The door to the breakroom squeaked open, announcing the arrival of a newcomer to the two people already inside. Ashley glanced up from the coffee pot she had been watching fill enough for her to get a cup at the sound, seeing Sylvia turn off her pager as she walked towards the same coffee pot.

 

“Hey Ashley, how’s it going?”

 

“Oh, same old shit different day. Coffee machine’s still slow as shit.”

 

“It’s been slow as shit since I started here, did you really think it was gonna miraculously change today?”

 

“A girl can hope, can’t she?”

 

“I guess so. Hope’s just about the only thing that still works around here.”

 

“You got that right. Wait, what are you even standing over here for? I thought you gave up coffee or did you finally join the rest of the world and come to your senses?”

 

Sylvia laughed. “No, no, I’m still on that high horse. It’s just that you’re kinda standing in front of the silverware drawer and I’d like to have a spoon to eat my lunch with.”

 

“Shit, my bad.” Ashley quickly stepped to the side and pulled out the drawer as she did so, getting her first look at Sylvia that wasn’t just a quick glance. “Hey, a new haircut! Looks good on you.”

 

“Thanks! I really like it, but it’s, uh,” Sylvia replied as she grabbed a spoon and motioned for Ashley to step back to where she was, “a bit of a change. Taking some getting used to, you know?”

 

“Yeah, I do. Hell, I’m tired of waiting. Let me pour this half a cup then we can sit and talk while you eat.”

 

“Ain’t you only on your fifteen?”

 

“Eh, PACU’s full. Unless MICU pages, I can take a twenty-five.”

 

Sylvia nodded as Ashley picked up the coffee pot and poured all of the liquid inside into her cup, barely filling it to the halfway mark. The two walked over and sat down at a small plastic foldable table, the top divoted from years of use. Ashley watched in amusement as Sylvia unpacked her lunch, the sandwich, fruit cup, and thermos all set in the exact same place as last Friday and every single day they had shared lunch together.

 

“Sylvia, tell me how do you manage to do that every time?”

 

Sylvia looked up and stared in confusion at Ashley. “Do what?”

 

“Every single day, you lay out your lunch down on the table in the exact same order and in the exact same spot down to the exact millimeter I swear. How do you do that?”

 

Sylvia shrugged as she opened her thermos and unbagged her sandwich. “I don’t know, I just do. It’s routine at this point and I like routine.”

 

Ashley nodded as she took a drink of her coffee. “Makes sense, I guess. Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, what made you finally cut your hair? I’ve been thinking about cutting some of mine off, but I keep going back and forth on it.”

 

Sylvia took a couple of bites of her soup before she spoke again. “It was kinda a spur of the moment thing to be honest. I’d been thinking about it for a little while, you know debating it with myself, but when I brought it up to Dakota she basically said I should just go for it. Hair grows back and all that.”

 

“She’s got a good point there.”

 

“She’s really smart like that, making good points all the time and correcting me when I mess up. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

 

“Do you miss your long hair? I’m just deathly afraid I’m gonna regret it as soon as the stylist lets me look.”

 

“Oh, no, not one bit. Long hair is nice, but you don’t realize just how annoying it is until you lop off most of it. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded it shorter. I still kinda miss my old standard. Buzzed sides, scissor cut top. Still the most convenient haircut I’ve ever gotten.”

 

“Why’d you get a… you know, I don’t even know what to call your new haircut. But anyway, why did you get what you did instead of your old haircut if you like it better?””

 

“I don’t think it has a name honestly. I’m like ninety percent sure Dakota just free handed a new style when she cut my hair. On the other point, I just wanted something that was short but still read as female.”

 

“Makes sense. I didn’t even think of that as a consideration. I guess that's why you waited so long to do it.”

 

“Yeah, that was definitely one of the big reasons. Dysphoria was another. I mean, I spent so long growing it out that the thought of cutting it was terrifying. But, honestly I think this shorter hair cut is the most I’ve liked my hair in years.”

 

A loud and overexaggerated sigh rang out throughout the breakroom from the previously silent occupant sitting at the other table. The sigher stood up, making sure to force the chair to scrape in the process, and starting walking towards the breakroom trash can. The two women glanced at each other, sharing a look of silent annoyance and tiredness that only comes from years of experience. Ashley spoke first, deciding that it was her turn this time.

 

“Do you have a problem with us having a private conversation, Rob?”

 

Robert thumped his way over to their table, coming to rest just in front of the table. “I would hardly call having a conversation in the only breakroom as private. I have no desire to hear about your lifestyles and I would thank you to not continually talk about it. Honestly, it’s like you don’t have a life outside of it.”

 

Ashley sighed and rolled her eyes before responding. “Rob, I have heard you talk more about your sex life in this breakroom than I’ve talked about UK games. Where the hell do get off trying to lecture us about what’s good or bad breakroom talk?”

 

Sylvia chose that moment to speak up herself. “Besides Rob, you never asked about our hobbies and interests. I’d be more than happy to talk to you about my love of soft-shoe or German expressionism, but you never did ask. Not once.”

 

Rob’s face turned a shade of red not too dissimilar from the cherries in Sylvia’s cup of mixed fruit before he stormed off, slamming the door behind him. Shaking their heads at his antics, Sylvia began eating her sandwich as Ashley returned to what was left of her coffee. After allowing her annoyance to stew for a few moments, Ashley sighed and shook her head for a second time before voicing that annoyance.

 

“God, he’s such an asshole.”

 

Sylvia nodded her head as she finished chewing. “Tell me about it. I bet he votes ‘no’ too.”

 

“He probably will. Fuck him, we don’t need him anyway. Third and second shift have enough votes without any of us anyway.”

 

“Kim’s that confident?”

 

“That’s what she’s telling me. Apparently, third shift was so gung-ho about it that Kim had to stop them from making up a bunch of t-shirts.”

 

“Well, maybe we’ll get lucky then and just get to do a card check. Nerves get shaky between filing for an election and actually holding it.”

 

“Let’s hope.” Before Ashley could say anything else, her pager beeped forcing her to sigh and pull the small device in front of her eyes. “957. Shit, that's MICU. Damn COVID spike is making them go through IV pumps like they’re going out of style.”

 

“How many do you think they’ll need?”

 

“Probably a full twenty.” She took the last of her coffee like a shot before standing up. “Enjoy your lunch. I’ll see you in the DCR.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll see you.”

 

Ashley rushed out the door leaving Sylvia to finish her lunch alone.