The Company Man, Part 1

Henry awoke to the sound of a babbling brook. It was his alarm clock. He bought it from a SkyMall catalog a few years ago while flying back from visiting his mother one Christmas. He never really cared for it after it arrived, but was determined to make good use of it because of how much it cost, and how much grief he’d been given when trying to return it. So, even though it made him wake up with an almost desperate need to go to the bathroom, he kept using it, waiting for the day that it might break, and he could get a different one.

Twenty minutes later, he was showered and eating breakfast. He ate  wheat flakes, because the doctors on TV said that it would lower his cholesterol. His doctor had never told him to worry about his cholesterol, which he assumed was because he ate wheat flakes. The TV was turned on to the weather channel.

“Today calls for lots of sun,” the cute weathergirl smiled cheerfully. “Be sure to break out the hat and sunscreen, and get out there and have a great time!”

Henry glanced over to make sure his hat was where he’d left it on the coat rack. He’d wear it on the drive in to work, but did not feel the need for sun screen. He’d be in the office all day. Perhaps he’d eat his lunch outside, but likely all of the picnic tables would be taken by the time he got out there, and he’d have to go back inside and eat at his desk like usual.

After breakfast, he put his dishes in the dishwasher, donned his cap, and headed out to the car. Five minutes later, he sat in bumper to bumper traffic for the forty five minute commute into work.

Work was Previx, a biotechnology firm that specialized in cell regeneration technologies. At least, that’s what Henry read in the press releases the company periodically sent out. He worked in the finance department processing purchase requests and ensuring that nobody tried to use company funds on personal needs. He’d once caught a department head trying to buy nerf guns for all of his researchers. A few emails later, the department head was informed by no one short of the VP of research that he should stick to essential supplies on his purchase requests. The VP did not thank Henry in the email, but he knew that the VP knew that he’d caught it, and was thankful deep down.

Henry was a good employee.

His review each year told him so. The accounting head was always pleased with Henry’s performance. He was always at work early, often stayed late, was willing to work weekends, even ended up losing a couple of days of vacation each year because he did not take all of his days. This earned him a solid 3-4% merit raise each and every year, even in the down times when company profits were down.  Henry could be counted on. He was trustworthy, reliable, and dependable.