A to Z: G - Gloom & Gallon

My A to Z Challenge: Flash fiction written using two words and a photo for inspiration. How did I chose the words? First I brought up a noun list for each letter, then averted my eyes, scrolled the mouse down, stopped and double-clicked. That was the word! The second word was chosen the same way but from a dictionary list of words.
NOTE: Photos are from free to use photo sites such as Pixabay.com and Morguefile.com. No attribution necessary.

"Hey, watch it! Ya almost nailed me with that 55 gallon drum, ya jerk!" Sean shouted at his best friend and partner for the day, Jamie.

"Yah, yah. If ya weren't so clumsy, you'd get outta the way," was the retort.

The taunts were tossed back and forth while the other workers ignored the two men. When things escalated into shouting, they'd glance over their shoulders but stayed out of the verbal dual. Things got more heated and Sean shoved Jamie out of his way as he rolled another barrel over to the truck. He never expected his friend to lose his balance and fall.

Over his shoulder he tossed out another jibe. "Taking a nap on the job, are ya. Shoulda known you couldn't last a whole shift." 

"Get up, ya lazy bum. We still got work to do." The man didn't move so Sean pushed him with his foot. "Jamie, c'mon. Get up." When his friend didn't move, he let out a stream of cuss words and knelt beside him.

The other men stopped and formed a circle around the two, muttering among themselves. No one made a move to get closer as Sean felt for a pulse. "He's still breathing. Someone call 9-1-1."

The men turned and walked off, no one wanting to get involved. Sean yelled, "Dammit, I ain't gotta phone. He's hurt bad. We need to get him to a hospital or he might die." He tried to lift Jamie but all he could do was drag him, smearing the blood from his wound across the concrete pad. "Henry, c'mon man. Give me hand getting Jamie in the truck."

"Nah man, can't help ya. We gotta keep working or the boss is gonna let us go without any pay for the day. Sorry." Henry turned his back on them and continued working along side the others. An air of gloom settled in the work yard, accompanied by guilty looks, but still, no one offered to help.

Finally reaching his old truck, Sean managed to get Jamie up and into the passenger seat. He strapped the seatbelt around his friend, muttering about "thankless ingrates" as he took off, tires squealing on the pavement.

Three hours later Sean returned to the work yard. No one was around, the parking lot was empty and the yard was a disaster. Oh-oh, this don't look so good. Where'd everyone go? He walked around the area avoiding the toppled drums, some with the tops off and their goods strewn across the area. Shipping cartons were no longer stacked neatly, some were crushed and others we scattered throughout the enclosure.

He stood and rubbed his beard, confused by what he was seeing. Hearing a truck pull into the parking lot, he turned and spied the man who had hired him and Jamie as day laborers. He walked to the truck. "Afternoon, Mr. Jackson. Um, I'm sorry Jamie and I weren't-"

"Well, it's good to see someone didn't take off like a scared rabbit when those immigration folks showed up."

"Um, oh, so that's what happened. Actually, you see, there was an accident and-"

"Accident? Someone hurt?"

"Me pal, Jamie. He'll be okay though. A few stitches and a headache. He'll be right as rain tomorrow. Um, that's assuming you want us back to work." He turned and looked at the mess behind him. "I can stay and clean this up, if you'd like."

"That sounds like a plan to me. You and your friend come by my office first thing in the morning. We'll go over your paperwork and make sure you're both legal for a permanent job. We'll get it done." He started the truck, waved and drove off.

"Ya see, Jamie, me boy. Karma! No one would help us and now we're the ones comin' out smelling like roses!" He chuckled as he started cleaning up the mess, thinking about the surprised look on Jamie's face tomorrow when he gave him the news.

Stay Calm and Read Flash Fiction!

  

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