I wonder why there are ambulances outside, then realize they are for us. We can’t exactly walk to the hospital, but the stretchers with the plastic covers look … claustrophobic. As I’m looking at them, a woman in a hazmat suit walks between the two ambulances. She nods at Joey, who retreats into the warehouse. Through the woman’s hazmat suit I can see that her dark hair is pulled into a tidy ponytail.

She shakes my hand, then Flora’s. “I’m Dr. Demarko. I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, but I promise we’re going to take excellent care of you both. You’ll be in a shared room, but one of your walls is entirely made up of glass, and medical personnel will constantly be in and out of your room. If necessary, we will add a video camera to your room.” She looks at us both, waits for that point to sink in. I feel my cheeks turn red as I realize she’s referencing the kiss. The kiss. Flora kissed me.

“Wait, so we’ll be … roommates?” Flora says. “I’ll be spending thirty days in the same room as him?”

She gives me a look of shock and something else I can’t figure out. Disgust? Dread? Clearly she’s not thinking about the kiss. Or maybe she is.

“Yes. It’s easier for hospital staff to monitor you if you’re in the same room. We won’t have to dispose of as many hazmat suits either.”

“So this is a matter of saving a few pennies?” Flora says sarcastically.

“It’s more than a few pennies,” Dr. Demarko says, unfazed. “Anyway, as I said, you’ll be in a shared room, but if either of you starts to display symptoms beyond a fever or develops a fever of 101.5 or above, then you will be moved to isolation.”

“What if the fever doesn’t come back? What if it was a … mistake? What if, say, the thermometer was tampered with?” Flora says.

Dr. Demarko says, “Unfortunately, the fever has been recorded. Even if it was only a onetime thing. Even if it was a mistake. We have protocols we have to follow.”

“Right,” Flora says softly. She thinks for a second. “But isn’t a fever a sign of being sick?”

“It is. But fevers in and of themselves aren’t contagious. The symptoms of the fevers are what we’re worried about. If either of you starts coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or experiencing diarrhea, or, as I said, develops a fever above 101.5, you’ll be moved to isolation.”

I feel myself blushing again. I don’t like hearing about poop with anyone, much less the first girl who kissed me.

Flora seems unbothered, though. “What is isolation like?”

“It’s not much different than the room you’re going to, actually. But don’t worry about that. Just know that your room has a thick curtain dividing it in half, for privacy. And remember that you will be monitored very closely.”

Flora asks, “Can we see our parents? Our moms, at least?”

“We are currently doing more research to decide if and when you can have visitors. I’m going to recommend that your parents head to Miami anyway, so if and when they have received clearance to visit, they can get to the hospital right away.”

Flora asks, “How long will that research take?”

“Hopefully just a few days,” Dr. Demarko informs us. “Oliver, do you have any questions for me?”

“Sorry,” Flora says. “I always do that.”

Dr. Demarko looks at me, waiting for an answer. “I don’t think so.” The only question I want to ask her is why Flora kissed me, but I don’t think the doctor has the answer to that. I wonder if Flora does.

“Now, let’s call your parents before they have to find out anything else from the news about their children.”

I’m looking at the stretchers again, and when I pull my eyes away, I realize Dr. Demarko and Flora are both staring at me. Flora has her phone in her hand. I think I’m supposed to do the same thing, so I pull my phone out of my pocket.

“Flora has offered to let me talk to your parents first,” Dr. Demarko says.

“Oh, it’s just my mom,” I say. But I’m wondering why Flora wants me to make the phone call first. I’m sure she’s overheard me talking to my high-maintenance mother, so is she doing it as a favor, or to be mean?

“I understand,” Dr. Demarko says. “Why don’t you talk to your mom first, and then I can jump in after a few minutes?”

“Are you sure you don’t just want to make the phone call yourself?” I say, trying to make a joke.

Dr. Demarko looks at me sternly.

“Right, okay,” I say, and call my mom.

It rings a half ring. “OLIVER. Why haven’t you answered any of my calls?” She’s beyond fluttery now, and I think about how a group of crows is called a murder of crows.

“Sorry, Mom. Um, there’s been a change of plans.”

“A change of plans? Thirty-day quarantine is a change of plans? Oliver, what is happening? The news is exaggerating, right? Everything is always exaggerated, right?” There’s that desperation in her voice again that scares me.

“We’re going to the hospital—”

At the word hospital, she starts crying.

Dr. Demarko and Flora are both watching me, and I hand the phone off like it’s a hot potato.

Dr. Demarko calmly introduces herself, and even though she’s a few feet away from me, I can hear my mom wailing over the phone.

Flora touches my hand lightly. She’s got her phone facing me, and on her screen is a video of a seal waddling out of the water at the beach and onto a patch of sand. The seal is on an inlet, and as it puts its head down, a huge wave splashes it in the face. The seal sneezes out the water and waddles to a new patch of beach on the sand, looking annoyed.

Flora watches my face. I have no idea why she’s showing this video to me. But I don’t object when she plays it again and again. It gets funnier each time.

So funny I don’t hear what Dr. Demarko says to my mom, but suddenly she’s handing the phone back to me.

“I’m getting on a plane tomorrow morning, Oliver! I’m looking at hotels now, and I found one right by the hospital, so even if I can’t see you, I’ll be close to you.” Flutter, flutter.

“Isn’t that great news?” my mom says. She sounds so different than before. Almost excited?

“Yeah, Mom, great,” I say. But she doesn’t notice my lack of enthusiasm. My brain is going a million directions at once.

“And just you wait. The doctor said a girl kissed you! But she’s not your girlfriend? When I get clearance to visit you, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind. Why would she kiss you when she knows she’s sick? Who does that?”

I look at Flora, who is still showing me the seal video. She sees me looking at her, gives a half wave.

Maybe my mom has a point. Who does that?