--Bertha Oneshots--

Frenemies

-SHORT-
Warning: Vomit

If there is one thing Mrs Tupp does not enjoy, it's winter. Well, not really. She enjoys the fluffy snow that sticks and forms on the green earth, even though it freezes your hand for a few minutes whilst the cold air bites you all over. Mrs Tupp didn't mind that. It's nothing that a rest by a fire can't fix (with a cup of tea in hand of course).

What she can't stand, however, was the winter bug. She couldn't understand how one little germ could cause so much chaos and dysphoria. Even as a tea nurse, she can never understand how it already affected half of the staff. It was something a cup of tea alone can't fix - and it usually fixes all the problems in the factory.

She gave a small sigh as she continued to set up the tea trolley. It is still half an hour before the tea break, but the tea lady likes to bake carrot buns early as they take a very long time to cook. Too early to start boiling the kettle, she thought as she picked up the last of the mugs and saucers.  She was so busy that she did not hear the repetitive knocking on the door. The tapping tapped more hastily, almost as if someone is trying to knock the door down. Then came the typical beeping of the factory's little robot.

"Ah, TOM," chuckled Mrs Tupp as she opened the door. "You can come in, but I'm very busy with the tea trolley." The robot zoomed straight in, trying to avoid bumping into things and was jittering every time he jumped. His pincer arm was stuck in the air. There was a note for her. "A note for me?" the tea lady asked the robot, taking the note from him gently. After reading a few words, she frowned and placed her hand on her cheek. "Oh dear!" she gasped. "Not another patient." She turned her attention to the robot, who is clearing up the mess he made. "We must bring the first aid box straight away, TOM!"

TOM lead the tea nurse along the corridors of the factory, happily carrying the first aid box in his arms. Mrs Tupp followed along yet was still frowning. The bug, which she hoped was long gone is still grabbing people around the factory spreading its plague. It was making her sick, maybe more sick then the other patients.

As she arrived on the factory floor, no one noticed the tea nurse's quick arrival. An angry voice was harshly scolding the sickly sounding voice for causing a delay in the production. Mrs Tupp grew cross to that voice. Didn't she warn him not to do that again? Looking around, she spotted a pool of fresh vomit splattered on the floor and on Bertha's conveyer belt. It coloured the belt in mustard yellow and light brown, with hints of yesterday's breakfast, tea and dinner. All the big machine did was cover her nose; the smell was unbearable.

TOM watched as the tea nurse walked up to the small group who were aiding the ill worker. He placed the first aid box on the nearest crate and went along to help too. "Well Roy came in the factory more tired then usual." Ted began, patting his back every time he felt like throwing up. "I then heard vomiting noises and I stopped Bertha straight away." "At least nothing was on the belt when it happened." said Panjit, holding a bottle of water for Roy to drink. He was temporarily doing Nell and Flo's work since they were both off sick. Roy continued to heave into an empty crate, once trying to stop himself from doing so by covering his mouth with his hands (though it ended up staining his sleeves rather then stopping it). TOM went along and generously replaced the almost full crate with an empty crate.

"..Thank you, TOM." Roy coughed into the crate. "I'm sorry. I-I just didn't want to make the factory more short-staffed then it is." "Well you should've stayed at home!" Mr Duncan crossly berated, fanning the smell away with his clipboard. "Ugh! That smell is putrid!" Ted was more concerned about his assistant rather then sniffing the air like the foreman. "Mr Duncan, Roy didn't mean to actually be sick all over Bertha. It was an accident." Ted reminded. Panjit opened the water bottle and passed it to the young lad, who rubbed his mouth from excess puke. "I doubt Roy would vomit all over a factory machine on purpose. That's just silly." Panjit agreed. The lad stopped vomiting at last, but he still felt like his stomach would explode again.