Read Chapter 16: — THE TEMPORARY HOSPITAL

The convention centre became a hospital in seventy-two hours.

The city called it the Lakeshore Community Care Centre. Everyone else called it the arena ward.

Rows of beds stretched beneath exhibition lights. Privacy screens divided sleeping areas. Charging stations, oxygen points, medication carts, nursing posts, and temporary showers appeared where trade shows had once sold boats and wedding packages.

The centre accepted stable patients who were confirmed or strongly suspected to have the virus but did not require intensive hospital care.

Its purpose was simple: protect acute-care beds from collapse.

Its emotional effect was harder to measure.

Patients arrived frightened and often angry. Some had been separated from family. Others were embarrassed to be there. A few treated staff as jailers.

Ben was transferred after his second test returned positive.

So was Adrian.

His fever began on day fourteen of the fever clinic.

He told no one until Lena noticed he had stopped making jokes.

“You’re sick.”

“I’m tired.”

“You have a fever.”

“I object to your diagnostic style.”

She put a thermometer in his ear.

“Thirty-eight point six.”

“I object more strongly.”

His test returned positive the next morning.

Lena read the result in the electronic chart and had to sit down.

Adrian was stable. Mild hypoxia on exertion. No indication for ICU. He was transferred to the convention centre partly because he had nowhere safe to isolate in staff housing.

Ben discovered his new bed was three rows from Lena’s former boyfriend.

His recovery therefore included an unexpected lesson in emotional maturity.

The first night, Adrian called Lena before lights-out.

“I’m fine.”

“You are a patient. Stop saying that.”

“I’m medically boring.”

“Stay that way.”

Across the aisle, Ben pulled his blanket over his head.

A nurse reminded Adrian that phone calls ended at ten.

Ben smiled into the darkness.

Small victories still existed.