INFORMATION
Written by: Pinkpony4
Chapter Word Count: 9'678
Published on FanFiction: 31st of August, 2022
Published on AO3: 31st of August, 2022
Reason for missed upload: Had the flu.
Chapter 9: Honest Work
Michael yawned as he brushed his hair, swaying from side to side in exhaustion while Geh Ge babbled away in his arms, oblivious to the racket he'd been making not even ten minutes prior.
His bub had decided to greet Sunday morning with screams and wails, quite possibly blowing out Michael's eardrums in the process. It was only after he had swaddled him in his old jumper and managed to get a warm bottle into his mouth that he calmed down. He should have been expecting that to happen – the past few days had been a little too intense for the bub.
Ms. Olivia and Michael had continued teaching Geh Ge how to handle being away from him, and he had been getting better – Michael had been able to leave the room for a few minutes without Geh Ge freaking out! The only problem was that they didn't know how he would handle waking up without him at all tomorrow. They had intended to see how he would react today, but his bub had other plans.
He changed Geh Ge's nappy, dressed him up for the day, and laid him back down to retrieve a new toy from the bottom drawer. This was also something he'd been testing out: would Geh Ge be happy playing with anything that wasn't The Rattle? The answer was: yes.
He pulled out a wooden push-and-pull horse. It had long lost the string that used to be attached to its front, but Geh Ge took great joy in seeing it rolling around, even if he was too uncoordinated to move it himself.
Michael sat down and pushed the toy around, Geh Ge giggling and kicking his legs in delight at the sight. It was cute enough that he was able to forgive his bub for waking him up like he had, but it didn't erase his exhaustion. All he had to do was hope that Geh Ge wouldn't wake him up in the same manner tomorrow.
After a while, Geh Ge eventually got bored and decided that he was tired of lying on his back, huffing and winning until Michael helped roll him over. He cooed, trying to move towards Michael, but to no avail. Geh Ge had been trying to replicate their movements too, though he was never really successful. Michael had been helping him by doing their little exercises but it would be a while before he'd be crawling around.
Michael switched toys and picked up the Mangle and Fredbear plushies, waving them around in front of Geh Ge. His bub tried to lift his head up to get a better look, eyes bright with excitement at the sight of the two. Michael began to play with him, using funny voices as he created a story about the fox and the bear.
It was a nonsensical story – one he was making up as he went along with no clear message behind it – but Geh Ge didn't seem to mind.
"And then The Bear said 'Where did you put my microphone?'"
"'Why, it's in your hand, you silly bear! You're always so forgetful,' The Fox told him. 'The real question is: where is your hat? You always had a purple hat.'"
"'Oh, it is there! Silly me! But my hat! Oh… where did my hat go?' The Bear said sadly. "'I must have lost it too.'"
"'Don't worry; I'll help you find it!' The Fox said. 'In fact, I'll go off to find it right now!' And so, The Fox dashed off, ready to find The Bear's hat. It will take a while, but he will find it eventually," Michael finished off, putting both toys down. "Do you think he'll be able to find it?"
"Grrrhah!"
He chuckled, picking his bub up. "I think so, too. Now, how about we get you to Ms. Olivia's? Daddy's got some errands to run. He's gonna help The Fox get The Bear's hat back!"
"Brrrggheehehe!"
Michael grinned, putting the toys away. He packed some of Geh Ge's things in a small, old bag, and lifted it over his shoulder, doing the same with his backpack. He locked the door behind him, shoving his car and room keys in his front pocket before knocking on Ms. Olivia's door gently.
There was some shuffling on the other side of the door before Ms. Olivia opened it, beaming at him. "Good morning! Come to drop him off?"
"Yeah, I've got some stuff to do today. Is that alright?" he asked, even though he knew her answer would always be 'yes'.
"Of course. Come here, you little Munchkin," she cooed, taking Geh Ge from Michael's arms. This time, Geh Ge wasn't bothered by their separation, but he still looked up at Michael expectantly.
"Thank you, Ms. Olivia; I won't be long," he promised before looking back at his baby. "And you," he started, tapping his nose gently, making him giggle. "better behave for Daddy, alright?"
Geh Ge blew a raspberry in response.
As Michael made his way down the hall, he turned around one last time to say goodbye. Ms. Olivia gently took Geh Ge's wrist and waved it. "Say 'bye, Daddy!'".
"Buuhhh, daaee," his bub tried, warming Michael's heart.
-o0o-
Michael had a lot to do today. His original plan had been to do the same thing they'd been doing that whole week, but getting dressed this morning had changed his mind. While all of his clothes were appropriate, none of them matched and he needed new shoes. He also needed to (unfortunately) get a new script for his medication.
Michael had arranged an appointment after he'd returned from the second interview and he was less than thrilled about going to it. It had been years since he'd gone to a different practice, which meant far too many questions and a lot of time bugging him about going back to his therapist, which was currently impossible.
While his original therapist had been helping, he didn't have the money to keep seeing her after he ran away. Before that, every time he had to go to the pharmacist to try something new would feel like his guilt was swallowing him as his father paid the crippling price for something that may not even work. He wasn't even sure that the stuff he was on now was even doing its job because he couldn't tell the difference when he was either on or off it.
But back then – medicated or not – he had still been kicking. Sure, he had been dancing with death at Freddy's, counting on the slim chance that he could make himself useful for once, but he was still alive. At least now he had a different reason to keep getting up every morning. It wouldn't last forever, though; one day it would creep up on him and it may stop him from being able to take care of Gregory. That thought scared him more than a night in Hell ever could.
