Nightmares

Cookies and Caffeine

           I was alone on the preservation floor again this evening, which is how I usually like to finish up my work, when all of a sudden there was a presence behind me. I knew that all of the other people had gone home except for Mr. Johnson, Hugh, myself and maybe Thomas. But I wasn’t sure how else would be left in the building since it was well past closing time for the public. Just as I was getting to take my earbuds off someone else decided to pull on of them out for me. 

“I thought you would have gone home by now, but I guess you were too interested in the item on your table that was actually supposed to be on mine.” Laughed Thomas. 

            I had jumped off my stool and almost knocked my table over. I was clutching my chest and almost screamed back at him, “Why in the hell do you always find that so funny to come up behind me and do that?! I go through so many pairs of earbuds with this job that I should either have stock in the company or you should be purchasing me new ones every month!” 

“You are just too easy to make jump is all. And besides Mr. Johnson just left for the night, and Hugh just asked me to remind you that he has fresh coffee and cookies at the security desk if you are needing a pick-me-up.” Thomas smiled as a huge grin spread on my face. Hugh made the best chocolate chip cookies in this building and always managed to make three or four huge ones for me on nights when I was always working till almost opening time the next day.  

            “You are just now telling me that. You could have just opened with Hugh has cookies for you!” I said over my shoulder as I took off at a dead sprint to get to the security desk. Hugh and Thomas were both laughing at me as soon as I saw the gigantic cookie that Hugh had managed to bring me for my late-night snack.  

            “You are so sweet to do this for me Hugh,” I said around a bite of my cookie, “Though I think I’m gonna have to put the rest of this with my clothes over there in the locker so Mr. Johnson doesn’t see it when he comes back into the museum in a few hours. And you should think of getting home yourself Thomas, you have never pulled an all nighter with me before. I usually end up just changing into whatever I have left in the locker so that Mr. Johnson thinks I actually went home instead of getting all of the work done for the week for everyone. That’s why I usually pull other peoples out to get them finish so they can have time off with their families.” 

“I figured that was the case on a few of the items I was working on when I first got here, but as you have seen a few times, there isn’t really any family for me to get to. I may be able to handle an all nighter with you if Hugh keeps the coffee flowing,” chuckled Thomas as he finished his third cup of the night. 

“That shouldn’t be a problem Thomas. I should have enough grounds to feed us coffee for the next five years with how much Rebecca purchased for me on my birthday.” Smiled Hugh with a chuckle in his voice. 

            “I don’t trust anyone else to make my coffee, and besides you did it so well the first time that I didn't want anything to change! Can you fault me though? That bag was a good investment for as many late nights as we’ve pulled here together!” I said with a giggle at the look on Thomas’ face. 

“Exactly how many late nights have you pulled since working here? And does Mr. Johnson know about any of them? Questioned Thomas. 

            “Well that would be hard to guess as to the exact amount of nights, seeing as I don’t have anything better to do. I would have to guess with all of the days added up since I started her it would be equal to almost three years of all nighters. Though Hugh has sent me home for most of the time I have worked here. And Mr. Johnson has never caught on that I’m here all night. He doesn’t bother talking to Hugh. And the supervisor just shakes his head every time he reviews the tapes and sees me the next time.” I said with a non-cholent smile on my face and a small shrug of my shoulders. 

“How can you act like almost three years of no sleep is a good thing?” questioned Thomas with a shocked look on his face. 

            “When you can’t fall asleep then working is the normal answer, at least it is in my family.” I said with a small smile. I decided to take my cookie over to the rest of my stash of items and head back to the work room with Thomas, I didn’t figure he would be able to stay awake the rest of the night with me. I was guessing he would only make it to about three in the morning at the latest till I would have to ask Hugh to bring the wheelchair to take Thomas to the resting area of the break room. I sat back at my table with a small giggle and but my earbuds back in to finish on the items that I had pulled out to work on. 

“Rebecca, do you know where the rest of the tools are? I’ve been looking for a fine brush, but I can’t them anywhere.” Thomas asked with a puzzled look on his face. 

            “The brushes get moved into the front desk at the end of the shifts. I think your drawer is the one in the bottom right. I’m usually the last one here, so I help put them up so that they stay clean and so other people don’t end up getting them switched and ruin an item they are trying to save.” I answered back with an absent-minded wave of my hand. 

“How on Earth are you able to remember which drawer you put everyone's tools in?” questioned Thomas. 

            "If you tell anyone my secret, I will deny it, but I put labels on the tops of each drawer in respects to where they are located on the floor. If you pull the drawers out just to where the edge of the wood is you will see a small tag on it with everyone’s names and table numbers. The only person who doesn’t have a drawer is me, since I’m always here working.” I answered back with a small smile on my face.