Comatose

[Chapter 1]

I lean over my desk, staring at the windows. I have no work left for the day. So why am I still here? I tap a pen at the desk before I decide to run a few errands. Leaving my office, I walk over to the blonde, blue-eyed secretary. 'Hey Lola, I'm out for a while, Keep an eye on things, will you?' 'Of course. It's my job, sir.' She lends me a smile and I walk off. All of them are suck ups. I don't want to come off as rude, but they're all just trying to grab my attention. You see, I graduated top of my class, which gives me an advantage, not to mention that I started my own company, laid out in pet care and technology. And I may be smart, but during the times I get off, I do work out making me a pretty strong guy, too. As I leave the building, I head over to a small food stand and I greet the guy behind the counter. 'Ash, Regular right?' I nod. People around here know I don't talk much. I never saw the point in chit-chat. But a lot of people know me around here. I sramd for about 5 minutes before a tall guy walks in. He immediatly catches my attention before he walks over to the counter with a girl who seems really excited, Jumping up and down. 'Zaiden!! I want the chocolate!' 'Not unless you promise!' 'Fine fine fine!!' I watch as he buys her an ice cream and they both leave. What an interesting couple. They must be siblings. I hear my order get called and I go up to collect it. When I get back to my office right as I'm about to leave, the guy from before stops me with his sister. 'Hey, Can I ask for some help?' 'Yes of course, what is it?' 'My sister wants a new dog and it's one that sheads a lot, isn't there anything you can recommend for it?' 'Oh sure, There's a type of brush that basically collects all the loose hair and some spray to keep the rest intact, You'll just need to follow the routine daily,' I walk them over to a shelf and hand them a bottle and brush. 'Arebyou sure this will work-?' 'Positive. Give it a go.' 'Is it vegan?' 'I- No I suppose not this one-' 'I'm messing with you,' The guy chuckles. I shake my head and go to help them through checkout. I got nothing better to do. 'Hey, You look pretty young to be an owner.' 'Oh please, I'm really not that young, I'm 24.' 'Really?? You run this by yourself??' 'Yeah, I have since I successfully finished the company in my 21's.' 'That's so cool.' 'Thanks.' I smile and hand him his receipt. 'I noticed you got some tech too. If need be I could help you out with some of it,' 'Sure, That would be pretty cool.' He places down a card and starts to leave and I look down to see a blank card with a number. I thought it was a business card at first, now it just looks like a "call me". I grab the number putting it into my pocket and heading back over to my office. 'Wait! Boss, I have a couple who's asking about electric collars.. They won't leave it be.' 'Oh my gods.' I mamage to groan and then walk over to the couple. 'Good evening, I hear your looking-' 'We want a shock collar and now this idiot is telling us you don't have any!' 'That's right we don't. We consider them abus-' 'No no no! I refuse! I want the manager right now!' 'Ma'am I am the manager-' 'There is no way you are the manager! You're way too young. Go get your boss young man!' I sigh and smirk. 'Alright hold on.' I turn to walk off and then turn back holding out my hand. 'Good evening, I'm Asher Stone. How can I help you today?' 'You little twerp! Get the real manager right now!' I sigh and show her my ID. She goes slighlty pale for a second before she goes to speak and I stop her. 'Ma'am, with all do respect. I do not appreciate disrespect, ignorance and most of all stupidity and not listening to reason. Please leave my store, Or I will have you escorted out by my extremely gentle security guards.' 'If you dare let your staff touch me I'll just sue-' 'I would not suggest you do that. I have security cameras set up around the store, and I have the right to refuse service, not to mention you'd lose the court case as well.' 'I-!' I shut her up and raise my hand as two security guards walk over and escort the woman outside. I walk back to my office and grab some coffee before sitting down and staring at a computer screen. At the end of the day I lock everything up and wait for all the employees to be on their way and give the cleaners the key before I leave. I head home and on my way I bump into someone who seems to be in a rush. 'Sorry! I'm so sorry, I was in a rush-' 'No worries,' I look up to find the guy from earlier today again and I tilt my head before realizing his glasses had fallen off and I pick them up handing them back to him. 'It's really okay, It happens. I think I might start counting coins everytime we vump into one another.' I chuckle as he puts on his glasses. 'Yeah, Bet it won't get very far though, But I've gotta run, I guess I'll cya around.' I nod and he runs off. I head home and shut the door before looking around. 'I'm home!!' 'ASHHHHH!' A blonde girl, with red and blue heterochromia eyes, comes running downstairs. 'What is it-?' I suddenly get tackled. 'Ah-' 'Micheal broke up with me!' 