The Security Guard

THE SECURITY GUARD by Annie Hite

  Thirty five year old Harold Crackwilder, otherwise known as “Bub”, short for “Bubba” due to his stocky physical development, became a security guard in a somewhat dilapidated well-known Catholic hospital.  It wasn’t what he really wanted to do.  He had started out as a police officer and was fired after two years for lying to a senior officer more than once.  The lies weren’t even very good. An example of one of his lousy lies was:  he fell asleep after a romantic entanglement and was very late for his shift.  When questioned about being late, he told his commanding officer that he had a flat tire.  The officer replied, “For eight hours???”

     The hospital was desperate for security guards and hired him with the understanding that he would be on a probationary term for eighteen months as well as work the midnight shift for 4 years.  Not ideal but it was a job that provided some income and minimal benefits.  His uniform was pretty cool, too.  Black with yellow buttons and his name engraved on his front chest pocket, also in yellow.

     Bub had issues with sleeping in the daylight.  He even researched ideas online and bought blackout curtains and earplugs.  Still he was prone to having nightmares and rare hallucinations due to lack of sleep, which caused him to doze off at work.

     As a Security Guard, he enjoyed working with the computers and monitors needed to assess various areas of the hospital.  As a matter of fact, he became the “go to guy” when the computer system acted up, which seemed to happen frequently.  Another favorite part of his job was stopping people at the Emergency Room entrance and questioning them about who they were and where they were going.  And of course, he used his official deep policeman voice, which could be quite intimidating.  On rounds in the hospital, he would notice the pretty nurses and attempt to flirt with them without much of a response.  Oh, well, he’d keep trying.

     On this particular November night, as Bub was driving to work, the weather was chilly and windy.  There was debris in the street which caused him to swerve several times.  He noticed the large full moon shining brightly, causing shadows to appear and fade as if someone was intentionally turning on and shutting off an intense spotlight.  This scene of the full moon, scattering debris, and shadows put him on edge.

     He was a little shaken when he got to work.  He took a report of the last eight hours from Sam, the Guard working from 4pm to midnight.  Sam reported eerie conditions such as lights flickering, the computers and monitors going off and on and strange loud noises.  All this was due to the wind.  While the two Guards were talking, there was a large boom and the emergency generator came on so that there was minimal lighting and power.  “Better keep your flashlight handy tonight, Bub!” Sam said.  Sam also said that Bub’s partner, Charley, was going to be two hours late because he had a sick child at home.   Bub shrugged his shoulders since there was nothing he could do about it.  Sam left to go home and called out, “Good Luck!!”

     Luckily, the hospital had low patient census and therefore reduced medical staff as well as ancillary staff.  This would help keep power at a minimum and hopefully not stress the generator.

     The computers and monitors came back on after Bub finagled with the wires and poked around with the keyboards.  He poured a cup of the remaining hot coffee and sat down in the desk chair, sipping his java so he could stay awake.  Shortly after, he dozed off for about 15 minutes.

     When Bub awoke, he saw something on the monitor in the hospital lobby.  He rubbed his eyes and blinked.  The monitor had low lighting but it looked as if Charley was in the lobby looking at the camera and was waving his arms about as though there was an emergency.  

And then the monitor went blank.  Bub got his flashlight, baton, and pepper spray.  Then he started for the lobby, which was the furthest away from the Guard Department.

     Security Guards have core values listed as:  Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Trust, and Courage.  Now Bub was lacking in some of those values, especially Honesty, Integrity, and Courage.  If there was an incident in the hospital, you can bet Bub was hanging out in the restroom until it had passed. And you can bet he had an elaborate lie about where he was.  He also lied a bit to his co-workers about his personal life, adding extras to make his life seem more exciting.   

     As Bub traversed the darkened hallway to the lobby, using only his flashlight as guidance, he heard eerie silence.  He started trembling, not knowing what to expect.  As he approached the hospital lobby, he heard Charley screaming for help.  He stopped and wondered what he should do.  Go back to the office and call 911?  Run and hide in the restroom?  After a few minutes of thought, he decided to continue on.

     When Bub reached the lobby, he saw Charley hanging upside down from the ceiling by a rope tied around his legs. A man dressed in black was wielding a large knife at Charley.  Bub hid in an alcove under a table.  He was terrified.  The unknown man had found a way into the hospital because the front doors were not locked.  This was Bub’s responsibility and he had not followed through.  Again.

     The crazed man sought after Bub, calling out, “Bub, Bub!  I’ve been looking for you!

 I know you are here!”  Bub wondered how the man knew his name!   “What lies have you told?” the man shouted.  “Remember when we were kids and you left me alone when we were running away from the police?  Remember when you left me to die when I cut my leg open on the fence?  Remember when you were supposed to marry my sister and you left her at the altar for someone else?  Remember when you scammed my parents for hundreds of dollars?   I want to avenge the dishonesty, the disrespect, and the cowardice that you brought upon me and my family!”  The man roared as his sharp crooked teeth looked creepy, like they wanted to bite something.

