Shutdown Fever

Hugh McLean was walking across the parking lot on his way to the cafeteria for his lunch. He'd drawn second shift for lunch, and was getting pretty hungry after five hours of steady work in the cab of his crane. As he walked towards the double doors leading into the cafeteria he noticed the small groups of workers, all of them engrossed in animated conversations. Something was up, and when so many of the guys were talking about it, it couldn't be good. He wondered if someone had been killed on the job. That would usually get everyone's attention.

As he approached the first group he noticed a man that he knew, so he called out to him, "Hey Bert, what's up?"

"It sounds like the Iron Workers Union is going to call a strike this afternoon. They don't have a contract, and they figure this would be a good chance to force one on the Company."

"Are you sure? What's that going to mean for the rest of us? I know the Operating Engineers Union won't let me cross a picket line, and I really wouldn't want to, anyway."

Hugh was a little concerned as there were only three days left until the job was supposed to be finished. He was ready to head home after having been gone for three weeks for this shutdown. Three weeks of 12 hour shifts, seven days a week, and he was anxious to get back to his wife and step son. These jobs, where the plant was shut down for major renovations, always meant good money, but terrible hours. The young guys enjoyed them, saying they had Shutdown Fever, but he was almost ready to find himself a normal five day a week job somewhere close to home, a job that would let him spend nights with his family..

He exchanged a few more sentences with the group, but wasn't able to find out anything much about the potential strike. There wasn't too much more time left for his lunch break, so he carried on into the cafeteria to fill his empty stomach. As he ate he could see several pickups pull up, and a group of supervisors in their white hard hats begin addressing the workers in the parking lot.

When he finished eating Hugh wandered out with his Styrofoam cup of coffee, arriving in time to hear the Head Superintendent tell them to check the lists that were being taped to the cafeteria wall, and that if your name wasn't on it, you were laid off with one day's pay in lieu of proper notice. The strike was indeed going to take place, and while they felt it would only take a day or two to resolve, they were going to release some of the workers, as they didn't need the full crew to finish the job.

Hugh turned to see a dozen sheets of paper now being taped to the wall, and was in a good position to be among the very first to check them out. They were all arranged alphabetically, and it didn't take long for him to see that Hugh McLean was not there. He was actually happy about that, as it meant he could leave for home this afternoon, and arrive there before midnight if the traffic cooperated.

It took only a couple of hours for him to sign himself out at the paymaster's office, and return to his rented room to pack. After he quickly packed his clean clothes and dirty laundry into the suitcases he picked up the framed photo from the bedside table. He always brought it on the road with him, and kept it where he could see it. It was a photo that had been taken on the day 4 years ago that he and the former Donna Charles had been married. Theirs had been a simple service before a Justice of the Peace, with only his sister and Donna's mother there with them. Of course her son Bobby was there, but he was only two at the time. He and Donna were both 28 in the photo, and he felt it was still a pretty good picture of both of them.

The photo showed them standing under an oak tree outside the courthouse. They were holding hands, looking at the camera, and Bobby was standing in front of them with a big smile on his face. Hugh was about 6 feet tall with black hair and dark eyes, and had a muscular build with the ruddy complexion that went with being outdoors a lot of the time. Donna was about 5 inches shorter than Hugh, a pretty brunette with hazel eyes. She kept her hair relatively short, a style that went well with her features. She weighed about 135 pounds, and had generous curves in all of the right places. Ever since Hugh had met her, she had worked as a secretary in a small real estate office.

When the packing was complete he headed for his car to start the drive home. He had tried to call home before he left, but the busy signal told him that Donna was tied up on the phone, probably talking to his sister Kathy. The two of them were like sisters, always planning something together over coffee or by phone. It didn't really matter though, as it would be nice to surprise her by getting home for the weekend. With any luck he could even be home by 10 o'clock, and they could have a few beers or a glass of wine together.

