"..the Random Exchange Virus or, as scientists are beginning to call it, REV for short, is still in its infancy but its rapid spread has made government officials consider putting into place a complete national lockdown in order to curb its infection rate..."
Donna kissed her teeth as she turned down the volume of the TV, scowling as if the newscaster themselves had made an indirect jab specifically at her.
"Can you believe all this propaganda bullsh*t that they're spouting?" she moaned, looking back to the rest of the assorted women in the Wilko manager's office.
Liz rolled her eyes.
It'd been an average day so far in the Rotherham Wilko branch for Liz, at least until she'd popped into the upstairs office to drop off some paperwork, paperwork that'd hopefully put her in the mix for a promotion soon enough. Proceedings had gone on like clockwork, with (nearly) every employee pitching in and doing their part, as they were contractually obligated to.
Now though, with the customers long gone and the rest of the Wilko staff focusing on tidying things up and readying for the day after, boredom had set in and apparently one of the other ladies in the room had made the stupid decision to flick on the news and set Donna off on one of her conspiratorial tangents again.
Liz crossed her arms in frustration and reclined back into her borrowed swivel chair, hoping and praying that either the newscaster would move onto the next nation's hot topic or, more graphically, that the ground would up and swallow Donna whole.
She smirked at the thought even as Donna continued, "...Honestly, they can put anything as news on the BBC and any old simpleton would lap it up."
Liz sighed. "I don't know, Donna. Sounds pretty serious if they want a lockdown to be put into place."
"F*ck that sh*t. They just want to infringe on the rights of working men and women. Y'know, the ones that earn their pay honestly instead of creating false virus claims and using them to mass market their hogwash cleaning products, or 'premium' bathroom salts, and sh*t like that."
Liz yawned and turned towards her right shoulder.
"Elizabeth?" she said.
Elizabeth shrugged, her eyes still firmly fixed onto her monitor and her manicured fingers eagerly writing off the latest company expense report to forward to corporate.
Liz groaned and looked to her other shoulder.
"What do you think Emma?"
Emma sighed, a scowl set across her lips as her were eyes cast downwards to her 'Best Boss' mug.
"I think you lot had better stop yapping around and get back to your stations."
All three ladies looked perplexed. Emma sighed once more and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, alright, things are a bit tetchy at home with me and Kyle right now."
"I thought today was your anniversary?" Elizabeth asked.
"It sadly is," Emma spat. "Between that and the fact that a lockdown might mean I have to let go of some of our staff, I'm not exactly in a chitchatting mood."
The ladies watched as the store manager bunched up papers and filed them before rubbing her hands together and slapping on an ingenuine smile.
"Let's all try and get through this last little stretch without any more bickering. Huh?"