COUGH COUGH COUGH

She got into the lift had two bikes and three people in already.
‘Cough, cough,’ she coughed, ‘cough, cough...’
I could feel the the air from her coughing on my cheek.
‘...cough, cough, cough...’
I looked at the man had the other bike and smiled and he smiled back. I looked at daughter who raised her eyebrows.
‘...cough, cough, cough...’
My forehead against the metal side as I leaned away from her but I could still feel the gentle breeze made by the cough.
‘...cough, cough, cough...’
‘Do you need me to get out?’ I said to the man when we stopped on his floor.
‘No, it’s okay,’ he said.
I got out anyway as had the woman, '...cough, cough, cough...' and I hoped she wouldn’t get back in but she did.
‘...cough, cough, cough...’
She pressed a floor button.
‘Let it be the next one,’ but it wasn’t.
'...cough, cough, cough...'
At our floor me and daughter got out and when
‘...cough, cough, cough...’
the lift door closed daughter gasped.
‘Did you hold your breath all the way?’
‘Jesus,’ she said, ‘of course I did.’