Righteous Indignation - RF! Welcome Home

Chapter 4 - Eleven

Walden Darling's Point of View

I had finished my paperwork for the night, ready to go back to the facility's dorms and just sleep, but nooo, I had to feel bad about myself that night. 11'o'clock regret, right on fucking schedule. I had stared at my ceiling, unable to shake this sense of guilt that I did not deserve at all. This factory is hard and cold, which means everyone here has to be hard and cold. It's not my fault they're being weak. Why does it matter if our test subject had a daughter? It's not their business. They are being too soft. Next thing that I know, they're gonna get fucking mauled because they were being soft. I don't want that to happen, good help is hard to find. Besides, they have my coffee order memorized already, I don't want to have to teach someone again.

My phone began to ring, and honestly this better be important or else I might harm someone out of blind rage. I don't want to deal with that paperwork.

I checked my phone, seeing a call from Poppy. Oh, okay, I am no longer in the mood to harm anyone.

"Yeah, Poppy? What's up?"

"Wally! Hi! Umm..." She sounded a bit concerned, and I sighed, realizing that there was another fucking problem that I had to deal with.
"Your assistant is asleep at their desk... I don't know how long they've been like that, but from the stack of paperwork that's been filled out, they've probably been at it for hours after they clocked out."

Another sigh escaped me.
"Of course it's Neighbor who had to work themselves into a damn coma," I said irritatedly, getting out of bed and preparing to go back down to the facility.
"I'm on my way, Poppy. Thank you."

"No trouble at all, Wally, dear."

Once I had gotten down to their office, I stood over them, unsure of what exactly to do. Should I take them to their room? No, I should probably wake them up. But will they be able to get back to sleep? Why does it matter? Exactly, Walden, it doesn't. Now focus. It's not my problem.
I rolled my eyes before kneeling down to their level, tapping them firmly on the shoulder.

"Neighbor. Neighbor, get up. Neighbor."

They flinched hard and sat straight up, and I stood up to my full height as quickly as I could, because I don't like the idea of Neighbor getting an eyeful of someone they fear the moment they wake up.

"Mr. Darling! Oh, shit, what time is it? I-I was doing paperwork, and then all of a sudden you're here- what the fuck-"

"Neighbor, stop. It's 11:30. Go to bed. If I hear about you overworking yourself like this again, to the point where Poppy calls me because she's worried for you, you're not going to be very happy, and neither am I. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, sir." They responded, and I genuinely couldn't tell how they felt. It's almost as if the initial panic vanished. That's weird.

"I don't want to see your ass down here and passed out again. Goodnight, Neighbor. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."