God knows he'd like some answers about himself right now, but it cost so much that he may as well just deal with it himself. Was it a good idea? No, not at all. Did he have a choice? Not yet.
He fiddled with his fingers as he waited, going over the mental list he'd made for himself. After he'd got his scripts done, he'd be off to try and find some shoes and socks that wouldn't rip the skin off the backs of his heels, then go and find some materials for some projects he'd been thinking of. Of course, he wasn't going to just buy them – he'd wait until he'd gotten through the first few weeks of his job – but it was something he was looking forward to starting.
A door opened to his left and a family walked past. Not long after, a lady called out his name. He stood, stepping into room three and sitting at the empty chair by her desk.
"Alright; I'm Mary Spring," she introduced herself, sitting behind her computer and turning to face him. "What have you come in for today?"
Michael made the effort to meet her gaze, ignoring his nerves. "My scripts are about to run out. I just wanted new ones."
She nodded, turning to her computer. "Okay, easy. So," she started tapping at her keyboard. "have you ever been here before?"
"No."
"Alright, that's fine," she muttered, clicking on something. "What's your full name?"
He swallowed. "Michael Afton." God, he hoped she'd just leave it at that. The last place he'd been to had kept talking about the bite and they just wouldn't shut up until he snapped at them. He didn't go back there again.
"Date of birth?"
"Fifth of February, Nineteen-sixty-seven."
Luckily, that was all she seemed to need. "In Hurricane?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm… It's been a while since you've been there."
"I've been travelling all over. I recently decided to settle back down."
"That's nice, that's nice," she mumbled absently, looking over his record. "You've been on these for a while. Have they been working at all?" She glanced at him. "This version is really outdated."
Great, just what he needed: outdated medication. "I've felt fine taking them. I've never had any side effects aside from getting nauseous when I first started."
She stared at her screen, worrying at her bottom lip. "That's good to hear… Well… how long has it been since you saw," she squinted at something on the screen. "Dr. Penny?"
He faltered. "A while," he said slowly, hoping this wasn't going in the direction he thought it was going in.
"I see. Have you ever stopped taking either of these?" she asked, turning to him.
"Yes. For about a month," he admitted, hoping that wouldn't get him in trouble either.
"And did you notice anything different about yourself? Mood swings? Hallucinations? Lack of sleep?"
Well, Michael had been having all three for a long time, regardless if he was on or off them. "Nothing more than the usual," he answered vaguely.
She tilted her head to the side, putting her hands together. "And what is the usual?"
Doing his best not to shrug off her question or come off as defensive, he sighed. "I've been like this for so long that I don't remember what I was like before."
Dr. Sultana smiled. Michael couldn't tell if that was one of sympathy, strain, or mockery. Surely not the last one, because she was there to help, right? "I just want to know if it has gotten worse."
Oh, well, in that case: "No, it hasn't."
"Good. Good. Are you seeing anyone currently?"
This again. He did his best to hide his annoyance. She was just doing her job. "No."
"Do you want me to refer you to someone?"
"No." Just let this be over with.
They went back and forth over and over, and his patience was wearing thin, but he managed to keep himself calm. Losing his cool wasn't going to make him look good.
After an hour of constant interrogation, she finally relented and printed out the new scripts. She gave them to him, but not before saying one last thing before he left. "Even if there aren't any changes, I would recommend that you see someone. Maybe they can put you on something… stronger."
"I'll keep it in mind," he lied. He had absolutely no intention of seeing anyone right now. When everything was sorted out, then he'd reconsider. Right now, it was out of the question.
Luckily for him, the rest of the day went a lot smoother. He drove out and managed to find some more fitting (and most importantly – comfy) pants from the thrift shop, but the shoes were difficult. A lot of them were either too formal, too casual, or straight-up ancient-looking. It didn't help that most of them were either too tight around the toes, too loose around the heels, or both. He sighed, mentally cursing whatever powers that be in the universe that cursed him to have his father's appearance.
Sitting on a small, cushioned seat at the end of an aisle full of shoes, he started to try on the four sets he'd picked out that didn't look like they'd hurt too badly. If he was out of luck, at least the desk was covered; he could just slip his shoes off when he was behind his desk and put them on when he was needed. No one would be any the wiser.
"Oh, look at him! He looks just like his Daddy, doesn't he?" Mummy said happily, to no one in particular. Maybe the other two men in the room were supposed to react, but they were too busy.
He turned, looking at himself in the mirror. Today was Uncle Henry's wedding. Uncle Henry himself was standing a little way away, pacing nervously while Daddy followed him, arms raised as he tried to placate his nervous friend.
"Don't go getting cold feet, Hen."
Michael frowned. No, those shoes crushed his toes.
"But what if I'm doing something wrong?" Uncle Henry muttered, coming to a halt. "What if this is all too soon?"
"Then you probably shouldn't be getting married."
"William!" Mummy scolded, shooting Daddy The Look.
Oblivious about the bickering in the background, Michael – like any other five-year-old – was only thinking about himself. "Mummy, my feet hurt," he whined, glaring at the polished black shoes that were digging badly into the backs of his heels.
Not those either. They were digging into the backs of his heels.
Daddy frowned, looking down at him. "Did you bring those thick socks?"
Michael shook his head. "Mummy said I didn't need them."
Daddy gave Mummy The Look, too. "He needs them."
"They're too big!"
"These," Daddy started, picking up Michael's leg and forcing him to sit back down. "are about as thin as tissue paper. By the time she makes it down the aisle, Michael's gonna be crying because the blisters have popped!"
