To the Rescue

Appendicitis.
Not a fun thing.
And my coworker Kel...ended up with it.
Which meant that I would be opening up everything by myself.
I didn't think it would be that big of a deal.
I had Seven hours to do it.
And four of those were before the store opened.
So I thought I could do it by myself.
Sure, I had bedding changes.
But I just looked at it as a challenge.
To see if I could work faster then before.
And get everything done before the store opened.
I thought I could do it.
Give myself two hours for small pet bedding changes.
Another hour for the back rooms and cats.
Like ten mins for birds.
Maybe another hour for reptiles.
And another ten minutes for fish...
And I would be done soon after the store opened...
maybe even before Starsmet opened if I could speed up bedding changes.

....It didn't happen.
For you see.
I got sick.
Sicker then I was used to.
I mean I can deal with a cough and/or stuffy nose.
But this....was worse.
Just because my whole body ached.
My head was clouded.
And I felt like I couldn't breathe due to my stuffed up nose.

It. Was. Torture.
And of course I got 'really sick' on the day when I had no help, when I couldn't go home early because I was the only one.

I started out well enough.
I got the first half of bedding changes done in under an hour.
But then....everything hit me.
Hard.
I had to sit down.
Standing made me dizzy.
I even took my 15 minute break before I was done with small pets.
That shows you how sick I was.
Because I never like to take breaks before I'm done with a task.
And there I was lying on the break room floor trying to get enough energy gathered together to survive the day.
In any case...I didn't get the bedding changes done....until half an hour before Starsmet opened. And Blak was nice enough...to help me with some of the ending tasks for the bedding changes as well.
What took me an hour for one half....took me like 2 and a half hours for the other side.
Totally sad.
And Starsmet was going to open soon.

I only had three hours left to get everything else done.
Or I would have.

For you see.
I had been told by Bri that she might come in and help me for a couple of hours.

And...like two hours after I showed up.
She arrived.
Bri to the rescue!

I'm so glad she actually came like she said she would.
For Bri got everything done except reptiles before Starsmet opened.
Which meant...I had less to do.

The reptiles didn't get done for a little bit though...
As every morning we have a meeting before the store opens to go over this that and the other.
There was another sign that I was sick there.
For I usually stand at meetings.
Today...I sat. I couldn't stay upright for that long when not moving.
So I huddled in on myself and focused on breathing while listening to the others.
After the meeting Wal grabbed my hand and pulled me up to my feet and told me 'Go home.'

I nearly burst into tears then.
Because I couldn't.
I would be the only person there for three hours in my department.
I couldn't go home.

I told him as much.
So he said "Go take a break."
"I already did."
"Take mine."
"I'll take it later."
"Well then go make yourself invisible. Hide in the break room."
"I can't, I'm the only one in my department."
"Just make yourself invisible then til your shift is over."

But..while Bri was still there I did go take my 'lunch' way early. So I had like half an hour to rest and not work.
And Al volunteered to watch the department for me if I needed her to.
In any case.
I'm just glad I didn't have alot of customers come into the store.
That's why I like mornings.
Because they're usually not busy.
So I could take my time getting reptiles done.
and doing little fish tasks.
By that point Cinres showed up.
And regretfully...I told him that I couldn't take Kel's other shift for the next day.
I could probably stay a couple hours longer then my own shift,
but feeling how I was feeling...I couldn't stay his whole shift.
Luckily someone else could come in.
But I'm grateful that Cinres was understanding.
He wanted me to clock out 'on time' and 'go get lots of rest' because 'we want you better soon.'
So I spent the last part of my shift, sitting down on a step ladder, bagging crickets at a snails pace.
-It's so hard to focus on counting crickets when your head is so stuffed.

And home I went to rest and work on getting better.

Needless to say.
I love Starsmet.
My coworkers are so helpful and willing to do what they can to help out me out in my time of need.
I'm grateful for them.
and how they stepped up to help me how they could.
It was a blessing. Totally.

So even though I didn't get the chance to see if I could open everything before the store opened...
I'm glad that I know I have coworkers I can depend on to help me when I can't do it.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi