Over the last two weeks Knox has become an incubator for what we jokingly call “The Knox Plague.” Everywhere you turn, noses are red and stares are vacant — the indicators of a supremely nasty cold. Despite my constant consumption of vitamin C, I joined the ranks of wheezing classmates, making for a particularly nasty weekend. Everything I ate caused me indescribable stomach pain and sleep was nowhere to be found. But from this time of misery, my friends showed their true colors.
The entire weekend I writhed in pain and wet my face with tears; I didn’t expect any help really, most people were preoccupied with their class work and daily dramas and I didn’t want to be a burden or spoil their weekend. But, my boyfriend, Nick, selflessly stepped up as my caretaker. He stayed up each night with me, cradling me in his arms and slipping me saltines when I could stomach them. He bought me Gatorade and always had a mug of water nearby. He helped me set up my heating pad and wiped my tears as they fell. He entertained me with music and movies and kissed my forehead when there was just nothing else he could do. During the daytime, my friend Leandra came by and kept me company too and did her best to distract me from the suckiness of being sick. They were an amazing medical team, offering comforting words and loving embraces, putting my needs before their own even though they each had a lot of homework to do.
Even though being sick was miserable, I’m glad it happened. That agonizing weekend brought me closer with my friends and showed me who I can truly rely on.
*When I read this post to Nick, he offered his own commentary and requested that I include this…uh…spiffy line of poetry: “Noses are red, fingers are blue, everyone’s sick and ACHOO, now so are you.”*
