What a way to start a shift...

[fireheart]

So I rock up to work this morning and the first thing out of my manager's mouth is...

"Fireheart, <coworker> passed away this morning from a car crash."



She'd gone away for a week to spend some time with family and she and another car had collided-we're still unsure if she hit it, or she was hit. She died almost immediately at the scene. One of my coworkers is taking some time off for compassionate leave (as she was quite close to the now deceased). Granted though, my manager was tactful about it. While he needed to replace her hours for when she returned, he'd already picked those who were going to replace the shifts. We did our best for the day, or surprisingly, stronger than we were previously.

It also actually made me realise just how much of a "family" so to speak, we'd all become. Every time another coworker came in, whether they were working or not, they were all informed of her death by my manager, when he could've waited until their next shifts (and not all of them were working the replacement shifts). I checked her Facebook page when I had a moment...there were a LOT of comments on there from family and friends, along with a heap of work friend comments.

[Iris Kojiro]

My prayers go out to you and your coworkers. I can only hope that you get through this difficult time okay.

*gives hugs*

[JoitheArtist]

I'm so sorry to hear that! *hugs*

[telecom_goddess]

Sorry to hear that....a co worker of mine drowned in a river a couple of years ago. It's hard to lose a co worker because it IS like having a second family.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A few years ago one of our pharmacists died in a car accident. He was on his way back from a bowling tournament when the accident happened.

Too bad. He was a damn nice guy. It wasn't a happy time around the swamp.

[fireheart]

Thanks everybody. A lot of the front end staff have changed their statuses in support on Facebook, and someone mentioned that they'd like to do something for her. We're not sure if we'll do something or not, it may be a fundraising scheme for her family.

A few members of staff have taken her death particularly hard. Whether or not they'll get compassionate leave is another story-we don't know. My manager is doing surprisingly OK. On a management level, he's acting like nothing's happened, but on a personal level, I get the feeling that he's really torn about it.

[WhiteRose]

i've had a 'sister' die on me, I've had a father-figure whom I was going to have walk me down the aisle die, i've had a close friend (who would have been my lover had his girlfriend not existed) die, i've had a few pets die... it sucks to lose people, but we'll all be ok in the end...if it's not ok it's not the end.

I still cry for these people, but i try to smile because of the happy times...