The drive from the work site in central Minnesota to his home in central Illinois was smoother than he expected, and by 10:30 he pulled into his driveway, only to find the house in darkness. 'Damn, Donna must have gone to bed early,' he thought to himself. He'd have to do something about that. A quick shower and he'd join her for a little bit of catch up in the loving department. He grabbed his suitcases and struggled through the kitchen door.

"Donna, I'm home. Get your sleepy butt out here and give me a big welcome home kiss!"

Hugh set his suitcases down in the kitchen, and headed down the hall to the master bedroom. To his surprise the bed was empty when he flipped on the light. A quick check in Bobby's room showed him that neither of them was in the house. 'Damn,' he thought to himself, 'I should have called her.'

After putting his two suitcases in the bedroom, he headed for the door, as there was really only one place that Donna could be. Since Bobby wasn't home either, they would have to be at his older sister Kathy's. It was only a 3 block drive so he decided not to phone her in advance. A nice surprise would be more fun. He wondered if his brother-in-law Ralph would be at home. Ralph Roberts worked as a welder, often at out-of-town sites like the ones Hugh worked at. They had two sons, eight year old Barry and 12 year old Ralph Jr.

It was obvious as he pulled into Kathy's driveway that Donna's car wasn't there. It made him a little curious, but since he hadn't checked the garage at home, she may have just walked over. He could see that the light was on in the kitchen so he tapped on the door as he walked into his sister's home.

Kathy was seated at the kitchen table and looked up in amazement and shock when he opened the door. "Jesus Christ, Hugh! You almost scared the life right out of me. Where did you come from? You're supposed to be in Minnesota until Monday or Tuesday."

"It's a long story, Kathy. The iron workers went out on strike so the company gave a bunch of us an early layoff. I was one of the lucky ones. I got the rest of my shift today plus a full shifts' pay for tomorrow. It was a deal I couldn't refuse. Where is Donna? She's not at home, and neither is Bobby." As he was speaking, Hugh poured himself a half cup of coffee and sat down at the table with his sister.

"Well, Bobby's in the back bedroom, fast asleep with my boys. Donna was invited out for a few drinks and some card playing with your friends Allison and Jerry. She said she might be late, so instead of waking Bobby up to take him home, she asked if I could watch him for the night; as if that would be a problem."

As she was speaking Hugh's head had suddenly snapped up and all expression had left his face. When he spoke there was a subtle change to the tone of his voice, a change that Kathy didn't really notice.

"She said she was visiting Allison and Jerry? What time did she go over there?" He was watching closely as Kathy answered his questions.

"That's right; she said she was playing cards with Allison and Jerry. I think she left here about 8:30. She said you guys go out together a lot. She was over for supper with them last Friday night, too. I don't mind, Bobby's a real dear, and she watches my two whenever I need a quick babysitter."

"Yeah, we do visit them often. He and I work on a lot of jobs together. Tell you what, I'm going to go over and join them. Don't call and warn them that I'm coming, I'd like it to be a surprise." Hugh got up and drained his cup of coffee before heading towards the door. "I'll call you tomorrow, Kathy." He gave his sister a quick wave goodbye, and then went out the door. There was a look of serious concern on his face.

As he drove to the home of Allison and Jerry Black he had a lot going on in his mind. The day before he had left for the job in Minnesota, Allison Black had called. Donna wasn't home at the time, so he had chatted with her. The reason for her call was to tell them that she was going to be leaving in the morning to spend a month in California with her sister. Her sister was expecting twins, and had asked Allison to come and help her during the last week of her pregnancy, and for the first few weeks at home with the newborn infants. Hugh was sure he'd forgotten to tell Donna about the call.

If Allison was in California, who was Donna visiting, he wondered? If she wasn't at the Black's home, where had she gone? He decided that it was possible that Allison had canceled her trip for some reason, or maybe Kathy had been wrong with the names. He certainly hoped that was the case, as the alternative he could think of was big trouble. He'd never had reason to doubt his wife in the four years since they had married, but there already was the thought in the back of his mind that maybe she was hiding something from him and his sister.

