The sudden realization of why I never liked walking came flooding back to me, along with the pain shooting up and down the side of my body. I also was reconsidering my opting not to have marked parking spots in the lot for employees, especially one for myself.
However, none of us are special and therefore don't need marked parking spots, though it would make walking into work with broken ribs a little easier. I finally managed, with gritted teeth, to make it inside.
It was already mid afternoon, I'd found getting dressed and taking a shower a little more difficult than planned. It was busy for a Monday. I walked into the back, and two the small area that passed as a desk for any paper work. It was filled, no one ever bothered to take care of anything while I was gone.
"I say your fired, now get the hell out!"
I turned as I heard one of the cooks voices, and was less than surprised to see Carissa was the one arguing with him.
"You don't have the power to fire me," she told him, her arms folded across her chest as she tried to stare him down. It was actually an amusing sight, the man had to be at least a foot taller than she was.
"What's going on?" I interjected as I walked over, ignoring the pain and holding myself in as much of an authoritative stance as I could. The cook turned around with wide eyes, surprised to see me.
I looked past him at Carissa who wouldn't meet my eyes, and that's when I noticed her appearance. Her hair was a mess, and there was blood down the front of her uniform. She had a split lip, and another bruise on her cheek.
"What happened?" I asked. When she didn't look at me, I looked back to the cook.
"Her boyfriend came in here, yelling about how she needed to come home, they got in a fight when he tried to drag her out. The guy broke Mike's arm when he tried to stop him," he told me.
"Get back to work, I'll take care of this," I told him. He just nodded and walked back over to the ovens.
"Want tell me what this is about?" I asked her. She was still avoiding my gaze.
"I think it's pretty well obvious what's going on. I should warn you, he said he'd be back later tonight," she told me before walking past me and into the storage room. She took one of the extra uniforms out of a box and then slammed the door shut when she saw I was still watching her.
I sighed then took the pain pills out of my pocket and took one, then put the bottle back. I walked out to the front, and put on my best fake smile for the customers. I was going to have to get through the rest of this day in tact. I doubted I'd get through the night.