Page 27 of Making It Count
“We play basketball,” Shay interjected.
“During practice, we’ll be cautious, but yes, you’ll have to be closer. In games, too, but all coaches will be having the same conversations with their teams, so everyone should be focused on safety when we’re not on the court.” She looked down at her phone. “Wash your hands a lot and use hand sanitizer when you can’t. If you’re feeling unwell at all – and I mean at all – you call me or one of the coaches immediately. We’re going to be extra cautious here. We don’t want anyone else catching this thing, so we’ll tell you to stay in your room and see if it gets better or worse. If it’s worse, you’ll go to student health immediately. Understood? I don’t want anyone pretending they’re well, when they’re not, just to try to get minutes on the court when you could cause everyone to get sick and us to lose.”
“Yes, Coach,” they all stated.
“And lastly, I want you to be smart. Try not to be in the same spaces with each other. If you are, sit or stand at least six feet apart; keep a door or a window open, at least. And remember, if you don’t feel well, stay away from everyone else and notify us immediately.” Coach looked down at her phone once more and said, “I think that’s it for now. The NCAA is working with us on the tournament, so it’s possible we’ll have single hotel rooms instead of roommates, and we might have meals in the rooms instead of as a team in a cafeteria. I’m going to figure out how we can all do virtual team meetings to limit exposure when possible until we understand more about what’s going on. For now, I don’t want to scare you, but I do want you all to be smart and safe. We’ve made it too far for several of you to get sick and have to miss out on the game we’ve all been waiting for.”
“So, everything’s still on with the tournament?” Shay asked.
“So far, yes. I’ll be texting and emailing as I find things out, so please stay by your phones. Tomorrow’s practice is canceled, though. I want to make sure none of you got sick from the trip and flight home, so please just keep to yourselves tonight.”
“We were getting dinner in the cafeteria,” Martin spoke up. “Should we not?”
“Shit,” Coach muttered. “Meals…” She looked around the room. “We’ll have to figure that out. I’ll call the residence facility’s manager and see if we can get trays or boxes delivered at least for tonight and breakfast tomorrow. I’ll text you all to let you know. If not, I’ll have pizzas sent to the floor, and you’ll each get your own or something.”
“Cool,” Hilton said.
“Not cool,” Shay reminded. “People are getting sick.”
“I just meant about the free pizza, not the sick thing.”
“All right, let’s get out of here. And, ladies, I’m serious here; be smart. I’ll find a way to get you each some masks to wear, but until then, when you have to go to class, try to sit away from people, if you can, use a bandana or something over your face, or… I don’t know. Just take care of yourselves.”
“I’ve never seen her look this nervous.”
Layne looked over at Shay, realizing she was talking to her.
“Neither have I.”
CHAPTER 11
“Did you get your pizza?” Shay asked as she stood in the open doorway to Layne’s room.
“Shay?” Layne asked and looked up at her from her desk chair. “Yeah, I got it. I haven’t eaten it yet, though.”
“Not hungry?”
“I am, but I wanted to look this thing up more. I’ve been in a basketball and school bubble for the past few months, so I know about Coronavirus, but I guess I thought it would just go away, like the others always have. Now, I’m not so sure.”
“You’re doing research? Where?” Shay walked into the room.
“Hey! Six feet apart,” Layne told her and pushed her rolling chair back.
Shay laughed and said, “Oh, my God. Layne, come on. Your door is open, and you have your tiny window open, too. Plus, I’m not sick.”
“How do you know? We were in an airport and on a plane this morning, Shay.”
“I feel fine,” Shay replied and sat on Layne’s bed. “It’s nice in here.” She looked around the room.
“It’s a dorm room. You have the same furniture that I do.”
“I know. It was just something to say. Small talk or whatever. You should eat, Layne.”
“I will. I actually don’t mind cold pizza, and I have a microwave if I did.” She rolled her chair over closer to the window. “Why aren’t you taking this more seriously?”
“I am taking it seriously. I’m not sick, though. And I know you’re not sick. We’re also sitting far apart right now, following Coach’s instructions. I don’t have a mask thing, I guess, but I don’t know that I have a bandana, either.”
“Want one?” Layne asked.