Narrator

The first person narrator of the short story is unnamed. She is also the protagonist of the short story. In the narrative present, the narrator is struggling to adjust to the newly dystopian nature of her reality. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has not only forced her into social isolation, but precluded her ability to help her elderly and ailing father Dan.

Shortly after Dan emerges from surgery on his hip, the hospital discovers that he has contracted the coronavirus. At the start of the story, the narrator communicates with Dan via FaceTime. She tries to describe his condition and circumstances in an unemotional and straightforward manner. However, because her father is not only ill but taking hydroxychloroquine, he appears detached from reality. Throughout the narrator’s conversation with him, she struggles to maintain her mood and spirits. She feels frustrated with the FaceTime application, as it seems to preclude...