Doc wiped his hands off and covered his latest experiment with a thick white tarp.
"You have enough food, Einie?" Doc asked his aging sheepdog.
Einstein let out a small 'ruff', before laying on his side and stretching his back and front legs out.
Doc smiled and gave him a quick pat on the head before going to get changed.
He breathed before heading out. The Hill Valley public bus pulled into the Burger King parking lot.
Out came Dave McFly, the older brother of Doc's best friend, Marty.
"You ready for the night shift?" Doc asked, trying to brighten the young man's dreadful mood.
"No." Dave grumbled, heading into the restaurant with Doc following close behind.
As they approached the counter, the workers from the previous shifts got excited, knowing now they could go home.
Dave grabbed a wash rag and started wiping down the front counter.
It usually wasn't a terribly busy work shift. There were about two to three people who came in this late, and sometimes none at all.
Not that Dave and Doc were complaining. Dave just didn't like work in general, and usually just got lost in his thoughts as he did simple tasks like cleaning.
Doc didn't mind either. During this time he could brainstorm new ideas for his experiments. However he'd never been as animated about one as he was about the one he was working on right now.
"How can I generate that much energy?" He mumbled to himself.
"Brown."
"No, no, that's not enough."
"Brown."
"It needs to be easy transport as well."
"Brown!"
Doc looked up, startled.
"Start on the fries." Dave said.
"Right!" Doc said, trying to keep the positive attitude going. He grabbed the fries and put them in the deep fryer. "Grease? No, that wouldn't work. To generate something so powerful it would have to be nuclear..."
"You're talking to yourself again!" Dave yelled back to him.
"I'm sorry, Dave!" He called back to him. "I'm trying to figure out a power source for my latest experiment."
"I know. You haven't shut up about it for the past week. I'm not my brother, I don't care about your science!"
Doc frowned and looked back into the bubbling grease. He pulled the fries out and put them on the heating rack.
"I wish you were your brother..." He grumbled to himself.
Later in the night Doc started sketching ideas onto napkins.
"Are you just writing the letter 'Y'?" Dave asked.
Doc quickly pressed the napkin against his chest. "Uh, yes. I'm practicing my handwriting. It's good to practice every now and again."
Dave lost interest and washed the counter for the tenth time that night.
At midnight their shift was over. Doc yawned as he walked behind The Burger King. When he opened the door, Einstein hurried over to greet his owner with some licks to the face.
Doc chuckled, returning the affection with some petting. "I missed you too, Einie."
He took off his work outfit and changed into pajamas before getting into bed, mentally going through the list in his head of what he had to do tomorrow.
...
Doc knelt beside an old pinball machine, scraping out as many parts as possible. He groaned as the clocks went off, telling him it was time for work.
"Good evening Dave!"
"Brown." He said flatly.
The two entered the restaurant and went to the counter. Dave wiped down the counter and Doc started on the fries,
Things had started out the same as every night, with Dave zoning out and Doc sketching on napkins. Then suddenly the door opened. When Doc saw who it was his heart sank. Quickly he headed to the back as not to be seen.
"Hey Dave!"
"You brought your girlfriend on a date to Burger King?"
"Yeah?"
Dave chuckled a bit. "All right what do you want?"
"I'll just take a small Diet Coke and large fries."
"I'll have a Whopper and a medium Coke." His girlfriend said.
"Brown!" He yelled back. "You hear that?!"
"Um...yes.." Doc said, trying to disguise his voice. He started sweating as he got the food ready. "Dave...can..can you bring the food over for them?"
"No you lazy bum, you do it." Dave scoffed.
Doc gulped as he walked over to the counter with the food.
"Thanks...Doc?"
"M-marty.." Doc managed.
Marty frowned as he took out his wallet and handed the money over. He and Jennifer went over to a booth to eat, while Doc went to hide in the back again.
Even after they left, Doc was still freaking out about it. He'd spent the rest of the night worrying and the time went pretty fast. Wanting to get the day over as soon as possible, Doc went straight to bed, still in uniform.
Sensing something was wrong Einstein joined him in bed. He licked his face gently. Doc sighed, "Oh, Einie...Marty found out about my job. If he didn't think I was low before he sure does now! That look on his face when he saw me...he's obviously ashamed to have someone like me as a friend."
Einstein whimpered and snuggled close. Doc held his dog tight and somehow managed to fall asleep.
...
"He's not coming." Doc sighed. "It's been 15 minutes, he's not coming Einie."
Sensing the sadness in his master's voice, he licked his hand gently. The door opened and in stepped Marty.
"Hey Doc, sorry I'm late." Marty said, picking up his skateboard. "Traffic was bad, and I got yelled at for tailgating."
"It's...it's all right Marty." Doc said nervously, not making eye contact.
Marty frowned. "You okay Doc?"
"I-I'm fine."
"I know there's something wrong." Marty said, walking over, trying to make eye contact. Doc averted his eyes. "Wait...is this about yesterday?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Doc said, placing some parts from the pinball machine into a container.
"You know what I mean, Doc." Marty protested.
Doc sighed in defeat and looked up to see his best friend, arms crossed, and a slight scowl on his face. "Marty...If you don't wish to hang around here anymore, I'd understand."
Marty furrowed his brows, but his tone was hurt, "What?"
"Obviously you finding out I work at Burger King has tainted your view of me."
"Doc, what are you talking about? It's not a big deal."
"You aren't disappointment in me?"
"No, why would I?"
"I thought you would be" Doc said, shocked. "I thought you would think its...strange...to hang out with an old man who works at Burger King."
"Doc, I help you with science experiments that could blow up in my face and harm me all the time, you working at Burger King really isn't that big a deal."
Doc smiled.
"Besides without people working there, how else would we get our cheap, easy, food?" Marty teased.
My friend Miya McFly wrote these lines:
"I thought you would be" Doc said, shocked. "I thought you would think its...strange...to hang out with an old man who works at Burger King."
"Doc, I help you with science experiments that could blow up in my face and harm me all the time, you working at Burger King really isn't that big a deal."
Thank you so much!