"What if she doesn't show up? What if she doesn't love me? Will–"
Daddy looked over his shoulder, glaring at Uncle Henry. "Christ's sake, Henry; she said she wanted to have kids! I know it may seem hard to believe, but she actually wants to marry you."
"William!"
It seemed like he'd have to settle with the last two. They were tight around his heels but they didn't crush his toes, so his thicker socks would even everything out. Getting up, he put the other two away and placed the new shoes on top of the folded pants in his basket before wandering off to a different area of the store.
This area was smaller than the rest and was filled with crafts supplies. There wasn't much, but all of it was far cheaper than it would be at one of the shops Jamie and Alex would go to. But that was only because everything was pretty low-quality and shoddy.
There were rotating stands stationed around the little corner, with some shelves decorated with outdated fabric and batting. There were old, boxed sewing machines, slightly tattered books filled with patterns for everything ranging from clothes, to bags, to toys, to quilts, and some boxes containing all a budding sewer would need to get to work. But he wasn't interested in them – he was looking for something else.
He stopped in front of one of the rotating stands and turned it slowly, eyeing everything over. Buttons, threads, zippers, beads, eyes – eyes! Michael looked over the tubes filled with different buttons and eyes, finding the ones he wanted.
The Fredbear and Spring Bonnie plushies were the company's first steps into merchandising, so their original iterations weren't as refined. The version Evan had owned was the first one to ever be made, with Fredbear just looking like a normal teddy bear. He wasn't stylised with large limbs, popping eyes, heavy accessories, velvet, and stuffing. Instead, both Fredbear and Spring Bonnie had been designed for play and general roughhousing. They could be thrown into the washing machine and hung out to dry, have a limb torn off, be stomped on, or left outside for a week – and they'd still be easy to repair. One day, Geh Ge would want to play with Fredbear and Foxy, but Michael needed to prepare the nearly half-a-century-old bear for the shenanigans only a baby could put it through.
Everything would need to be new. The fabric, the stuffing, the felt hat, the bow – all of it would need some tender loving care. Couldn't be too hard, right? He'd need to completely pull Fredbear apart so he could copy the pattern, but he was sure he could do it. Elizabeth's bow would need some maintenance too.
Michael ended up leaving the shop with not only the clothing, but a pair of hard, black eyes, and some golden thread. He would need to take it slow before he started pulling Fredbear apart again.
-o0o-
An hour later, Michael was back home. Getting up, he picked the plastic bag up, locked the car, and started up the stairs.
Steve had gone to work but Jamie and Alex were still home judging by the gentle thumping that rumbled through the thin floors. As for Ash: who knows what he was doing.
Reaching the top floor, he set his bags down in his room before knocking on Ms. Olivia's door. "I'm home!"
Behind the door, Geh Ge squealed at the sound of his voice and Ms. Olivia cheered. "Hello, Dearie. Look who it is," she gasped, holding Geh Ge up before letting Michael take him.
His bub stared up at him, making all sorts of excited noises as he reached out to him. Michael took his hands and shook them gently, smiling at him softly. "Hey, you," he whispered, kissing his bub's cheek. "Did you behave?"
"He was a very good boy today. The only fuss he made was when he needed his nappy changed." Ms. Olivia's smile grew, ticking Geh Ge's cheek. His bub pulled away, giggling and waving his arm around sluggishly in an attempt to bat her away.
Geh Ge cooed, drool running down his chin as he stuck one hand in his mouth and raised the other to grab Michael's nose. Grinning, he gently ran his hand over his head before holding him close, rubbing circles on his back. Geh Ge grumbled, resting his head against his shoulder and curling up in his arms. He smiled, holding him closer.
Ms. Olivia looked bright-eyed as she handed over Geh Ge's bag. Hesitating for a second, he hugged her and she returned it, patting his back. "Thank you," he whispered.
"I'm glad I could help. He's such a good boy."
They pulled away, smiling as Michael rubbed the back of his neck. "About tomorrow… are you sure you don't want a brake?"
She shook her head. "No, Dearie. You have to get yourself settled in, and you can't do that with a baby around."
"But I'll be leaving at six. Isn't that too early for you?"
"It is, but I always go to sleep at an early hour. I'll be up by then. You'll just have to help me build a little place for him to stay."
For the past week, Geh Ge had been sitting on Ms. Olivia's couch. They had talked, and it was clear that Geh Ge would get bored quickly if he had to sit there for too long and it was a bad idea to have him so far away from the floor. Michael thought of the pillow forts he used to build for his siblings and smiled. "I have an idea. Can I come inside?"
"Of course."
It was a little difficult for the two of them to find a place to put Geh Ge without anything being moved too drastically, but they found it – beside her armchair. They gathered the blankets and pillows from the couch and placed them on the floor, bundling and cushioning them until they formed a little nest for his bub to sleep in. They laid one of the blankets out over the rug so the scratchy surface wouldn't hurt him if he wanted to play, and then set up a perimeter. Even if Geh Ge couldn't crawl yet, it was still a good idea to have a perimeter just in case someone walked in and forgot (or didn't realise) he was there. The last thing he needed was his baby accidentally getting punted by one of his neighbours.
Michael would have put Geh Ge down to see if he liked this new space, but he started to cry when he tried to put him down. He quickly stood up and pat his bub's back, shushing him until he settled down.
Ms. Olivia held onto her cane tightly as she stood, legs shaking terribly. He offered his arm and she took it gratefully, leaning against him as she moved around. From what he had seen, she was a strong woman, but time was taking its toll. Looking after a baby every day would put some strain on her.