Jerry Black had often commented on how much he appreciated Donna's good looks and curvy body. A couple of times when he'd had a few extra drinks, he'd made some suggestive remarks, remarks that Donna had laughed off. It had been Donna's good looks that had initially caught Hugh's eye, but it was her winning personality that had really got him interested. She was a single mother when he met her, but once he had met Bobby, the fact that she had a child was inconsequential to him. He really liked her boy, and they had bonded well once he and Donna had become a couple. Lately he had begun to think of formally adopting Bobby so that he could give him the McLean name.

Hugh decided that he would first check at Allison and Jerry's, to see if his fears were just foolishness. As he turned down the street towards their house he realized his heart was beating faster than normal. 'What if she isn't here; or what if she is, and Allison really is in California?' These thoughts were racing through his mind as he pulled to a stop across the street from the Black residence. Jerry's car was in the driveway, but there was another car in front of it that he couldn't see very clearly. It was in the shadows, and he hoped that it wasn't his wife's car. The house was in darkness, and he knew that if they were playing cards and having a few drinks they would be in the kitchen or living room, and he could tell from where he was parked that there were no lights on downstairs.

Staring at the house and the mysterious car in the shadows wasn't doing anything to calm down Hugh's racing heart. After about a minute of thought, he quietly got out of the car and let the door swing back gently, trying to be as quiet as he could. He had to check that mysterious shadowed car to see whether it was his wife's or not. As he walked around the side of Jerry's red Mustang, his worst fears were confirmed; it was Donna's car all right. She had apparently pulled around Jerry's car and parked in front of it.

Hugh was confused now, uncertain of just what he should do, and very unsure of what exactly was going on inside. He decided to walk around the house, thinking that perhaps they were on the patio. As he walked along the sidewalk at the side of the house he began to feel calmer, having convinced himself that they would be seated on the patio enjoying a beer. As he rounded the house though, he could see that the patio was empty; no one was enjoying a drink under the stars. He walked further into the back yard and looked up at the house. There was a dim light in the window at the center of the upper floor. He'd been in the home often enough to know which room that was.

A surge of anger overtook him, and he quickly retraced his steps to his car, where he opened the trunk and took out the hammer he kept there. He was hefting the hammer in his hand as he walked purposefully back to the house. It wasn't until he approached the side door that he began to slow down and bring his thoughts under control. His initial decision had been to use the spare key he knew was under the welcome mat at the door. He had already imagined their startled faces when he came into the dimly lit main bedroom, swinging his hammer, intent on beating them senseless.

Visions of the aftermath had come to him in time though, and he realized he couldn't do that to another human being, regardless of his motive. He would have had to do away with himself too, as he couldn't imagine living with the reality of what he had intended to do. He stood by the back door, pounding the hammer lightly against the palm of his hand, thinking about what he should do. Finally he backed away from the door, and went to his wife's car.

Donna had the bad habit of leaving her keys sitting in the tray in the center console whenever she parked her car. He always told her it was an open invitation for someone to steal the car, with the door unlocked and the keys in plain sight. He opened the door quietly, grabbed her set of keys, and left the hammer on the driver seat. After quietly closing the door he went back to his car and drove away, heading back to the home he and Donna had shared.

It was only a few blocks drive, and about the time that he turned into the driveway the full effect of what was happening caught up with him. The fatigue he felt from the long day of work and driving, combined with the realization that the woman he had fallen in love with was now in the bed of his onetime good friend, brought tears to his eyes. For the next 10 minutes, time that seemed more like an hour to him, the tears flowed unabated as he grieved for what he had lost. Eventually the grief began to be supplanted once again with anger, controlled anger that got him thinking about a plan, a way to salvage some pride and punish his cheating wife. As a plan was formed he regained control of his emotions, and 15 minutes later he got out of the car and headed to the house with a look of determination on his face.

