Timing and Preparation

Yesterday morning:

Yelling from the kitchen while putting on his shoes, “I’m going over!”

I respond back, “Okay, check in regularly, please. We have yard work to do today.”

I wondered how soon I’d see him. Would I have to be that mom again and yell his name for the whole neighborhood to hear? 

Nope. He was heading back already. They must be out of town.

My son, he’s thirteen, still loves to play outside. We’ve only just begun to have warm enough weather to be outside again let alone reconnect with the neighborhood kids. He had just been playing with the eleven-year-old down the street the other day. 

“That was fast!” I said. 

“He’s got the flu,” his eyebrows raised a bit when he said it. 

“Like influenza, the flu or someone called what he has the flu.” 

“I don’t know. His mom said the flu.”

Shawn and I exchange glances. He had his flu shot but we've been hearing this latest strain is unresponsive and stronger.

This could be bad. Do I text her and ask. Is that weird?

"Check her Facebook. Maybe she posted something," Shawn suggests.

I think it's probably unlikely I'll find an absolute answer, but then, right in front of me with a blue background and all, "Took him in to get tested, he's positive for Influenza A."

So now, not only did I feel weird about FB stalking to find out how sick my neighbor's kid was, I was trying not to immediately panic. 

As the day went on I watched a perfectly healthy kid pick up sticks, rake, and goof around in the yard. Then later in the afternoon, a tiny cough began. By nine in the evening, flush cheeks became visible and his temp went from 99.8 to 100.6 in about an hour before he went to bed. 

Time to mask up and prepare.