Staffing shortage

I am at work.

Adrain is away sick today. He’s got the flu. John has been on and off in the last fee days. He’s had bad coughs lately but he thought it was just a cold.

I go to John’s desk in the morning to talk to him about a file and realise he is not in. There is a note on his desk saying ‘I won’t be in today…. I might not come back at all’.

Phil and I look at each day, stunned. Phil is the team leader. We both know from John’s note that he won’t come back. We realise that his bad coughs are not from cold. He’s got a terminal illness. He is dying.

We were short staffed but now the shortage of staff is even more severe.

When Kevin walks past me, he gives me a special look. Kevin is the Regional Sales Manager. I don’t understand what that look means. He senses that I am confused, and says to me: ‘have you not noticed that Phil has been checking your past employment history?’

I suddenly realise what’s happening: they are looking for a replacement for John! And the best candidate is me.