"I'm sorry that I keep asking this, but are you sure you want to take care of him tomorrow?" he asked, knowing her answer.
She sighed. "I'm sure, Dearie. Don't worry; I have everyone's phone numbers, so if something goes wrong, I'll call one of them." She let go of his arm and wandered over to the kitchen, making herself some lunch. "I'll be fine. If I'm not feeling up to the task, I will tell you and you can have him for the day."
It didn't do much to quell his concern, but he took it. "Okay."
He helped Ms. Olivia out around her room while he babied Geh Ge until she eventually shooed him out. "Go on! You've got more important things to do than fuss over an old lady," she insisted, waving him away until he finally left with a goodbye.
-o0o-
After snipping the tags from his pants and shoes and throwing the former into the wash, Michael had settled down on the mattress, cross-legged, with Geh Ge sound asleep on the pillow. The radio was playing softly in the background as he ate his lunch, updating Jeremy about what had happened over the week per his orders. Jeremy had made it clear the day after New Year's that he wanted to know what was going on in their lives, even if it was the most boring thing in the world.
Right now, Jeremy was complaining about how unfair it was that Michael got to spend every day with Geh Ge.
It's so boring here, now. I wish you weren't five hours away. Your old house is cheaper than all of the houses in the shady neighbourhoods combined. Why can't you move here?
Jeremy already knew why, but Michael answered anyway. I have my job and I only just settled in here. One day, I'll move back, but I'm staying here for a while.
And how long is 'a while'?
Whenever I can afford to move.
Which would take a while. Michael lived by the 'Don't buy something unless you can buy it twice!' rule. It had stopped him from making stupid decisions in the past, but it was also one of the reasons he wasn't as strong as he used to be. At home, there was always food on the table, even when he started spiralling. He used to be the type to eat his feelings away when he was young, but his parents had always caught him and tried to get him to deal with those feelings in a different way. Then both his siblings dropped dead within a month of each other and he didn't eat at all. It was a miracle if he even took a sip of water, let alone eat something.
God, was he glad those days were behind him. Well, at least his eating habits were behind him.
I've been thinking a lot and I was wondering: what are you going to do about school?
He stared at the screen blankly, processing the question. That was a very good question. School… school. I haven't thought about it. He answered honestly.
I'm a little worried about school. Sure, the teachers aren't allowed to beat kids anymore, but… it's gotten a lot worse, you know?
Michael didn't need Jeremy to elaborate. He had heard about all of the reports on the radio – learned of the horrible things that happened to so many children. Wounds permanently inflicted on both the child and their family – it was scary to think about. A part of him didn't want Gregory to go to school.
Maybe home school? Which wouldn't work, really. If Michael still had this job by the time Gregory was five, then he could hardly trust him to work by himself or understand any of the material. He was used to teaching his siblings for hours on how to do their homework and despite his... behaviour in school, he had always had good grades. He could get someone to teach him, but he didn't like the idea of leaving his bub alone with a stranger either.
Sorry I brought it up. Maybe we'll just wait 'til we get there.
Maybe. Was all he sent back, and that was the end of their conversation. He set his phone down and looked over at his sleeping bub, thinking.
The stories he heard about American schools these days horrified him. School was supposed to be a safe place for kids to learn and grow; where the only threats to them were other kids saying mean things or trying to throw punches – not death or permanent trauma caused by the disgusting adults their parents entrusted their children to. It had gotten to a point that he believed that kids would be safer sitting in a Freddy's location in the middle of the night than in a school building because at least the original animatronics didn't hurt kids, possessed or otherwise.
Michael was scared. He didn't want to lose another loved one.
He sighed, getting up and putting his plate in the sink to wash later. Maybe he could take Geh Ge to work when he was old enough to start school and teach him there. That was, of course, if his job turned out to be laidback and quiet. Trying to take his mind off of the schooling problem for the time being, he prepared his food for tomorrow and stuck it in the fridge before checking everything in Geh Ge's bag was adequately stocked as well. With that done, he leaned against the bench, just listening to the radio.
A lot of it was about sport. He had once loved sports (specifically soccer), but he'd never been good at it. He preferred swimming and running, although high jump was fun too. Oh, what he would give to be running on the field again, kicking a ball into the goalposts with the other kids…
His kicks were unrefined and sloppy. More often than not, they'd go flying and somehow end up slamming into the gut of their teacher, even if said teacher was not even on the field. Other times, he'd miss entirely and end up on his butt. But that was fine because it was fun!
Until a ball came flying at his face and knocked out the loose tooth he'd had for the past three days. He burst into tears and held his face, blood running down his hands as he spat the bloody tooth out.
Okay, that last part wasn't very nice, but the terror of losing a tooth was simply something everyone had to grow up with. He looked over, smiling as his bub wriggled around, mumbling in his sleep. It would be something he'd have to help Geh Ge get through one day.
The lady on the radio was saying it would be colder tomorrow and that it looked like spring wouldn't be arriving any time soon. The cost of fuel had gone up and some big-wig business had filed for bankruptcy. There was also talk about some arrests and break-ins, and an update on some criminal cases that were being covered.
All and all, not much too interesting to him.
Michael spent the rest of the day in his room. After the news was finished, he turned the radio and heater off and opened the useless window to let some 'fresh' air inside. After checking on Geh Ge, he made a quick trip downstairs to put his clothes in the dryer before sweeping his room for anything else to do before settling on reading that parenting book.
