what a day - downs and ups

[derien]

I ended up leaving early because I was feeling so very crappy, not only physically but emotionally. Last night I had asked Hawk to take a look at the inside of my nose because it was hurting so much, and he said he basically thought I had something like strep throat only in my nose. So, strep nose. :)

This morning I was feeling worse, and decided to make an appointment with my doctor and get some antibiotics. I don't recall exactly what time during the morning we were called into the boss's office, but I'd had a sense there was something going on - people were speaking in odd tones that told me someone was sick or hurt or... well. One of the guys hadn't shown up to work, so they'd sent the State Troopers out to his house, and his body had been found. He'd been working odd hours for a while, but we used to work together fairly often - a wicked nice guy. Generally just cheerful, good-humored. A career Navy guy, with a lot of submarine time, and I guess you have to learn how to get along with your co-workers in a sub or you might end up just accidentally falling into a torpedo bay.

Tears just started streaming down my face when the boss told us. I mean, I guess it just was not the time for me to be able to take it, with my Dad being sick and me not feeling well. Damn. Everyone was going through the last times they'd seen him, and nobody had noticed him seeming sick or anything, so I guess he was doing well right up until the end. And as long as it was quick and relatively painless I guess that's not a bad way to go - no lingering. I talked to him on the phone on the 12th, when I called to see if I'd gotten Sunday off, and I've got to admit that even that much time on the phone I was actually thinking, "gosh, nice to hear his voice, wish I could work with him more often."

The other thing everyone realized was that nobody seemed to really know much about him, besides him being so nice, because he didn't talk a lot about himself.

So, I left early, went to the doctors and then went home and put on my jammies and curled up in my comfort quilt on the couch for a while. Then Eor came home and brought the mail in, and I got a letter! A real paper letter, from Lacrimaeveneris ! :) A good way to end my day. :)

Comments

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear this, hon. *hugs*

[derien.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you. February is such a hard month around here. We had a local celebrity die a few days ago (with pancreatic cancer, same thing my Dad has), at least one co-worker's father has died and I think there might be a second in the past few days, and another's Dad was hit by a car in January and is still not doing well, it's not a good outlook. No month for old men, I guess.

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I improved your day a little bit!

That's sad, though. It's so hard, and especially when it's something like that where everyone realizes that they just didn't really know him. ::hug::

[derien.livejournal.com]

Yes, you really did. :)

I guess not everyone felt so much like they didn't know him, as Phoebe's post below shows.

hey

[(Anonymous)]

hey i was so saddened to hear the news this morning. he was such a happy guy. did you know he went to school at Nasson college in Springvale, Maine? Actually around the time I was born...my mom worked there and he went there and we kept trying to figure out if they knew each other. We used to do the late night OT shifts together and I'd say I'm in if you're in. Great guy. He had some great stories too. He always made you feel like you mattered, even if you were a number to others. :`/ Is the obit out yet, I couldn't find it...
hugs...miss you...hang in...

Re: hey

[derien.livejournal.com]

So he was younger than your mom, then? I wasn't sure of his age, but not old in that case.

Re: hey

[(Anonymous)]

hey it's Phoebe. I think they are about the same age because I think he went to college after the Navy? Either way there is no way he was even 60. have you heard anymore on an obit or calling hours? how are you doing? and how is your dad? thinking of you a lot lately. let's have eggs and toast... :/