Calling in Sick

“What, who is it?” I said.

The voice on the other end of the line was husky and smoky sounding.

“It’s big, it’s swollen, and it hurts.”

What was this, a telephone sex call that had reached a wrong number?

“Won’t be coming,” the voice said.

I was about ready to hang up, really I was, when I heard the name Sally. I have an employee named Sally I thought.

“Is that you Sally?” I said.

It was past ten, and she hadn’t arrived for work yet.

“It’s Sally,” she squeaked, the huskiness in her voice replaced by a breathless scratchy quality.

I know that voice. Emma’s kid Joey sounded like that when he had his tonsils out.

“Sally” I said, ” Did you have your tonsils out?”

I pictured her sucking on a Popsicle.

“I won’t be coming into work today,” she said.

She was whispering now; her voice was barely audible.

Maybe it was just a bad cold, I thought, it surely sounded like a bad cold, or if not a cold some serious lung disease. It was probably just a cold.

“I won’t be coming in,” she said. “I hurt my foot”

“You hurt your foot?” I said.

Her voice seemed to be improving.

“You don’t have a cold or the flu or some other respiratory ailment?” I said.

“No,” she said with just the tiniest bit of gruffness left in her voice.

“I sprained my ankle; I can hardly walk.”

“Have you seen a doctor,” I said.

“No, but my boyfriend was an army medic and he’s pretty sure it’s only a sprain. I’m sure I’ll be in tomorrow,” she said.

Sally was at work the next day, her voice back to normal and she only limped when she knew I was watching.

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3 Responses to “Calling in Sick”

  1. alantru says:

    How’s her blood? :)

  2. Norm says:

    Good question, what she really needed was an intelligence test, or perhaps just a remedial lying 101 class.

  3. alantru says:

    Ha ha! Remedial Lying 101 — too great. Definitely sounds like a night school dealio.

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