Dave Edmonds had too much on his mind this busy Monday. He was driving, but his mind was on work, not on the road. “Gotta make sure the wood flooring sub uses the maple and not the mahogany stain … And the painter finishes lacquering the base, crown, and casing laid out in the garage …” Dave parked his truck, placed his notebook between his teeth, and was tucking in his shirt as he was approaching the Hansen job. “I hope she’s not mad that I’m late,” he worried as he walked into the project. He had just dropped his wife and two kids at the pediatrician because they feared they all had the flu. Dave had been the family caregiver for the past weekend. He resigned himself to the fact that he was probably going to be the next to get sick.
Newly hired by B-4 Builders as a superintendent, Dave was trying to live up to the high expectations of the two builder partners. They were having a huge run of success by building more custom projects than any other builder in the area and actually doing it at bid prices that were surprisingly lower than other more experienced professionals. “We repeatedly beat the competition because our large volume keeps our overhead costs lower per unit than the other guys,” boasted Jeff Binger, president of B-4 Builders. There was a lot of pressure to keep everything moving on schedule.
But now Dave focused on meeting the client and keeping her happy. “The color of the floor is fantastic!” beamed Jill Hansen. “The stain really brings out the grain and color diversity of the wood,” she glowed. “I can’t wait to see the finished floor. When will they apply the clear coat stuff?” “The first coat will go on tomorrow, assuming the stain fully dries today,” replied Dave. “I sure hope so,” Mrs. Hansen said. “We’re still planning on moving in the week of the 19th.” “Don’t worry, Mrs. Hansen, we’re gonna make it,” reassured Dave.
The wood flooring sub was observing the interaction with the client from a distance. Once the client and her interior decorator left, he asked, “So, what did she think about the stain selection? Can we proceed with the finish or should we put on the second coat?” “She loved the floor. Go ahead with the second coat and make sure you get here bright and early tomorrow morning to start the clear coat. I’ve got lots of little things to do to wrap up this house by next week. And make sure you clean up,” Dave directed. His cell phone rang. It was his wife. “We guessed right. We all have the flu,” she reported. “Can you swing by the doctor’s office and give us a ride home?” “I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” Dave said.
Dave jumped into his truck and began the drive to the medical office plaza to pick up his family. On the way his head started to ache and he felt a fever coming on. “Here comes the flu,” he thought. By the time they arrived home, his fever was 104 F. He was burning up and all he could do was tell his wife about how much needed to be done at work and how he could not afford the time to be sick. His head was heavy and felt as if it was about to explode.
“Honey, go lay down and I’ll call work and let them know about your condition,” his wife said. “You’ll be back at work later this week.” “But there’s no one to fill in for me on such short notice,” Dave protested. His wife had seen this determination before. “The world will keep spinning without you for two to three days,” she commanded. “The good news is that I’m starting to feel better, so I can take care of you and the kids.”