Eventually, Geh Ge woke up and started to cry, but after a warm bottle and some cuddles, he was all smiles and laughter. Michael cherished the day with his bub, saddened that he couldn't spend every day with him like this. In a way, he was going to miss the days when he could just pick him up and play with him. One day, he would get big and tall, and Michael would no longer be able to hold him like he used to.
That was okay, though. He already knew that even when he was as old as Ms. Olivia, Geh Ge would never stop being his little boy.
-o0o-
Today was the day and Michael was nervous. Not about the job – no, not at all – but about leaving Geh Ge behind.
It was currently five-fifty, as he moved around the room as quietly as he could, slowly getting dressed and packing his bag for the day. He had put the thickest jumper he owned on, along with some gloves to try and starve off the cold. He had also slipped an old switchblade inside the pocket of his pants, just in case. It was practically pitch black outside as he unplugged his phone, reminding him that a flashlight wouldn't be a bad idea. He'd have to buy one later.
Michael checked everything over again before he picked his bub up as carefully as he could. Geh Ge stirred, but didn't wake as he left their room and locked it behind him. As quietly as he could, he knocked on Ms. Olivia's door, watching as light suddenly appeared under the door. It slowly opened, making Michael wince at the sudden light and quickly cover his bub's eyes.
Not wanting to disturb him, Michael handed Geh Ge over to Ms. Olivia without a word, only stepping inside to put his bub's bag down. Before he left, he smiled at Ms. Olivia and took her hand, squeezing it before letting go and leaning down to kiss his bub's cheek.
With that, he left, shutting the door carefully behind him as Ms. Olivia set Geh Ge down on the little nest they made. Despite the reassuring look she had given him, he couldn't help but worry as he made his way downstairs. He didn't want to think about how distressed Geh Ge would be when he woke up without Michael there. It made his chest ache to think about.
The cold wind snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking around, the road was already filled with cars making their morning commute, the headlights flooding the walkway with enough light that he wasn't as unnerved about travelling in the dark anymore.
Turning around, he set off towards the laundromat.
It was a bitterly cold walk. He pulled his hood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets, tracing the metal handle of the switchblade. In the past, travelling in the dark would not have worried him. But now that he had a child to take care of, his life was a lot more important than it had been before.
(That wasn't fair to him, but he ignored the bad taste the thought left behind.)
After twenty minutes of constantly looking behind him, eyeing every car and alleyway he passed, he saw his new workplace. The building was lit up, light spilling from the giant window for everyone to see both the inside and the sign out the front. Stopping in front of the door, there was no one inside aside from Daniela and an old man that was so bundled up in clothing that only his nose and eyes were visible.
"Uh, good morning, Daniela," was all he could think to say as he stepped inside, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything important.
The two looked at him. Daniela had a huge, red poncho on that fell all the way down to her knees and the old man… well, he didn't know what he could say about him. He had a long coat on that had a popped collar that was about as tall as his head, with a beanie pulled down to his bushy, white eyebrows, with a thick, red scarf pulled up to his nose. All that he could make out were the man's eyes behind a set of glasses that clearly weren't the right prescription.
"Oh, you're here early," Daniela said, surprised. She quickly stood up and pulled out something from a drawer behind the desk. Walking over to him, she dropped a name badge and the keys belonging to the lockers in his hand. "Here ya go. Put that badge on and you're all good!"
He pushed the needle through his jumper and clipped it closed, making sure it was straight as she continued talking. "There's not much left in the lockers, but memorise what's inside anyway. And come here; I want to show you something."
She led him back behind the desk, passing the old man as though he wasn't there. Michael smiled when their eyes met, but he wasn't sure if he could actually see it since he didn't react. Feeling embarrassed, he quickly looked down at the computer just as Daniela brought a file up.
"So, we've got a list of the general thieves that tend to snoop around this area, along with their photos since some of them are repeat offenders. Unfortunately, all we can do if we catch someone stealing is just kick them out. But, I want you to keep an eye out for these particular boys." She clicked on a screenshot taken from the cameras, taken on the ninth of last month. "These are the ones that keep trying to steal stuff. Tend to run off when they see me, but I can't get them to stay away. They stole a lady's purse a few days ago while I was in the bathroom." She frowned. "They don't listen no matter how many times I kick them out or threaten to call the cops. Maybe you'll be able to scare them off for good."
Daniela turned to him expectantly as he stared at the photo. There were four teenage boys bent over a dryer. From what he could tell just from their heights, they couldn't be older than sixteen, but he wasn't sure. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out."
"Good. Now, I suppose I should introduce you to–"
"That's alright, Miss. Petal," the old man suddenly said. Michael looked at him, surprised. Despite looking like a fossil, his voice was oddly clear and strong. "I was just about to go."
Something told Michael that that wasn't true at all, and judging by the look on Daniela's face, he was right. Regardless, she nodded. "Oh, okay. Have a safe trip."
The old man nodded and left the building without another word. Michael looked at Daniela curiously. "Who was that?"
"Just a regular. He's never been one to talk too much." That sounded like a lie to Michael since he had seen them talking to each other right before he entered, but he didn't push the topic. Maybe he was weary around strangers like he was. "Welp, I better be on my way. Good luck," she rushed out before grabbing her things and nearly running out of the building before he could say goodbye.
Now he was suspicious – that was very unprofessional. But it was probably a good idea not to stick his nose where it didn't belong. The last thing he needed was to get fired again.