'How are you older again?' 'Not the point of the story!! He broke up with me!' 'You couldn't care less could you?' 'Nope not really.' 'I swear you're like a player.' 'Maybe I am maybe not.' I push her off me and she helps me up before we both share a look. 'Shouldn't you be working-?' 'I got off early,' 'Me too.' 'So now what?' 'You want Ice cream?' We both share a look, shrug then head to Andrea's car as I'm most likely paying for the ice cream. Wen end the Night off good before the next morning hits and I sit up to the sound of my daily alarm. Then a text messages comes through while I brush my teeth. "Good morning, This is Ava Mayer. Due to an unforeseen issue, My husband Rian Mayer has passed away yesterday." Shit my security guard.. he was doing so well.. I wonder what happened. 'Thanks Ava, I'm truly sorry for your loss. Rian will forever be in our hearts.' I sigh and finish getting ready before I post a work ad for a security guard and head to work. Andrea is already off as she mostly works night shifts. When I get to work I get everything ready for the day before the place starts to get busy. As I' helping some customers I notice one that looks familiar. 'Hey, so about that spray stuff you gave me, It works pretty well, I kinda need like 4 more bottles though since Nora is big.' 'Oh, Zaiden. Of course, I'll be with you in a second.' He nods and shuffles back a little while I finish helping a customer, then walk over to him. 'We have scented ones if you'd like?' 'Nah, Just the normal ones.' I nod and go grab a few bigger bottles before handing it to him. 'These are daily for.. How long again?' 'Use daily for up to 2 weeks.' 'Thanks, It helps.' 'Hey, are you looking for a job right now by any chance?' 'Uhm.. sure I guess why?' 'I need a security guard. And you, I will be honest, Look like you can really fuck someone up if needed.' 'I- Well yeah, But I'll think about it.' I nod and he heads off before I get jumpscared by a toddler holding their pet rabbit. 'Hello Mr. ASH!' 'Hello to you too Hannah. You know not to do that with snuffles, You'll give both of us a heartattack.' I pick up the rabbit holding it in my arms before I look up to hannah's mother who's always on her phine just like today. 'How can I help today?' 'Yeah, We need one of those...The home thingies.' The mother waves a hand at me and I shake my head before I look back to hannah. 'You need a new bunny enclosure? I'm guessing he's getting too big huh?' 'Yeah! He's like almost bugger than me!' 'I can see so, Its because you take such good care of him. I can't see anything wrong with this absolute angel of a fluff ball of yours.' Hannah giggles and I take her hand to go look at some of the bunny enclosures showing her a few for the bigger rabbits. 'Ohhh can I have the pink one??' 'Of course, Why not see if snuffles likes it.' I put the rabbit down by the enclosure she wants and he settles right in while Hannah jumps up and down. I smile at her before I take her hand again and go to ring it up so I can help her carry it outside, Knowing the mother won't do it. Once everything is packed and finished I greet Hannah and head back to my office. I let staff do most of the work after 2 pm so that I can have my regulars before that and I can help them first. That way it's less of a clutter and less of a mess. Just as I go to sit down there's a knock on my door and I go to open it finding a tall guy staring down at me. 'Good afternoon.' 'Afternoon sir. I saw that you needed a security guard?' 'Yes, Right this way, I'll write you down, ask a few questions and have you sent on your way.' And this continues for about.. 4 hours. Why didn't I just pick one?? Well most of these guys can't even handle a weapon, Have no actual fighting experience and some of them can't even hold their own balance. Another part of me just kind of wanted Zaiden to show up. Boy would that be the day. I start getting my things together to end the day and there's another knock on the door. I walk over and open it to find Andrea standing infront of me. 'Ash You are not going to believe this!' 'Was it that important you had to drive all the way across town over here, to tell me about it instead of calling?' 'Yes!'I sigh before I feel my arm get dragged. 'Where are we going??' 'My car, I'll show you instead!' She drags my outside and it's hailing outside. 'Is this what you wanted to show me..?' 'Yes!' 'Sometimes I wonder how you got a job, Let alone keep it.' 'Doesn't it remind you of when mom used to read us stories and make us hot cocoa??' I smile and sigh. 'Yeah..' 'Or when dad would ask us to go play outside, even though there's literal Ice chunks falling, and he'd tell us it was the gods' tears because we were being naughty.' 'Andrea, You know I don't like talking about this stuff..' 'C'mon! It's just a few memories. Plus it will improve your mental health, especially after the incident..' 'Let's not have this discussion please.. that was painful enough as it was.' 'Ash you can't just pretend it didn't happ-' 'Yeah well I do, and so far it's been working great.' I sigh and head to my office. I cannot talk about that day.. no matter what.