His first step was to empty his two suitcases, and take the dirty laundry to the laundry room. His dirty clothes could be washing while he went about completing his tasks. The now empty suitcases were lying on the bed, and he began to carefully fill them with his clothes from the closet and the drawers in the dresser. When the two suitcases were fully packed and could hold no more, he took them to his car. He knew there were boxes in the basement storeroom, so he went down and got several of them, neatly dumping their previous contents into piles on the basement floor. Donna could get replacements and clean up the mess later.

He proceeded slowly through the house, gathering the things that belonged to him. The house and furniture belonged to Donna. She was already living there when he had met her, so there wasn't going to be any need to worry about who was getting what. Hugh knew that he hadn't contributed a lot of items to the house, although there were several things he would claim as his own. There was a laptop that he had purchased to replace their aging computer system. He would leave the older system for Donna and Bobby to use. They had two DVD players, so he carefully removed the one connected to the basement TV, and packed it and that TV into the car.

By 3 a.m. he had the car full, and left to find himself a motel room for the weekend. He found a clean place about 3 miles from his former home, and unloaded the first load from the car into the room. Within an hour he was back at the house, loading more of what he considered to be his share of the community assets. He included a box of assorted dishes and cutlery, another of bedding and a third for the books, CDs, DVDs and videotapes that he felt were his. During all of this packing, his work clothes had been washed and dried and added to the car. The last hour was spent packing his tools from the basement and garage into the trunk of his car. By 6:30 he was finished, and made a slow pass through the house looking for anything that he had missed. The last item he found was a recent photo of Bobby, and he placed it in his pocket.

His final act was to sit at the kitchen table, and while he drank a cold glass of water, he wrote a short note and stuffed it into an envelope. That envelope was left in the middle of the kitchen table, with Donna's key ring weighting it down. He left the door unlocked as he walked away. A half hour later he had his remaining possessions stored in his motel room. The next 10 minutes were spent under a hot shower, letting it wash away the day's sweat, and the tears that had returned when he realized it was all done. After crawling naked into the bed he fell asleep almost immediately, the long day, the stress and the emotions having finally caught up to him.

**********

Donna McLean rushed up the sidewalk to her back door, upset that it was already 8:30 and she had wanted to be back home well before eight, before anyone would be likely to see her arriving home. Some fool kids had stolen her car keys so she had quickly walked home to get her spare set of keys. Jerry had offered to drive her, but she was pretty upset with him and was also worried about what the neighbors might think if a strange man drove her home at that time of the morning. It was safer for her to just walk home on her own. Her biggest concern was that the spare house key wouldn't be where it was supposed to be, at the bottom of her clothespin bag.

As she approached the rear door she turned the knob by habit, and was surprised to see the door open for her. She silently cursed herself for having forgotten to lock it, and rushed inside and set her purse on the counter. If she remembered correctly, the spare car keys should be in the drawer under the telephone. As she walked to the phone she glanced at the table, and realized something there didn't fit. She stopped and looked more closely, and realized her missing set of keys was sitting in the middle of the kitchen table.

"How did they get there?" She had spoken this aloud, without even realizing it, as she was so shocked at seeing her key ring there on the table. She reached for the key ring and then noticed the envelope below it. A look of curiosity was quickly replaced by concern, as she looked around her to ensure there was no one else in the room. With shaking hands she picked up the envelope and removed the paper inside. As she did that, something fell from the envelope and bounced across the kitchen floor. She thought she could see something under the edge of the counter in the general location where the item had disappeared from her view.

Donna unfolded the paper and read it twice before the full realization of what it said struck home to her. When it did she collapsed onto a kitchen chair, her face in her hands, sobs wracking her body. She began repeating, over and over, "God no, dear God no!" It became her mantra as she sat on the chair rocking back and forth. Tears began to find their way down her cheeks and her hands, which were still covering her face. After a couple of minutes the phrases she was uttering changed, becoming, "What have I done, what have I done!"

She eventually calmed down enough to pick up the note and read it again, hoping that it didn't say what she thought it did. This time she read it carefully.