He sat down behind the desk and looked it over. There was a telephone sitting in the corner and a monitor currently displaying the security footage. He clicked out of the program and saw that there were multiple files neatly organised on the desktop, with detailed Word documents on malfunctioning machinery, incident reports, and problematic customers. He didn't read them, but he was relieved to find that there weren't too many documents per file. The only file that was filled was the one dedicated to the past two weeks of recordings, and some screenshots about any suspiciously dressed figures.
He returned to the security footage before looking through the desk drawers, finding the one she had put the keys in. There was a remote for the TV in the corner of the room, and another key for the bathrooms and the front door. There was a lot of leg space under the desk, thankfully, so he was able to put his bag under it and still have some leg room. He had been a little worried considering his height. He wasn't six feet, but he was just two inches shy of it, and desks weren't very kind to anyone over five-five.
The lockers were mostly empty as well, just like Daniela had said. All that was inside was a blue handbag that Michael didn't touch, and a pile of kid's clothes.
Well, here goes nothing.
-o0o-
It had to be the most boring job he had ever had, but he didn't mind at all. If he was going to be paid to just sit in the corner all day, then he'd take it without complaints.
The only other noise in the room aside from the quiet clatter of his metal fork hitting the side of the plastic container containing his breakfast was the TV. It had been playing some early-morning news channel he'd never seen or heard about before, but he wasn't really listening. It was on the other side of the room, hanging from the ceiling, and while there were subtitles on, the writing was so small and skewered that it wasn't really worth it.
Outside, the sound of the cars driving past and the occasional angry honk were his only companions for quite a while. He hadn't seen anyone even walk past yet, but that was expected with the weather. At least it was warm inside.
Despite the lack of anything to do, Michael didn't go on his phone or mess around. He was bored out of his mind, but it wouldn't do to be caught looking lazy, so he watched the cams.
The quality was dog shit, which was amazing because the cameras at Freddy's were crystal clear despite the occasional buzz of static. He would have expected it to be the opposite, what, with it being the twenty-first century and all.
In fact, no one showed up at all until one in the afternoon not long after he'd finished having lunch.
He looked up as the door opened, a single beep signalling the woman's arrival. Michael wasn't quite sure whether he was supposed to say 'hi' or just let her do her thing. He settled with just saying: "Good afternoon."
"You too," was all she said as well. She walked over to one of the washing machines and untied the plastic bag she had been carrying, throwing her clothes inside. She chose her settings, inserted the correct coins, and then left with a goodbye.
And that was all that happened.
After she was gone, Michael was about to get up to turn the TV off because the reporters were doing nothing but blabber on about social media drama between some celebrity or something – when his phone started buzzing. He quickly pulled it out from his bag, answering almost immediately when he saw who it was.
Giving people his number wasn't something he was willing to just do, but Ms. Olivia was the exception. She had never called him before. Had something gone wrong? Was she okay? Did something happen to Geh Ge?
"Ms. Olivia? Is something wrong?"
"There he is," she cheered, making him relax. "Nothing's wrong, Dearie. Gregory's been a good boy, but he's starting to get antsy. I thought that your voice would calm him down," she explained.
Before he started talking, he asked: "Do you have it on speaker?"
"Let's see… ah? Oh, no. Here! Alright, now you can say hello," she laughed, embarrassed.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" he asked softly, cradling his phone close. An infectious smile broke out on his face when he heard Geh Ge cry out in delight. "Yes, Daddy's here, bub."
All he got was confused mumbles and coos. Ms. Olivia giggled. "Oh, he's so cute; he's looking around. Where's dad? He's over here, silly."
"I'm over here," he called out, laughing as his bub squawked in confusion. "Over here! How are you, bub?" All Michael got in response was a bunch of babbles, coos, and squeals, but he indulged Geh Ge and told him how interesting 'baaaah rrrggnh aaaheeea' was.
He wasn't sure how long he 'talked' to Geh Ge, but it must have been a while because the door opened again and the lady from before walked in. He felt his face heat up as his bub chose that as the perfect time to shriek in delight, catching the woman's attention.
"Sorry," he mouthed, quickly looking away and holding the phone closer. "That's wonderful to hear, Gregory but, uh, Ms. Olivia?"
There was some shuffling on the other end as Ms. Olivia took the phone away from Geh Ge, much to his displeasure. "Yes, Dearie?"
"I'm still working," he admitted reluctantly. Sure, it was only one customer so far, but he didn't want to risk it, as much as it hurt.
"Oh, I'm sorry; I hadn't even thought about the time," she exclaimed, trying to calm down his growingly agitated baby. "No, shhh, shhhh, Gregory. It's okay; you'll see your daddy soon. Just four more hours to go."
Four more hours. It would feel like decades now that he suddenly longed to go back home to take care of his bub. Hearing him start to cry on the other end made his heart ache terribly. "I'm sorry, both of you. Gregory? Hey, bub, it's okay; listen to daddy, alright? I'll be back soon, okay?" he tried to reassure, but it only made Geh Ge cry harder.
"Daaa eeeeh."
"Oh, dear. I'll handle this, don't worry, Dearie. Just focus on getting through your first day."
"Alright. Sorry, Ms. Olivia."
"Oh, fiddlesticks! I can handle it," she said, voice growing louder to try and cover Geh Ge's wails. "I better let you go. He'll be all better by the time you come home, I promise," was the last thing she said before she started fiddling on the phone. He could overhear her struggling to hang up.
"Thank you," he sighed, ending the call himself. It didn't matter anyway because the lady had already put her things in the dryer and was now sitting on one of the seats, attempting to read the subtitles on the TV.
She looked at him, expression unreadable. "Can you turn the TV up?" she asked.
