He’s prepping for a major inventory audit next week. He’s beensticking around after hours for the past few days pulling all-nighters, andit’s weighing him down. His beard appears a little rougher than usual—moreuneven, like he needs a trim.
He heads to the vending machine and pops a dollar in beforepressing a button. There’s a thud as a snack hits the bottom of the machine.
He doesn’t look at me as he kneels down and retrieves a Snickersbar. Not the healthiest of choices, but considering I’m planning to heat apackage of Bowl of Noodles in the microwave for lunch, who am I to judge?
Some guys pass outside the doorway. The last guy has a cartpiled with long sheets of metal. They’re the repairmen who came in to fix oneof the annealing machines that broke down on the other side of the factory. I’mguessing they’re pulling the sheets from storage to make repairs—another taskthat’s been agitating Reese since corporate’s having a fit about how we’rebehind on our orders.
The repairman pushing the cart keys something in on his phone,not paying much attention. One of the sheets looks like it’s about to slidefree. I consider warning the guy, but I don’t want to call him out in front ofthe boss. No need to get him into any trouble over something stupid. Worst casescenario is he loses it and has to put it back on.
My prediction comes true after he passes the doorway, and a loudclang echoes through the hall—the metal against the concrete floor soundinglike a fucking gun going off. It shocks me, but then Reese slips behind thevending machine, disappearing out of sight.
I can’t help but chuckle.Oh, wow. What a fuckingscaredy-cat.My laugh is soft, and I wait for him to step out and admit hewas a fucking pansy about something pretty stupid.
But he doesn’t come out.
What the fuck is he doing?
I rise from my chair and approach him, pulling my earbuds outand sliding them into my pocket.
He’s huddled in a fetal position, shaking. Trembling.
It only takes me a moment before the obvious realization hitsme. This is about a lot more than some dumb fucking noise.
Post-traumatic stress disorder. I’ve seen it in movies and shit.Even known a few guys who’ve had these kinds of reactions to loud sounds afterthey served in the army. I’ve seen guys agitated, but not like this.
A voice comes from outside: “Holy shit!”
It’s Tyler. I hear a few guys chuckle in the hallway. Judging bythe way their voices amplify, they’re on their way to the break room. Makessense since they’re in the first round of guys to take lunch.
I’m hardly thinking my actions through as I close the door andturn the lock.
“Hey, what the fuck?” Tyler says as he rattles the door handlefrom the other side.Fucking douchebag.
I turn to Reese, who’s still shaking. Not moving.
A loud knock comes from the other side, which I know sure asfuck can’t be helping Reese.
“You can’t come in here,” I say.
“What the fuck do you mean?”
I scan my stupid brain for any excuse that might remotely makesense. “Reese told me not to let anyone in the room. I was a dumbass and brokesome bottles in here when I was coming to grab a drink, okay? He doesn’t wantanyone to come in until he comes back with some shit to clean it up with.”
“You’re just accident-prone as shit, aren’t you?” Tyler asks,amusement in his tone.
Normally, I would be upset that he’s referring to when he was adick and tripped me, but right now, my mind is only on the fact that he needsto go the fuck away so Reese won’t have to deal with another embarrassingsituation. Maybe this’ll make up for that dumb-shit move I pulled last week.
Tyler and his buds groan and their voices trail off as they movefarther and farther from the door.
I turn back to Reese. His head shifts slightly back and forth.
I approach him and kneel so I’m at his level. I’m cautious. Idon’t want him to snap, but he needs someone here for him. And I want him toknow he can trust me with this. “Reese,” I say.
“Fucking…leave,” he says through gritted teeth, his gazestraight ahead of him. He looks like he’s concentrating very hard on something.Struggling to concentrate, even.
It’s a harsh reaction considering I just saved his ass frombeing seen by those assholes, but I get why he wants me out of here.
“I’m not leaving you like this.”
