Straight
These used to be so much longer. I think I need to impose a limitation on them. Maybe not. As of this post, I've caught up in january. I still have all of december and half of November. Yeesh.
Sprout watches me. I turn and look at him a little. "The rest of you can go," I say, and the other lab techs file out, smiling. Sprout is still as a statue, barely breathing.
"You're scaring me," he says.
I look at him in the face. "Don't worry, Sprout." I clean up my workbench. "I'm just trying step things up correctly."
Sprout frowns. He walks over, but I don't want to look him in the eyes. I continue my cleaning. "Why?"
I hesitate. "I just...It's just important, alright?"
He touches my arm and I sigh. "You're..." He stops and tugs at my arm. "Look at me."
I turn. He looks concerned. "What is it, Sprout?" I ask evenly.
"You don't expect to make it, do you?"
I blink, struck momentarily dumb. I swallow. "I...I...I don't know what you mean."
Sprout shakes his head. "Don't lie to me," he hisses, tightening his grip on me.
I sigh. "Nevermind."
"You're setting it up so we can carry on without you. Why would you do that if you expected to continue on?" He is getting red in the face. "Just what are you thinking, boss?"
I pull his hand off my arm. "Relax."
He shakes his head violently. "Be straight with me, damn it."
I smile and try to figure out how to answer him. "I don't know, Sprout. I don't know what will happen. But if something does happen...And it's likely, in this business. If something happens, I want things set up so that-" I stop. His eyes are large and fearful. "Sprout," I say softly.
He looks away. "I'm fine."