QUARANTINE - N.H.

two

I was sitting on one of the barstools, eating spaghetti with Niall's tomato sauce while I was writing a grocery list. I had a shift from 11 to 8 tomorrow, which was nice after I had such a long day today. I definitely need to catch up on some sleep, so I was going to sleep in a little tomorrow. Maybe I would go to the grocery store after work. I finished writing my grocery list and then I finished my food, before I went to get ready for bed.

I woke up at 9 the next day. I had an apple for breakfast. I would eat something at work in between the appointments with my patients. I made myself a cup of coffee and went outside on my balcony and watched some people passing by, while drinking my beloved coffee and relaxing before my hectic work life would start. I loved what I was doing. I loved being a surgeon. I loved helping people and making the world a better place, but I was exhausting. It was so exhausting, that sometimes I asked myself why I chose this profession. But one surgery later, one saved life later, I would always realize why I keep doing what I am doing. Not everyone could say they are saving lives on a daily basis. I mean, that is pretty cool right?

„Everything is different right now", I said to myself after I took another sip of my hot coffee. The Corona Virus really hit us hard and the UK was not handling it the best. Other European countries are better. Germany, for example had such a low death rate, which as a doctor, is awesome to me. But I was also concerned about the patients in my hospital I was working at. I did not have any Corona patients, because I was working mostly with cancer patients and people with tumors. People who were infected by the Virus were located in a different part of the hospital: I never really had contact with anyone infected, but everyone who worked at the hospital still had to follow strict guidelines. I had to wear two masks over each other, I was wearing gloves non-stop and I had to change them every time I was visiting someone new or I came close to another person. It was hard and weird, but we had to live with these consequences and it was important to be so careful.
After I finished my coffee on my balcony in the cold and fresh air, I stepped back into my apartment and went to my bedroom to get ready. Of course, I was running late again. As always. I was rushing down my hallway, looking into my backpack, checking, if I had everything that was important. I opened the door and I almost crashed into Niall who was standing right in front of it. „Oh! Hi!", I said surprised.

Niall:

I woke up at around 10. During this quarantine, I literally could not motivate myself to do anything. „Maybe I should go to the grocery store today"; I said to myself. I could ask Olivia if she needed something. After the girl came over yesterday and asked me for tomato sauce, I could not get her out of my head. The way she stood in front of my door, her light brown hair up in a bun, wearing nothing special, a black long sleeve from some American college and leggings. God, she was beautiful. And I could not see anything in her face that showed me that she knows me. I mean, that she knows who I am and what I do. It was nice that she didn't see me as Niall Horan, the singer.

She looked exhausted though. Who wouldn't after working an 18 hour shift, as she said. I wondered where she worked and as what. It had to be essential, since everything else is closed down right now. I finally got up and got ready to go out and get some groceries. I locked my front door and walked over to Olivia's apartment. I wanted to ask her, if she wanted me to get her something, while I was out. Before I knocked on her door, I tried to calm down a little. She made me nervous for some strange reason. „Maybe, that's because you are attracted to her", my mind told me. No. I am not attracted to her. Am I?

Before I was able to knock on Olivia's door, she opened it herself and almost crashed into me. She looked up from her backpack and looked into my eyes. When she realized it was me, her eyes got bigger and a smile grew on her face. „Oh! Hi!", she said surprised. „Hi Olivia. Ehh.. I was just wondering... I mean- I am going to the store now and I was wondering if you needed anything. You seemed exhausted yesterday and I think you are working a lot, so I thought I could help you out somehow", I stuttered. Damn it Niall, why did you have to be so nervous. She was just like everyone else. Was she though? „Are you sure, you wanna do that for me? I could just go by myself after work", she asked nervously. She was so sweet. She just had this positive vibe around her. I loved it. „Yeah. Just tell me what you need. I don't have something to do anyways. You are probably tired after work,. so let me help you out a little", I smiled. She opened her backpack and she got out her wallet. „I have a grocery list in here somewhere...", she mumbled and took out a little piece of paper. „Don't even worry about it, if you can't find something. Just the fact that you thought about helping me out, is so nice", she explained and handed me her grocery list. Our fingers touched for a tiny second and I immediately got chills on my arms. Probably just because her hands were cold, I told myself. „No worries", I smiled with an American accent, trying to be funny and she started laughing. „I don't have any cash on me right now, to pay you. I will stop by the bank after work and pay you back", she said and I heard embarrassment in her voice. „You are totally fine", I said, trying to calm her.

„I really need to go now, I am already running late", she said. „Yeah of course, I suppose you need to get to the garage?", I asked after I stepped a few steps backwards and Olivia closed her door and locked it. I turned to the elevator which was located between my and her door and I pressed the button. „Yeah", she said. „Okay cool, me too", I said nervously, not knowing, how to start a conversation. „Where do you work?", I asked her when we both waited for the elevator. „I am a surgeon at Royal Marsden Hospital", she said. My jaw dropped. „You are a surgeon?", I asked surprised as we entered the elevator and Olivia pressed the button for the garage. The doors closed. „Yeah. Are you surprised?", she laughed. Wow, her laugh is so beautiful. „Yes.. I mean no. I mean... Of course I would put it past you, to be a surgeon, but you don't look any older than me and you already are a surgeon?", I tried to fix the situation. The elevator opened its doors again and we got out. I would just follow her to her car, so I wouldn't have to stop the conversation. „I mean yeah. It is my last year of my medical residency. I finished college and I finished medical school a little earlier. I am turning 27 in a few weeks", she told me and she turned away with a shy look on her face, as we walked through the garage. Wow, she's only a few months older than me and already a surgeon. She must be so smart. „Wow, you have my biggest respect. Especially working as a doctor right now must be hard", I said to her. We stopped at a black Audi. It was a nice car.

A cute girl, with a great job and a good taste in cars? Does she get any better?

„It is hard right now. Thank you for doing all this, Niall. We should be careful, because I am around sick people all day. I don't want you to get sick or worse, catch the virus", she said quietly and looked down. Oh hell no.I just met her, I am not gonna back out of this now. „ Don't worry. We live close. We are going to have contact anyways. We press the same buttons and grab the same door handles", I tried to make a joke. She started laughing. „Let's talk tonight okay? You need to get to work now and save lives. I'll get your groceries", I said and waved at her. She waved back. „Thank you so much Niall. I really appreciate you. Helping me out and stuff." I took a few steps backwards as she was opening her car door. „I really appreciate you. Saving lives and stuff", I said and used the same words as she did. She started blushing and waved again before she got into her car and drove off.

Damn. I never felt like this before.