Imploded Lives

Chapter Four – Chris Morgan

Chapter Four – Chris MorganThirteen Days Before

Chris Morgan was five feet six and had always been thin. His thick rimmed glasses completed the weak and nerdy image that had chased him for as long as he could remember. He had struggled with being bullied at school and he was socially nervous and clumsy. The world never seemed to go his way. But, maybe all that was about to change. He wanted the Operations Director job so badly he could taste it. With a new baby on the way, his third, he couldn't hope to survive on a teller's wage; not even on a senior teller's wage. The Operations Director position would change all that, almost doubling his earnings, and after eight years, he felt sure he had the inside track.

Branch Manager, Hank Mercer, had a way of keeping distant, but Chris knew that was just his management style. Chris would be a part of management in the near future and he couldn't wait. The most exciting part of it would be rushing home to tell Connie that he got the promotion and everything would be all right. Their money worries would be a thing of the past. They could buy a new cradle for the baby and new clothes for all of the kids. Maybe they could even find money for a deposit on a house. It would all be within reach.

At 6:00 p.m., when the last of the tellers had gone for the day, Chris spent some time reviewing the revisions to the cash ordering policies that had just been distributed. He wanted to learn it all, so that he knew all banking operations inside the branch. At 6:30 p.m. he got ready to leave. He stopped at Hank Mercer's office door and said goodbye on his way out. Mercer barely looked up as he mumbled good night. He was distant and cold, even for Mercer. If it had been anyone else, Chris would have been concerned that there was something wrong, but, this was Mercer being Mercer.

As Chris turned and walked toward the door, Mercer called out, “Just a minute, Chris.”

Chris returned to Mercer's office door.

“Sit down for a minute,” Mercer said in harsh tones. When Chris took a seat in one of two visitor chairs, Mercer said, “We have a problem, Chris.”

“Really? What is it?”

“We received a complaint about you violating bank policy.”

Chris sat back in shock. He had no idea what this might be. “What do you mean?” he managed to say after a brief pause.

“There has been a harassment complaint against you. We are going to have to put you on leave while we investigate the matter,” Mercer said.

Chris was in shock and feeling panic rise up. “What am I accused of? And who is accusing me?”

Mercer said, “That will come out in the investigation.”

Chris took a moment and then said, “Hank, I didn't do anything wrong. I have another baby coming and I can't afford to be off work right now.”

“I'm sorry Chris, but that's the way we have to do it. I don't get a choice in the matter.”

Chris felt like he had been kicked in the gut. He mumbled, “Okay,” and then he stood up to leave.

“The investigator will be contacting you next week and set up a time to interview you. You will be told what the accusations are and have the opportunity to respond to them.”

Chris sat there in stunned silence. Mercer repeated, “I'm sorry, Chris, I have no choice.”

It was like an out-of-body experience. This just couldn't be happening to him. “Okay,” Chris managed to say again as he walked from the room. He felt weak in the knees, like he might just collapse under his own weight. Driving home, Chris tried desperately to figure out what he might have done to offend anyone at work. He liked his coworkers and tried to help them learn. As long as he could remember he had been the “go to guy” for tellers with questions. His stomach was churning and he felt a sense of helplessness. He began to cry as he thought about having to tell Connie that he had been suspended. To make it worse, he would earn no money for the next several days while this investigation happened, at a time when they needed every dollar. It was all so sudden and so unfair.