Refresher Course: Part IV

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Refresher Course: Part IV

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

            “Now watch how our EMTs demonstrate the proper way to lift a stretcher,” the documentary narrator announced in a monotone voice while she sat there, nibbling on a piece of chocolate as she glanced up from her iPad to check on the class.

            “Phones away, people, or you’ll be asked to leave,” she said from her position in the back of the darkened room, ignoring Eric, who was now glaring at her as he put his phone away.

            Feeling deeply satisfied that she’d helped to ensure that Eric didn’t miss a single second of the wonderful video that still had an hour and five minutes left, she took a sip of her chocolate milk and returned her attention to her iPad, pleased to see that her movie was downloading.

            While it was finishing, she decided that she could use a potty break. Throwing one last look up to find everyone watching the movie and looking miserable, she took another sip of her milk and left the room, careful to close the door quietly behind her. She walked down the empty hallway and found the bathroom at the end of the hall.

            She took her time using the bathroom, knowing just how important it was to kill as much time as humanly possible so that she didn’t lose sanity to boredom. Once she was done washing her hands, she checked her hair, touched up her lip-gloss and sighed when she checked her watch and saw that her entire bathroom break had only kill seven minutes. At least the movies on her iPad and lunch would help break up the rest of the day so that she didn’t die of boredom, she reminded herself as she left the bathroom.

            When she snuck back into the classroom she was pleased to see that the everyone was still watching the movie that was at least twenty years old and hadn’t taken their phones back out. As she sat back down she really couldn’t help but wonder why their lieutenant refused to join the twenty-first century and allow them to do the online refresher course.

            Taking the course online where they could break it down into chunks instead of being forced to sit in a depressing classroom would have made a lot more sense, but the lieutenant was paranoid. He didn’t trust the online programs since there really was no guarantee that people were watching the videos and answering the questions without cheating. By forcing everyone to take the course onsite, he was able to make sure that they watched the videos and took the quizzes without the aid of Google.

            Since the online quizzes usually used phrases taken right from the course and made it almost impossible to cheat, she had to disagree, but since his paranoid decision ensured that she could make some extra money every month, she kept her opinion to herself. Besides, teaching this class gave her a chance to catch up on all her favorite television shows and movies, so it wasn’t too bad.

            She shot Eric another glance as she sat down, noting that he was still sitting there, looking bored. It actually kind of surprised her, because she’d thought by now that he would try to get make his escape. Normally when he was forced to take this class, he did everything within his power to get out of it, but today…

            He’d barely made any effort at all.

            Sure, he’d hounded her, pouted and glared, but since he did that every morning when he wanted pancakes, she hadn’t taken it seriously. Wondering what he was up to, she picked up her iPad, turned it on and frowned when her thumbprint was rejected. She tried it again only to get the same message.

            Sighing, she decided to go old school and typed her password in only to have the screen shake in rejection. Telling herself that she’d typed in the wrong password, she typed it in again and-

            “Are you ready to negotiate?” Eric, the love of her life and the bastard that she was going to have to one day kill, asked as he sat down next to her.

            “You changed the password?” she asked, needing to make things clear.

            “Yes.”

            “I see,” she murmured thoughtfully as she sat there, trying not to panic.

            “Do you really?” he asked, helping himself to her Mounds bar.

            Staring blankly at the movie that she’d already watched more times than she cared to admit, she slowly nodded, because she did see.

            He’d just guaranteed that she wouldn’t release this class a minute sooner than necessary.

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