The Scrubs Thief

“Uh, yea, I’ll get on that.”

“Now, Irving…”

“I’m just enjoying this amazing dinner…”

She raises her right eyebrow.

“I’m going, I’m going,” he says with his hands raised.

“And put the diaper on right this time!”

“Jenna…I’m a professional…”

“A professional what I’ll never know.”

He picks up his daughter Ethel and heads into her room upstairs. Lilly and Ryan continue to fight over the food as Jenna sits at the table forking at her newest creation with her right hand while bracing her head up with her left.

Tuesday:

Irving swipes his way into the cafeteria area before letting his ID retract and hit him in the chest. He places his left over tater-tot concoction into the fridge shared by all of the employees. On the outside of the refrigerator is a poster reminding people to keep away from each others lunches. Part of Irving hopes that some poor soul does steal his meal. He walks over to the stale pot and pours himself a cup of black coffee.

“Almost the weekend!” a man with brown hair walks past Irving and gets denied of a high-five. The brown haired man, Brent, irks Irving. He just smiles and nods at Brent until the awkward moment passes and Brent leaves the area.

“Tastes like a horse’s behind,” Irving mutters to himself before dumping his coffee into the sink.

“Didn’t know your palette was so cultured,” says a smart tone from behind him.

“Hey, didn’t know someone was behind me. Good morning, Maria.”

“How was your weekend?

“Fun, I guess, took the kids to a water park on Saturday. Jenna got to read and I got sunburn.”

“You have to use that SPF, man. I’m telling you it’s the way of the future.”

“Ha, I’ll have to remember that next time.”

“You’d better. Well, have a great day; try not to have too much fun.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Irving waits for a new pot to brew as he stares out the windows on the other side of the cafeteria. The building across the parking lot has the windows all lit up. A woman runs on a treadmill on the second floor and a man cries into a phone on the first. Irving sucks his lips in and looks up to the ceiling as if not wanting to be known for his voyeur. Once the coffee finishes he pours a cup full into a paper cup inside another paper cup. He drowns himself with the hot fuel as quickly as one can.

Tuesday Evening:

“Did you get all the grocery shopping done?”

“No, I…there was no time.”

“No time? What about now? What is it you’re doing now?”

Irving places a bundle of small scrubs onto the counter and nods at his wife. He grins and heads to his office.

“Oh no you’re not! Get your butt to the store!”

“But…the…”

“The video game? Don’t worry about that, I hid your video games. You need to spend more time with the kids.”

“But they’re at school…”

“At five ‘o’clock? They’ve been home for hours. Now take them with you grocery shopping. Ryan! Lilly! Go with your father to the store!”