Please Stand — By

“I just clean the floors.”

“Hendricks?” She shook his shoulder. He didn’t respond, but his lips moved. She leaned closer. Please Stand By

She was the only one not standing by.

Lena pulled back. She’d worked nights at Meridian Data Solutions for eleven years. She cleaned the toilets, emptied the trash, knew which vending machine gave you two candy bars if you pressed B7. She was not supposed to be the last person standing. “I just clean the floors