     Bub figured out who this man was.  It was his best friend Grant from years ago.  What Grant had been saying made Bub realize how he had lived his life.  His parents had taught him that it’s better to lie, thieve, and disrespect. They did not do this verbally, but through their actions.  His parents had been raised by parents without morals, thus passing it to decades of family members. Bub knew something was wrong with his life but didn’t know how to correct it.  So it was easy to continue his lifestyle of dishonesty and disrespect and especially, cowardice and the blaming of others when he felt deficient.  Change is a difficult concept.  He didn’t know how to start changing because he didn’t really want to make the effort.  Too challenging.  But there was a part of him that felt guilty for all the “crimes” he had committed.   Who could forgive him?  Who would help him find his way?

     Bub stayed hidden in the alcove, wondering what he would do to save Charley if he saved him at all.  Charley was a pretty decent guy.  He was married with 2 children and devoted to his family.  He was friendly and treated everyone with kindness and respect.  Bub was guilty of using Charley by calling in sick when he wasn’t sick, borrowed money from him, asked for favors, was sarcastic about Charley’s lifestyle, and would lie about situations to make himself look good.  Did Charley deserve to die from Bub’s selfish actions?  Bub went into deep thought about being afraid that he himself would get hurt or die if he decided to help Charlie.  

     Meanwhile Madman Grant was becoming more angered as he continued his search for Bub.  He was swinging his knife while Charley was crying in pain and fear.   

     Grant started to near Bub’s hiding place, becoming more intent on finding him by forcefully overturning furniture, vigorously throwing glassware, and loudly yelling Bub’s name.  Grant’s face was scowling with animosity.   His eyes were bloodshot and he was foaming at the mouth.  Bub had no desire to approach this angered being.  Finally, he left the alcove and quietly approached the man.  Grant closed in and Bub stopped.  Bub looked into the man’s bloodshot eyes and calmly said, “You are right.  I have wronged you and your family and I’m very sorry.  Please let my friend go because he has nothing to do with what’s going on between you and me.”  The angered man bellowed, “Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is the easy route.  It’s not enough!”  Bub was shocked.  “Wh-what would you like me to do?” he cried.   The man yelled the word “CHANGE!”  Bub shuddered- there was that word.  That word he didn’t want to think about.  The word that would make him work harder than he ever had in his life.

     The man disappeared and Bub ran to cut down Charley from the ceiling.  But he was too late.  Charley was dead.  Bub started sobbing hysterically and apologizing to Charley.  He thought of Charley’s family and how devastated they would be without such a wonderful man.  Charley had no choice with what was occurring and solely depended on Bub for help.  And Bub didn’t pull through.  A man’s death was his responsibility and all he did was show cowardice.  He was more inclined to save his own skin rather than help someone else.

     “Bub! Bub! Wake up!”  Bub slowly opened his eyes after recognizing a familiar voice.  He looked up and saw Charley’s smiling face.  They were both in the Guard Department with Bub sitting in the desk chair.  Bub was ecstatic and stood up and hugged Charley.  It was then that he realized he had been dreaming and hallucinating.  That nothing had happened.  He had never left the desk chair.  Due to lack of sleep and being unnerved by the weather, his mind had played tricks on him.

     Full power had been activated and everything was working and online.  He apologized to Charley for being such a jerk and asked him how his sick child was doing.  Then Bub asked Charley for something he had never asked anyone before.  He asked for help.  Charley told him to seek counseling, seek Christ or a religion he believed in.  And that Bub could talk to him about anything, anytime.  That’s what friends are for. 

     When Bub returned to the safety of his home, he realized something.  He never had a best friend.  He didn’t even have a friend named Grant.  He recognized that all the things Grant spoke of had actually happened but not to just one person and their family, but several people.  The shame overtook him, he got on his knees, cried, and he asked for forgiveness from whoever was listening.  

     A few years after his incident with Grant, Bub had made several changes in his life.  Of course they were not easy but he persevered.  When Grant called Bub out on his sinful activities,  it made him understand the fear and pain those people had gone through because of him.  Just like Charley did when he was strung from the ceiling.  

     Bub was now a Security Guard who followed the core values of Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Trust, and Courage.  When an incident occurred at the hospital (or anywhere for that matter), he was at the front of the line instead of hiding in the restroom.  He encouraged people, protected family and patients when necessary, and could think quickly.  He now greeted people entering the hospital through the Emergency Room instead of intimidating them.  When he made rounds, he no longer flirted with the nurses but respected their profession of patient care.  He worked as a teammate and had excellent leadership skills.  When he was up for a promotion, he turned it down and suggested that Charley would be a better candidate.  Although staring at monitors at night could be very boring, he embraced his career. Did he mess up sometimes?  Of course he did.  We all do.  But he would get back on that horse and do the right thing.  But the greatest thing that happened to him was he married a nurse who adored him.  They had a child and one on the way and were happy as bees making honey.  Bub was happy with his life and was thankful of the angered Grant, whoever he was.