasting."
"Okay, will we do a celebration of life after this pandemic ends?"
"Yup. We have plenty of time to schedule it, and I fear it could end up being a double ceremony."
Quin kept his mind on his job. Together, the men completed building a program which provided a stronger wall of defense for the power company.
He ate a reasonably full dinner. Cody had prepared a Greek chicken recipe that Quin particularly liked. Quin smiled as he thought about how caring and considerate his housemate was. It was almost like a spouse.
Later, when Quin went down to the basement alone to ride the stationary bike, he let down his personal wall of defense. The tears flowed freely as he remembered all the good things his mother had done for him. He'd grieved so much for her as her mind had deteriorated, that he'd assumed there were no more tears to shed. Now that she was gone, he found it wasn't the case.
The sound of rain and wind outside didn't improve his mood. He didn't know how he was going to sleep that night. He was so involved in his misery that he hadn't heard Cody descending the stairs.
"Hey," Cody said softly.
"Hey," Quin managed to return.
"C'mere. You shouldn't be alone."
Quin turned and melted into Cody's embrace. He drew strength from the compassion he felt.
"I know the furnace is going and the house isn't chilly but I want you to share my bed tonight. You can tell me anything you like or nothing at all. We'll be like two boys on a sleepover."
"I'm all sweaty from the exercise."
"We should both shower if we're going to be that close. I'm sure I don't smell like a rose."
Cody lay on his back and invited Quin to lie on his side with his head on Cody's shoulder and Cody's arm around him. They remained silent for a while. Cody sensing tears falling on his chest, pulled his friend a little closer.
Perceiving the affection in Cody's touch, Quin began to open up. He told how Edna and Ed had taken him as their own when he was a little three-year-old urchin, neglected, undisciplined, unloved, and not even potty trained.
In the beginning, he'd felt insecure, and had hidden food under his bed not trusting that he'd be given another meal. Through it all, his parents had remained loving and patient.
Ed did keep a small piece of wood by the fireplace which he referred to as the "board" of education. It was a kind of joke because he never intended to discipline his son with it. Quinton didn't understand the humor because he'd been spanked harshly by his biological mother and assumed that he might be beaten if he disobeyed. So, one day when he knew he'd done something bad, he hid the board before his father came home. Ed had noticed that it was missing and asked Quinton to find it. The boy stalled for several minutes but finally brought it from under his bed. With tears in his eyes, he pulled down his pants and laid his chest on a chair with his bare butt sticking up awaiting his punishment.
In stead of striking the boy, Ed picked him up and hugged him telling him how much he loved him. Quin confessed his wrong-doing and Ed said he was disappointed by what Quin had done but forgave him, asking him not to do it again.
"It's always been my example of the mercy of God," Quin reminisced. "Even as a little kid, I vowed not to disappoint my father again."
"That's a beautiful simile. I think a preacher could get a lot of mileage out of it. It's a great memory."
"Yeah, I should tell that at his memorial service."
"Yes, but that could be well into the future. Your father might be one of the strong older adults who survives."
"Thanks."
"Are you ready to change positions?"
"Yup, and I'll bet your arm is going to sleep. I'll turn on my other side."
"Would it be okay for me to cuddle against your back?"
"It would be welcomed."
The following day brought hope. Ed Lambert's fever had broken and he was resting better. If the trend continued, he'd be taken off the ventilator in the morning to see if he could breathe adequately on his own. The news cheered up both men. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.
However, toward evening, Cody developed an extremely painful headache. Knowing it was a symptom of the illness, Quin took his temperature. It registered at 100.3 which seemed to be another strong indicator. He gave him Tylenol and helped him to bed. Then, he washed his hands and disinfected all surfaces Cody had come in contact with recently.
"Let me know if you need anything. I'll leave the doors to our rooms open. Don't hesitate to rouse me in the middle of the night if you get worse. Guys tend to tough it out. That's not wise with this virus!"
"Okay, Mother," Cody attempted to joke.
"I don't care if you call me "Mother," just don't hyphenate the word," Quin bantered in return.
"I'm gonna feel terrible if I've exposed you," Cody sighed. "I shouldn't have asked you to sleep with me. I'm afraid the close contact might have messed you up."
"No, I needed that! It was done with the best intentions, and if I get sick, I get sick. Chances are that I won't escape it anyway."
Cody was miserable for the next few days, and he lost interest in eating because nothing had any aroma or taste. Quin nursed him around his job-related duties. In a sense, he was doing the work of two because they were partners. However, despite feeling terrible, Cody contributed, and actually worked part-time.
Slowly, Cody began to improve. His fever broke just before Quin was ready to take him to the hospital. Since arrangements had already been made, he was told to come in to be checked.
The emergency room workers had them enter a temporary shelter in the parking lot where Cody was seen to. As expected, he tested positive. They decided that if he felt well enough to continue to recuperate at home, it would be best. The hospital was nearing capacity for Covid-19 patients because they had to be in a special, sealed-off area.
Quin was also given a test to determine if he had the virus as well. This one was more complicated and it would take at least 24 hours to get the results.
"Whoa, I'm glad they didn't keep me," Cody smiled. "I've already got the best nurse in town. Seriously, I can't thank you enough for all you're doing."
"Hey, I know you'd do the same. You've helped me grieve Mom's passing. You've buoyed my spirit a lot."
When the results of Quin's test came back from the lab, they were positive too. The doctor suspected that he was among those who get the virus but remain asymptomatic. It was possible that he might have been infected before Cody had.
"Man, I hate knowing I could have made you sick," Quin shook his head. "You didn't know what you were getting when you invited me to share your house."
"Hey, life is sometimes a crap-shoot. You didn't know you'd be taking care of a sickie. Whoever got it first didn't do anything intentional. This is a no-fault situation. It's like we've been together in sickness and in health."
"For richer or poorer," Quin quoted.
"Till death do us part..." Cody continued. "Um, about all that, I know I may be walking on thin ice, but I have to confess that I really care about you that much. Will I mess us up royally if I say I love you?"
Instead of answering, Quin pulled Cody into his arms and kissed him. There was no need for words. Those would come later in the afterglow.
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Author's notes: A quick word of thanks to the 32 people who emailed me this past week about New Kid at City High. It's great to know you enjoyed the story.
Thanks to David (Boxerdude) who edited this tale for me quickly so I could get it posted.
Thanks to Nifty for providing this venue. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
If you enjoyed this tale, I'd love to hear from you. Please write to me at: dlee169@hotmail.commailto:dlee169@hotmail.com
Hope you are all staying healthy through this pandemic.
David