Titile: Photochick, Interrupted
Author: MajelB
Email: majelitab@lycos.com
Status: complete
Series: Third in the One-Hour Photo series. Follows Back to the Lab, though the order doesn't really matter.
Rating: PG
Season: Whenever
Summary: Photochick gets a present.
Spoilers: none
Warnings: mild language
Author’s notes: This is the sequel I
didn’t think I would write. A few months ago, I put out two other stories
starring Photochick, and they actually got pretty positive responses… but they
are so close to being OT, I didn’t think I’d do another one. However, the
other night at work, my imagination ran away with me. The following is something
of a fantasy… hehehe… I only wish this sort of thing happened to me.
<g> so, you’re warned… this is very, very close to being OT, but Devra
encouraged me to share. And I just couldn’t sit on the sidelines during the
Founder’s Celebration. Hope you enjoy it. It’s really too short to even
bother with a summary… :)
Wednesday, 9:15 pm- Truth be told, I really love my job. I love sitting back in this lab and watching people’s lives flash up on a screen and then actually print out on paper. Granted, I know it’s temporary… just meant to help me get through school and eventually get a so-called “real job,” but until then, I have to admit that I’m perfectly content where I am.
Except when
an endless stream of customers just decide to shower me with attention, all of
45 minutes before close. You know, sometimes I feel like the most popular gal in
town.
Much to my
dismay.
But
finally… *finally* the short lady with the bright blue hair has brought her 45
minutes of getting to intimately know the Picture Maker to a close and I am free
to enjoy the good stuff. Maintenance.
That’s
right… no magical filter changing, crossover cleaning, chemical draining
maintenance fairy here. No siree Bob. Just humble little me… hoping that no
one else comes in so I can finish my work in peace.
Do you have
any idea how embarrassing it is to try and ring up someone’s pictures wearing
huge rubber gloves?
9:21 pm-
Okay, so when someone’s working with chemicals and stuff, OSHA demands safety
in the workplace… unfortunately ignoring any resulting crimes of fashion. The
PPE, personal protective equipment, is meant to be worn. Generally speaking,
though, it’s all too much of a hassle. I mean, come on… goggles, bright blue
plastic apron, 3-sizes-too-big blue and yellow rubber gloves, even little cotton
footies for your shoes. Yeah, right.
Anyway,
when I’m doing the shut down maintenance for the processors, I at least wear
the gloves, because nine times out of ten, I’ve been biting my nails and if
anything gets under my cuticles, it hurts like a mother. And, I usually wear the
apron, because I’ve ruined too many of my favorite clothes due to accidental
splashage and spillage of chemicals.
But I would
*never* wear the googles. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I mean, it
looks *silly*! It’s bad enough that I’m walking around the store looking
like Dexter’s mom with the apron and gloves up to my armpits.
Recently,
however, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. I wear contacts, and I’ve noticed
that every Thursday morning after I close, I’ve had to break out a new pair,
because the old ones hurt and give me a headache. After relating this story to a
photoguy friend of mine, he reminded me of something… soft contact lenses can
absorb the fumes released by the chemicals. And while they’re not like, toxic,
by any stretch of the imagination, they can irritate the hell out of sensitive
tissue… like one’s eyes.
And, when
I’m doing the night maintenance on the film processor, I’ve literally got my
face 6 inches away from a veritable pool of the stuff for like, 10 minutes
straight.
Heh.
Problem identified.
9:23 pm- I
open the supply closet, warily eyeing the safety gear. I pull out my gloves, the
apron, laugh a bit at the ridiculous mental image of running around with those
little cotton footies on over my tennis shoes, then get dressed. Once properly
attired, I walk back over to the supply closet. Nobody else wears the goggles
either. There are like, 6 brand new, unopened pairs, so I can take my pick.
Of several
dreary choices.
I mean,
they’re *goggles*. And not the cool kind, either. Not the kind that Norm
Abrams gets to wear when he’s like, working a table saw or something. You
know, the ones that look like shadeless sunglasses. No, these are the godawful
things like you had to wear in high school chemistry. *goggle* goggles. Complete
with bright blue elastic headband.
I groan,
take a deep breath, and pull them up over my head, resting them on my nose and
tightening the band. Eww… watch the fine Pharmacist walk by and start laughing
at me… I open up the film processor and start taking pieces out… need to
wash this… take a toothbrush and scrub that… o/’ Scrub, scrub, scrub the
gunk. Scrub the rollers clean. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, I’m the
photo queen… o/’
9:25 pm-
“Excuse me…”
I jump at a
voice at the counter behind me… son of a bitch… I hate it when this
happens… I turn around and away from my toothbrushes and squirty bottles to
see a tall blonde standing at the counter, an apologetic look on her face and a
roll of film in her hand. I actually smile at the sight.
“Major
Carter! Out late tonight., huh?” I say, peeling the gloves off my hands and
resting the goggles on top of my head.
She smiles,
glad to see I’m not mad at her for interrupting. How could I be mad? She’s
one of my best customers… along with a pretty heady contingent of others from
Cheyenne mountain. We have… an understanding. A sort of ‘don’t ask,
don’t tell’ understanding. But I can still look, and my… the pictures are
interesting…
“I, uh…
really love your new haircut..”
Again, how
could I possibly be mad?
“What can
I do for you?” I ask, smiling.
“I am so
so so sorry… I know it’s late, but these are… really kind of important and
I wasn’t able to get them done at work before I left…” she says, setting
her roll of Kodak Advantix film on the counter. She always struck me as one of
those people who loves like, new fangled gadgets and stuff… ooh, I bet she has
one of those cool little Elph cameras…
“I, ah…
I was just about to shut down the machine…”
“Oh…”
she bites her lower lip in frustration.
“But… I
think I can manage to get ‘em done tonight… they’ll be ready in the
morning, okay? It’s the best I can do.”
Her eyes
get wide and I smile bigger. Every once in a while, I get the chance to truly
amaze someone… I love that.
“Uh…
wow. Thanks. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it…”
“No
problem.”
She turns
and walks away, taking a few steps before stopping and turning just a bit…
“Ah, two sets!”
Right.
Let’s see
what we’ve got here… no way in hell does anybody get do these pictures but
me…
*
*
*
*
Thursday,
4:00 pm- “Hey!” says the day photolady as I drop my jacket in the corner and
don my blue smock. Ready for another night of *stimulating* work.
“Hey,”
I reply. “How are things?”
She smiles.
“Fine, fine… oh, some lady who picked up her pictures this morning left this
for you…” She hands me a brown paper lunch bag.
“Hmmm…
thanks…” I set the bag down on the back counter and open it up. There’s a
not sitting on top of something else…
*More of a
math girl, myself,* is says, *But I’ve done the goggle headband thing, too.
Thanks again for last night. S. Carter.*
I smile to
myself and look back down into the bag. I reach in and pull out… oh, cool! New
goggles! The cool Norm Abrams kind… with a nifty purple edge at the top and
adjustable earpieces… and no bright blue elastic band!
I can’t
wait to do the maintenance tonight and try them on!
See? Being
nice pays off.
The End
Feedback is always most welcome. <g>
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