Michael only nodded and did as she asked, putting his phone away afterwards. He leaned over the desk, resting his head on top of his hands as the reporter's voice droned on.
"…ah, thank you, Ben. Now, on to other news; we have an update on Mr. and Mrs. Isaac's trial. While it was expected their trial would be held later this month, it has been revealed that they will be standing trial on Wednesday next week."
Like a bullet, he snapped his gaze towards the TV. Some footage had been taken of the pair leaving their home and being escorted to a vehicle. They tried to hide their faces from the persistent reporter's microphone and the ever-seeing eyes of the camera, but to no avail. He scowled, blood boiling as he clenched his fists.
Both had brown eyes, but the father was the only one with brown hair. The two were tall, but the mother was pale, and the father had a heavy tan. While he couldn't get a perfect look and it was too early to tell, Gregory seemed to have the mother's face. It didn't matter, though – they weren't his family anymore.
"Police told us that the reason the trial's date was moved, was because one of their neighbours came forward and gave their account of the parent's behaviour when the baby was in their care. They said that: 'The baby was always crying. Always. Never seemed to stop until it suddenly went quiet. I got worried and called to see if everything was alright, but they hung up. A little while later, it started crying again so I went outside to see if they were even home, and saw the two sitting on the front patio, drinking.' They also went on to say: 'I was getting ready for bed when I heard it wake up and start crying again. I didn't think much of it at the time, but then I heard one of them shout: 'I'm going to smother that thing!'. I wasn't sure if I should have called the police or not. I wish I did, now.'"
He didn't realise he was biting his lip until he tasted blood. He quickly lowered his head and licked his lips, stopping the small flow of blood and wincing as the pain kicked in.
The reporter continued to talk, now moving on to how some people on some website called 'Twitter' were trying to politicise his bub's 'death'. He could care less about whatever the hell they were debating about; it didn't matter to him if they were willing to think it was more important than his bub's life.
Knowing that his temper wasn't going to help him right now, he forced himself to breathe slowly, leaning back and closing his eyes to block out the bright lights so he could focus. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, significantly calmer than before. The woman was now looking at her phone, texting someone, so he turned the TV back down, not wanting to hear about the bloody sport right now. Instead, he leaned down and pulled his phone out, unlocking it to find a photo.
So far, there were only three photos on his phone that were important. One was of him and Jeremy after he insisted that the first photo he took was of the two of them (it had been embarrassing trying to figure out how to use it), and the second one was the one Ms. Olivia had taken on New Years'. The last was of Gregory. He was sound asleep, face smushed into the pillow after having fallen asleep on his stomach. He was curled up in those cute daffodil-patterned pyjamas, tiny hands clenched into weak fists, despite the peaceful look on his face. Some drool had been running down his cheek at the time.
He smiled, staring at the photo. The story distressed him, but at least his bub was safe and happy now.
The ambient rumble of the dryer suddenly stopped and the two of them looked up. Michael set his phone down and watched her start putting her clean clothes away. Once she was done, he asked: "Have you got everything?"
She paused and turned around, checking the dryer before nodding. "I have, thank you. Have a good rest of your day."
"You too."
Then she was gone. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and spinning it before deciding to get up and check the washing machine and dryer she had used. Yep, she hadn't left anything behind. He sat back down and picked his phone up, looking at the photo for a little longer before turning it off and putting it away.
-o0o-
Only one other person showed up while he was staring out of the frosted window. He greeted the man, before he went about his business. He sighed, getting up and starting to put his things away as the clock struck five-thirty, getting ready to rush home. At least all of that free time had let him stew in his thoughts.
Just as he picked his bag up, he heard the door open again and Daniela walked in. She grinned when she saw him, throwing her poncho off and over her shoulder. "'Ey! How was your first day?" she asked, stopping in front of the desk.
He managed to force a smile, shrugging. "It was alright," he answered vaguely.
Her grin turned into a smirk. "It was boring, right? Don't worry, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays are a nightmare. That's why I wanted you to start today; you get to ease yourself into it. Did you encounter those boys?"
"No."
"Damn, I was hoping they'd show up. Hopefully they won't give me any trouble tonight," she muttered, moving past him to take her spot in the wheelie chair. She sniffed the air and smiled. "Oooo, something smells nice. What did you have for lunch?"
Oh no. He hadn't realised his food would have left a strong smell. "Just some fried rice."
"Mmmm, now I'm hungry," she sighed, falling back on her chair. "Well, you better get going. Have a good evening."
He nodded. "You too. Good luck," he said, not sure if she needed it.
She grinned and waved as he opened the front door. "Thanks, I'll need it. I'm gonna be freezing my ass off in here."
He returned the wave with one last 'bye', before braving the cold. The pavement was slippery with melted ice and some idiot that was driving far too fast for this kind of weather, skidded past him, car screeching as they hit the brakes. Shaking his head, he made the long trek back home, relief washing over him once he made it inside. It wasn't much different from the outside, but it was better than the icy chill.
Walking up the stairs, he could hear the rumble of the heaters in everyone's rooms, mixed in with the sounds of early, (hopefully) warm showers before the temperature dropped too low.
Finally having reached the third floor, he was relieved to find that he couldn't hear any crying. Instead, he was hearing laughter. Smiling, he knocked on Ms. Olivia's door. "I'm back, Ms. Olivia," he said.
"Look at that! Come in, Dearie," she called out over Geh Ge's excited squeals.
As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with an adorable sight. Ms. Olivia was sitting on her armchair, watching Geh Ge attempt to play with The Rattle, but as soon as his bub saw him, he started wriggling and squealing, knocking The Rattle off. Kicking his legs and waving his arms, he didn't stop until he was in Michael's arms.
Michael grinned, holding his bub close and kissing his forehead. "How are you? I'm sorry Daddy had to be away for so long. Were you a good boy?"
"Not this morning, but he settled down once I fed him," Ms. Olivia told him while Geh Ge attempted to answer him through his babbles and giggles. "After I started playing with him, he was completely fine. Then he had a nap, woke up, and kept trying to say 'dad', which was when I called you. It took me a while to calm him down after that, but he eventually fell back asleep. He only just woke up about ten minutes ago," she finished, leaning back in her chair.
He looked down at his bub, who was sticking his hand in his mouth and staring up at him with big eyes. A bright smile grew on his face as he popped his hand out of his mouth and cooed, reaching towards his face. Despite the slobber, Michael took his tiny hand between three fingers and squeezed it gently.
"Hey, you."
"Aaaheee! Daaa," he mumbled, drool running down his chin. Michael cleaned it up with the bib around Geh Ge's neck and hugged him. Geh Ge leaned his head against his chest, continuing to mumble and coo.
"Thank you for taking care of him," he said, looking back at Ms. Olivia.
She sighed, shaking her head. "You don't have to always be thanking me, Dearie. But I appreciate your manners. Very rare, these days," she commented. She tilted her head to the side. "How was your first day?"
Michael told her about it, including the boring bits. The only thing he omitted was the news story. She smiled, nodding along until he finished. "Well, at least it was an easy day. You better get some rest for tomorrow," she advised. Right. Rest. Rest was going to be something he wouldn't be able to get very often now.
Right now it wasn't too bad, but he had a feeling that on the busier days, exhaustion would hit him hard. He looked back down at his bub, whose eyes were now closed. "I know I won't have that much time, but I was thinking of something. I wanted some advice."
"What is it?"
He walked across the room and sat down on the couch, facing her. "I was thinking about all of the things I used to have when I was young, and when I was playing with Gregory yesterday, I had an idea. Not now, obviously, but I wanted to start making things for him. I have an old toy I need to restore before he can play with, but aside from that, I want to make a quilt for him, but I don't have the talent for it. Do you have any advice on how to make big things like that?" he rushed out, hoping he wasn't asking for too much.
It seemed like he wasn't, because she looked ecstatic. "I have lots of quilting books! But," she paused, looking concerned. "When will you find the time?"
Michael nodded. "Whenever I have it. It'll take a long time, but it's something I want to do. For him," he added, looking back down at his bub.
"The proper materials will cost a lot; fabric, backing, multiple spools of thread, especially if you choose to make it a full-sized one. And that's not counting this toy you have."
"I know, but I'm happy to wait."
A smile returned to her face as she met his gaze. "Very well. We'll wait until you've completed a few weeks first. Do you know what you're being paid?"
He paused, not fully remembering. He'd been so excited about getting the job that he hadn't thought about money. "I think it was… eighteen an hour?"
"And today was around twelve hours." She paused, smile disappearing. "And do you work every day?"
"Yes," he said, not sure where this was going.
She raised one hand and started counting. After she was done, she stared at him. "That's around eighty-four hours a week! With no breaks?" she whispered, sounding mortified.
Okay, so maybe eighty-four hours was too much, – and probably illegal – but he couldn't be fussy. Besides, Daniela seemed to have been working for that amount of time for who knows how long.
Ms. Olivia seemed to think that was a big problem. "That's atrocious! Where I'm from, the maximum hours a week were thirty-eight!"
He wondered where she was from. Thirty-eight hours a week sounded awesome. Way less than it had been at any other job he'd had. Regardless, he needed the job. Goodness knows that, yeah, it was a thousand-and-a-half a week, but that didn't mean it would be enough. The monthly rent, food, water, fuel, medication, tax, car insurance, basic necessities – all of it would eat away fast.
Maybe his little project would be a bad idea…
She sighed, folding her arms in her lap. "Oh, what can you do? You need it. I just hate the idea of you overworking yourself; it'll give you too many grey hairs!" she tried to joke, even letting out a little laugh afterwards. He smiled, indulging her.
"What's a few more?"
-o0o-
Michael sat down on the mattress, hair damp from his shower as he cradled his bub, watching him drink. Geh Ge watched him just as intently, trying to hold the bottle himself, but Michael knew he wasn't ready for that yet. He smiled and his bub returned it, a bit of the formula falling out of his mouth. He quickly grabbed his bib and raised it up to stop it from hitting Geh Ge's clean clothes. He'd only just washed him up.
After Geh Ge was done, he set the bottle down and held him close, gently tapping his bub's back. Even now, despite his efforts, his bub still drank too quickly.
The rest of his evening after parting with Ms. Olivia was spent making his food for tomorrow, making dinner, bathing Geh Ge, having his shower, and trying to relax as he played with his bub. It had gone well, but now he was really feeling the exhaustion creeping up on him. Sighing, he picked the bottle back up, put it in the sink, then went into the bathroom to wash Geh Ge's mouth. Every time he did, he got nervous that he would choke or vomit or – something, despite being so careful.
After that was done, he sat back down and gently rocked his bub in his arms, letting his head rest on his chest, close to his heart as he rubbed circles into his back. It did the trick – just like always – and he gently laid Geh Ge down. He got up one last time to turn the lights off, then carefully made his way back to the mattress, crawling under the blankets and closing his eyes.
Unfortunately, his sleep wouldn't be as restful as he would hope.
TO BE CONTINUED…