Nick
This is some grade A horse shit.
I never get sick. Ever. And oh, god, am I sick. Everything hurts, I’ve got a fever, and I almost passed out twice today, but heavy rope demonstrations wait for no man.
“I told you to get the flu shot. It’s flu season, and we work in a petri dish. What the hell were you thinking?” Roly’s tapping his foot on the floor, annoyed with me. “I’ve already promised Scout that I would close the pizza shop for them. What are we supposed to do now?”
“Shit, I just let the kid go home for the day. Can we call him back or something?”
“First of all, he said something yesterday about not having minutes on his phone, and second, yeah, he’s younger than us, but he’s served three tours of duty. Perhaps you can dispense with the ‘kid’ shit.”
I roll my eyes. Yeah, I know he’s not a kid. Like, fully aware of the fact. “How does he not have a phone? Everyone has a phone.”
“He has a phone, dumbass. I mean, I think it’s maybe an old flip phone, but it’s pay-as-you-go. He’s only had one half of a paycheck from us, and you’ll notice that he’s dressing better, so he’s probably just trying to prioritize what comes next.”
“How is a functioning phone not a priority?”
“Maybe it isn’t. It doesn’t seem like he has anybody here. When I asked him what was his motivation for a business degree, he said to get enough to eat. This guy is probably starting from nothing—maybe give him some slack. He’s clearly motivated, and the guys love him. And maybe I can call Jake over to close shop for us.”
Just as I’m about to agree, the kid—I mean, Elijah—walks in the door, as though he’d heard us talking about him. “Sorry, guys, I forgot my bag.”
“Elijah! You came back. Nick over here is about ready to die because he didn’t get a damn flu shot, and I need to go close the pizza shop. Can you stay a few extra hours tonight?”
The kid—Elijah… checks the time like he’s got somewhere to be and hesitates. “Okay, yeah. Of course.”
It’s clear he’s thinking about something and struggling with it. “What’s the deal, k—Elijah, you got a big date?”
He gestures to himself as though that is supposed to mean something obvious. “Yeah, no.”
“If you need to call somebody, just use the phone at the counter.”
The suggestion rankles him, and he shakes his head. “No, I’m just trying to rearrange the logistics of the evening in my head. Took me a second, but I know what I’ll do now. No big thing. Hope you feel better.”
Something’s bothering him, and damn if that doesn’t bother me. He’s clearly sacrificing something to make this work for us, if the stiff hold of his shoulders is any indication, and it’s not small, and not something he’s going to share with us. So, I respect his privacy. Sorta.
“Okay, but we’ve got to fix this phone situation of yours. I’ve got an iPhone 7 laying around that I don’t use anymore, and you’re going on the company phone line.”
Elijah’s jaw ticks and he nails me with a glare. “Look, man. I’m just juggling a lot right now and didn’t have enough for minutes. That’s what I’m getting on my very next paycheck. There’s no need to do all that. I’m not a charity case.”
Nope, nuh-uh. I’m putting my foot down. “It’s not charity, kid—fuck, I mean… Elijah. You need to be able to access your email and the web for business purposes, and it doesn’t cost me much to add a line. So shut up, take the phone, and get it set up. First thing tomorrow.”
“Fine,” he says, wrapping his arms around himself. I’d normally protest the lack of gratitude, but… I think it embarrasses him that he couldn’t afford the minutes. Or a phone from this decade. In my mind, it’s just an obstacle that needs to be removed, so it’s an easy choice. Even easier when I think it’ll help him.
“And hey, while we’re talking about things that are business related, I noticed you didn’t sign up for benefits.”
He hugs himself harder. “I will, I just need to take care of a few things first.”
My head is a little spinny from… probably the flu, but I’m not gonna let him get away without having some kind of coverage. “You know how it works. You pay for the first six months, and if you work out, you get reimbursed, and we pay for everything going forward. It’s a pretty sweet deal.”
Roly puts his hand on my shoulder, pushing me toward the door. Yeah, I know, the flu.
I turn to see what Elijah has to say, and he looks supremely uncomfortable. “If it’s all the same, I’d just rather wait six months. I’m… I’m pretty healthy, anyway. So, I think it’s fine if I wait a little while.”
I stop and turn around, batting at Roly’s insistent hands. “No way, dude. Tell you what, I’ll have Roly here set you up, and if you leave before the six months, then I’ll just take it out of your last paycheck. Deal?”
Elijah scratches his arm and eyes the tops of his shoes. Fuck, I wish I could take that uncertainty away from him. “Okay, yeah.”
Roly catches my attention, raising his eyebrow. I’m not sure what he’s wordlessly trying to tell me, but I’m sure I wouldn’t like it. “Dude, we can’t have somebody walking around uninsured. It’s not cool.”
