Capítulo 3: Meal ticket
It is not every day that CC gets a free meal ticket at XXXX-XX company.
Today will be a good lunch, for a meal ticket covers one person and one hamster just like a buffet. Just a buffet of hospital food....but it got better in the last few years okay?!
It is not everyday that the hospital cafeteria is so empty. How wonderful, the space was closed to the public. So many seats and overworked crying techs, nurses, doctors and all the people who don't get to stay home. For they are essential workers during a certain pandemic.
Which may be why CC was given free meal tickets now.
They might as well lock her up on the office grounds. In order to function, let alone work overtime, they must feed their slaves.
"Let's get a pork bowl today!" decides CC, long before lunch time.
"Let's get a pork belly bowl today." she uses as motivation, as the goal throughout the day.
For the world may have paused elsewhere but not at the office. Or the pharmacy department next door. Or the insurance department upstairs. Or the...basically everything at the office.
"Food" agrees the diabolical hamster, riding in her front pocket.
For you can't terrorize anyone without calories. Still, Mr. Hamster can't just not be snarky.
"But you don't even like pork belly at that much. HEALTH!"
"Ahh but I wrote too much about bacon in one of my novel. Now I made myself crave it...."
"Lukaaaaaaaasssssss" hisses the hamster.
"Lukas." Cc nods and agrees, entirely blaming a fictional character created by her own dumb head. As if this wasn't entirely her fault.
"I shall punish him greatly!" promises the hamster, as if it needed more reasons to hurt the characters in any of Cc's works.
"Yes yes Mr. Hamster."
If Cc wasn't so tired and desensitized she might have panicked more to the promise of pain and suffering. But it is done. Woven into the threats called plot. That and it was late into lunch time, life was busy in the office lately.
"I'll have the pork bowl!" she declares, handing over the meal ticket.
But alas, fate and the system was cruel. No piggy, it wasn't even on the menu on this day. The one day CC actually wanted it, actually, mouth wateringly wanted it, it wasn't served. Woe is life.
"Do we get violent now?" sparkled the hamster, looking extra cute. "Who do we kill?!"
"No one." sighed CC.
Ffor she would live. Her simple cravings unfulfilled and all patients and clients were still crazy, but she would live.
"This is a good chance to be healthy today!" she changed the situation around for the better.
It made the hamster's whiskers twitch. In suspicion and disbelief yes, but it was still cute.
"Excuse me, I'll have the protein style burger- lettuce wrap instead of buns..." orders the hungry employee with no time to play author.
Hamster likes veggies yes. Hamster likes. Much approved.
"...and the lasagna, and the chicken fried steak with mushrooms, and the rice pudding and-"
"YOU PIG!!!" Squeaked the hamsters angrily. Luckily for CC no one in the hospital or cafeteria staff spoke hamster. It could squeak all it wants.
"- and some mangos, and a diet coke, some mint chocolate chip ice cream, and a loaf of bread to go. The whole damn loaf. No make that two- one of the sesame seed ones too."
"Anything else" drawled an equally dead register.
"....and some roasted peanuts....for my hamster."
"Coming right up."
A meal ticket is not all-powerful, but in the right hands, it could still be used very well. Supermarkets out of bread? No time to even get the markets? Never fear, the meal ticket is here.
By the end of the meal, CC was alive again. Though it was probably just the blood sugar increase. Even Mr. Hamster was in a food coma. With a sleeping hamster and some take out groceries in hand, anyone could face the rest of the work day.
*ring ring* rang a yellow employee line.
"Hello?"
"CC, good you're back. The blood draw unit was low so I've reassigned your assistent manager for the rest of the day."
"Oh, okay."
"So that means you're taking over."
"Oh, that's horri-I mean ok."
"And you're also on pharmacy duty for the afternoon."
"Oh...WHAT?!?!"
"Good work- expect at least 3 more hours of overtime today during this state emergency."
"3....more...hours....THE PHARMACY IS 30X BACKED UP IN ORDERS THESE WEEKS!?!!"
"You shall receive a bonus....OF MORE MEAL TICKETS! Dinner is included."
*CLICK*
By the end of the hour, CC was dead again. So dead she fell over and squished Mr. Hamster into a coma. There will be no violence, no writing, only soulless death.
The power of the meal ticket was not all-encompassing. It was great yes, sugary even. But it came at a great price.
If there is the sound of wailing and tears in the empty cafeteria or through the halls off the hospital or office or pharmacy or just anywhere around these buildings, do not fear. It is merely the staff, including one CC and her tag along hamster.
Status de energia semanal
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