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Poe
Barb is one of Stella’s primary nurses. Stella and Barb have a close, almost mother-daughter relationship, as Barb has cared for Stella since she was six years old. Barb is deeply affected by an experience she had years prior, when she was a new nurse; she let two cystic fibrosis patients—one of whom had B. cepacia—break the rule of staying six feet apart, because they were in love and Barb wanted them to be happy. They both ended up dying prematurely after the one with B. cepacia transmitted the infection to the other. After this experience Barb became a stickler for the six-foot guideline. She harshly punishes Will, Stella, and Poe whenever she finds them breaking the hospital’s rules.
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Barb Character Timeline in Five Feet Apart
The timeline below shows where the character Barb appears in Five Feet Apart. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Stella
...with her family, and she hopes her parents will get back together. Stella’s favorite nurse, Barb, tells Stella that Poe was also just admitted to the hospital. Poe and Stella have...
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Chapter 2: Will
...neonatal intensive care unit. Will tries to talk to Stella but she brushes him off. Barb finds the two of them, and she chastises Will for leaving his floor and not...
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Chapter 3: Stella
Barb helps Stella put on her AffloVest, which vibrates Stella’s torso to loosen the mucus in...
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Chapter 4: Will
...mom wears a designer coat as she leaves the hospital, and she tries to give Barb a $100 bill on her way out. She tells Barb that Will is a difficult...
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Chapter 7: Stella
...him. She downloads an app that she created onto his phone. Stella knows that if Barb knew she was in Will’s room, she’d be in a lot of trouble. Stella listens...
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Barb suspects that Stella was in Will’s room, but Stella denies it. Poe and Stella videocall,...
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Chapter 9: Stella
...drink and leaves her room to get a mop. In the hall, she accidentally wakes Barb, who was asleep in a chair. Barb opens her arms and Stella climbs into her...
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Chapter 14: Will
...dressed in scrubs. He stops when he sees Stella’s parents. They’re arguing over trivial things. Barb enters, and she chastises Stella’s parents, telling them to act like adults since Stella is...
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Barb sees Will and angrily drags him back to his floor. She reiterates that him being...
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Chapter 15: Stella
...things are over. Stella is shocked and confused. Poe explains the conversation he overheard between Barb and Will.
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Chapter 19: Stella
...in a window. Stella kisses Will’s reflection. Suddenly, Stella sees a text from Poe that Barb is looking for her and Will. Stella sprints to the neonatal intensive care unit, knowing...
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Chapter 21: Stella
...tears of joy. They head back to sit with everyone else. As they’re eating dessert, Barb suddenly storms in the room. Enraged, she sends Poe, Will, and Stella back to their...
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...“Code Blue,” which means someone’s heart has stopped. It’s Poe. Panicked and confused, Stella follows Barb, Julie, and a team of emergency responders into Poe’s room. Staff members drag Stella back...
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Chapter 22: Will
Will sits in his room with his things packed waiting for Barb to come get him, but she doesn’t come all day. In his mind, Will keeps...
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Chapter 23: Stella
...coming in at a frantic rate. She finally checks her phone to see texts from Barb, her parents, and her friends asking where she is—there is a lung transplant available for...
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Chapter 27: Stella
...to the bright hospital lights instead of the holiday lights at the park. Her parents, Barb, and Dr. Hamid are there. She asks about Will and hears his voice. He’s there...
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Chapter 28: Will
...Hamid and the surgery team emerge with the news that the transplant was successful. Later, Barb comes to Will’s room to tell him that Stella tested negative for B. cepacia. Will’s...
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