He entered the foreboding building, dreading what was to come.
He stood around for a while in the foyer. He knew he needed to clear his head. The image of the girl lying in the bed was hard to shake. He been doing this for a very long time. Too long! She looked pale, but otherwise… she might have made it. Sudden full recoveries were not unheard of. She was so young, and pretty. Taking a deep breath, he nodded towards the front desk and made his way to the manager’s office.
After dropping the bombshell that left his senior speechless, then angry, he repeated his decision. This time with a somewhat apologetic tone in his voice, he said, “I…I just couldn’t do it. It didn’t seem right.”
His senior said, “Yes. That’s all very well, but it’s not our place to decide these things. You should know that; you’ve been doing the job long enough. We just follow orders.”
The subordinate shrugged.
“Are you really sure?” the manager went on.
The other pulled his hood back and nodded.
The manager shook his head. “Have you any idea just how long it’ll take to train someone up to replace you?” He picked up a large print out of the current schedule. “I can only guess how long it’s going to take to get up to speed again.”
The other said nothing.
Finally, the manager blew out air in exasperation. Still shaking his head, he said, “OK. Don’t forget to hand your scythe in at the front desk.”