Final answer:
Charlene thought Alfred was sick, but it is not stated in the passage what he was actually doing.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the given passage, it is mentioned that Charlene thought Alfred was sick. However, in reality, Alfred was not sick but engaged in another activity. The passage does not explicitly state what Alfred was doing. The possible reasons for Charlene's misunderstanding could be based on Alfred's behavior or physical appearance. It is important to note that the given passage does not provide enough information to determine the exact reason for Charlene's assumption.