Note: I am completely humbled by how well this fic is doing! Seriously, guys, thank you so much!
Warnings for this chapter: None
"Sebastian Malone?" a woman called out stiltedly, reading the name off a manila folder. A man, the only man in the room, stood and slowly walked over to her. The pace of his gait had little to do with the anxiety building in his chest, and more to do with the pain in his right hip when he moved. He kept his face blank, though, as if this procedure was just as routine for him as it was for her. And, who knew. Maybe it was.
The woman, a small plump thing with badly dyed blonde hair, gestured for him to follow, not seeming at all bothered by his slow pace. She led him down a hall way, passed small rooms and groups of cubicles. Nobody looked up as the woman and Sebastian passed by. They were all focused on their tasks, but it did not seem to be a focus made from passion, but rather a focus with the logic of "the sooner we get done, the sooner we can leave." It didn't seem like it was a job Sebastian was going to enjoy working at.
He wondered, briefly, if he would have taken this job if circumstances had been different. The thought poked harshly at a festering wound in his already exhausted psyche, and he quickly threw it out. He shouldn't be focusing on such things right now. That's what had cost him the last interview, and, as much as this job looked like it would suck, he needed it.
The woman led him to a private office, a good distance away from the smaller, open offices and clusters of cubicles. She smiled an obviously fake smile, and gestured for him to take a seat. "Mister Lewis will be in shortly. Feel free to make yourself comfortable." She gave another fake smile, and left, shutting the big wooden door behind her.
Sebastian took a deep breath. This was no good. Being left alone made him think of the Things That Should Not Be Thought Of, which made him uncomfortable and unhappy, and made it impossible for him to keep a level head during a job interview. He cast his eyes around the office, trying to find something to keep his attention off those thoughts while he waited.
The office was fairly plain. The furniture was all matching wood (oak, perhaps?). A wooden desk in the center of the room, right in front of Sebastian. There were no pictures on the desk. No trinkets, nick-knacks, nothing at all except a plain looking, black laptop.
To the right of the desk, pushed up against the wall, was a wooden book-case. The book-case held white binders, which were all labeled neatly on the side. 'Present Clients', 'Past Clients', 'Present Personnel', 'Past Personnel', 'Receipts.' Nothing personal or interesting there, all corporate business stuff.
Beside the desk and book-case, there were only two chairs in the room. Wooden as well, and padded. The pads were red, the exact same deep red as the walls. There were no pictures or plaques on the walls, either. Not even a clock.
The room had a sterile, impersonal feeling to it, and it made it hard for Sebastian to focus. He balled his hands into fists, placed them in his lap, and really hoped that Mister Lewis would not take very long in getting here.
For the first time in two weeks, it looked as if Fate were smiling down on Sebastian. As soon as the anxiety in his chest started to build, the door opened.
Much like his office, Mister Lewis was not a particularly remarkable man. He was balding, and had given up trying to comb-over his light brown hair. His eyes were a watery grey, his nose small and button-ish. His lips were thin and pale. His skin pale, but not to the extreme. He was average height, average build. Sebastian found himself wondering if he'd designed his office as a reflection of himself, or if this boring room had sucked all the life out of him.
"Mister Malone?" Lewis asked, extending a hand as Sebastian stood up.
"Yes," he said almost breathlessly as he grasped the man's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
Lewis nodded, letting go of his hand and walking around the desk. "Likewise." He sat down, gesturing for Sebastian to do the same, and plopped a manila folder in front of him and flipped it open. He glanced through it, giving no expression. After what seemed like hours (Sebastian kept focused by biting the inside of his cheek), he closed the folder and leaned back in his chair.
"Well," he said, "you've passed the drug test. You're healthy. As healthy as you can be after..." he cleared his throat. "You've passed the back-ground check. You're here, which means you have some method of transportation, and you can keep to a schedule."
Sebastian nodded, forcing a small smile on his face. Don't blow this. Don't blow this...
"When can you start?"
"I – Um. I can, I can start immediately." Sebastian was shocked. No questions? No interview?
Lewis nodded. "Good. One of our typists, Eleanor, is going on maternity leave on Monday. You can fill in for her, for now. You start on Monday." He stood and extended a hand again. "Congratulations and welcome to Traders Inc."
Sebastian boarded the bus, his head swimming. Was this real? This wasn't real, was it? Did he honestly have a job now?
He tottered down the isle, trying to keep in his own personal bubble and not break anyone elses. Luckily, the bus was fairly empty.
It was a short ride from Traders Inc to Sebastian's new apartment. By the time he stepped down onto concrete, he was feeling marginally happy, and was even allowing himself to smile. He had a job! He had a paycheck! His bills could get paid, his refrigerator could be stocked!
His grin grew, and he bounded into the apartment building, ignoring the door-man's amused look. He skipped the elevator, feeling way too energized, and took the stairs to the second floor. He unlocked his door (the first door on the left), tossed his keys unto the small table, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The explosion downtown had cost Sebastian everything. His home, his belongings, his job. But, most importantly, it had cost him his memories. He remembered nothing of the explosion, nor of the events leading up to it. His "first" memory had been waking up in a hospital, alone.
The doctor's had tried to find family when he'd been brought in, but their search had turned up nothing. When Sebastian awoke from his coma, they'd tried one more time, but this search had been just as fruitless as the lest. Sebastian had been forced into the idea that, if he even had any family or friends left, they did not care enough about him to come.
Like most of the victims in the explosion, Sebastian had been assigned a social worker to help him get back on his feet. Unfortunately, Sebastian had been severely injured in the blast, so many of the "hiring now jobs" (which consisted mainly of construction and other physical labors) were out of the question. She'd been trying to get him office jobs, but it seemed like every time he was in a building, Sebastian would have a panic attack. When the interview process would start, he'd start worrying about why no family had come for him. Needless to say, it left him in an emotional upheaval, and many employers turned him away without a second glance.
But not today.
Today, things were finally starting to look up.