Shades of Gray

6. A Job Re-Interview

"Well Mr. Calloway, it seems you have made a swift recovery," Dr. Locke said, marking on his clipboard. "You're free to leave."

"Great!" Graham smiled. He was dressed in his usual outfit of a blue jacket pulled over a dull purple-maroon shirt, with dark gray jeans and sneakers. Carmen had left him his duffle bag of stuff from his room at V.I.L.E. headquarters, and Graham had wondered briefly how she'd gotten it.

She's Carmen Sandiego, he eventually shrugged. She can do anything.

"Before you go, I have a few restrictions for you," Dr. Locke told him. "Don't overexert yourself for the next week or so, and do be careful around electricity. You seem to have a history with high-voltage accidents."

Graham chucked ruefully. "That I do," he reflected. "I'll be cautious, doctor, but I can't make any promises. I am an electrician, after all."

Dr. Locke sighed and shook his head, though he had a smile on his face. "Well, I'll have my fingers crossed that I won't see you here again." He pushed the door to the examination room open. "Goodbye, Mr. Calloway."

"Goodbye, Dr. Locke," Graham replied. He checked out of the hospital and located his car in the parking lot. Chief had even filled up the gas tank for him.

Well, here I go, with a fresh start on life, he thought, turning the keys in the ignition and hearing the car rumble to life. He shifted the car out of park, stepped on the gas, and began the drive home.

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Later that afternoon, Graham sat in the chair inside the office of his old boss at the Sydney Opera House. Mr. Elwood had agreed to re-interview him, and hopefully he could get a job here. Graham knew Mr. Elwood well and had worked for him for quite some time, but he also knew the man was probably a little hesitant to hire Graham again. After all, he had initially quit his job to join V.I.L.E., and then returned after he had his memories wiped. He had gotten his old job back and worked there for a while before earning a job with a travelling theatre group. Only to disappear again for nearly eight months without any notice.

"So, Graham," Mr. Elwood said gruffly, peering at him. "You want your old job back, do you?"

"Honestly, sir, I'd take any position," Graham replied. "If you could use my skills here, I'd be grateful for the job."

"Graham, I know you're a respectful, talented, hardworking guy," Mr. Elwood told him. "But what I don't understand is how unpredictable you are. I can't have a worker that will disappear on a whim and then reappear whenever they feel like it."

"That's fair, sir," Graham nodded. "I've just been dealing with some..." he frowned, not sure what to say, "family issues, I guess, over the past two years."

Mr. Elwood narrowed his eyes. "I thought you were an orphan?"

"I am," Graham confirmed. "There was this group of people I was associated with that became a sort of second family to me. But they were leading me down the wrong path. At first, I turned a blind eye to their faults, but eventually I realized that I had to separate myself from them before they convinced me to do something I'd regret. Does that make sense?"

Mr. Elwood stared at him with a deep frown on his face. "You joined a gang?"

"No, no, no," Graham assured him hastily. But as he thought about it, V.I.L.E. wasn't really any better than a gang. "All I'm trying to say is I've been dealing with some personal issues. It's all resolved now, though."

"Well, it's not any business of mine to pry," Mr. Elwood replied, shaking his head. "Graham, I'm going to hire you. But I want you to promise me you won't disappear again. If you do, you won't find a job here when you decide to come back. Is that clear?"

Graham nodded fervently. "Yes, sir. You have my word."

"Good," Mr. Elwood said, satisfied. "You start tonight. The first day of tech week for Ernani is tonight, and you should be here before 6:00."

"Got it," Graham replied. "Thank you, sir."