Fluorescence of a Tide

by Johnjohns

Epilogue

The grey stallion sat on his rusty metal chair facing his desk. A single light bulb illuminated the interior of the hospital’s janitor’s closet. There was a sink in the far left corner of the room, at the bottom were two old paint cans, filled with water. On the same wall as his desk, was a set of shelves bearing various kinds of cleaning supplies. A radio sat on the desk, next to a stack of paperback novels, and a half-empty bottle of water. He was snacking on peanuts, and listening to a boring interview on the Canterlot Informant radio station.

The stallion looked up at the clock.

“Two O’clock, time to mop!” he said to himself, as a sort-of pep talk.

Being a custodian was a boring job. It certainly wasn’t the worse job that he had, nor was it the best. But it still was a job, and he did his job to the best of his ability. As long as it kept a roof over his head, and paid the bills he was relatively happy. He knew that someday, he would find the job of his dreams, but for now, he worked maintenance at a hospital.

He brought his bucket over to the sink, and filled it up with clean water. When you look at the tile floor of a hospital, it usually will seem very clean. But the stallion knew that all of those microscopic particles of dust, and dirt, spread out over hundreds of feet of floor space add up. Add up to a very dirty bucket of water at the end of the night.

With his bucket full, and his mop in his hoof, he turned the door handle, and stepped outside.

The third-floor hallway was mostly empty. Only one medical pony worked behind the main desk. The rest, he assumed, had either gone home for the night, or were hanging-out in the nurse’s lounge.

He walked past the desk, and to the end of the hallway. He always worked from that end of the hallway, to the other end with his closet, that way he wouldn’t trod on the clean floor, in case he needed something.

He placed the metal bucket down with a metallic ‘clang’, and dipped the mop into the water. He began mopping back and forth, back and forth, left and right, left and right, horizontally across the hallway, slowly moving backwards.

After a few strokes, he dipped the mop in the bucket, sloshed it around, and continued. Back and forth, back and forth.

The grey stallion repeated this process a few more times, before he came to a sudden halt. The area directly in front of room 317, in which he stood was covered in an unnatural darkness, unlike the rest of the hallway, which was bathed in light. Something wasn’t right. He looked straight up.

One of the fluorescent light bulbs in the panel above him was burnt-out, sticking out like a sore hoof next to the other two.

“Aha!” he said aloud. “Thought that you could hide from me didn’t you?”

The light bulb remained silent, and dark.

“Strong, silent type eh?” he asked. “Well that doesn’t matter. As of right now, you are hereby banished from this hallway! Just don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”

He leaned his mop against the wall, and turned around. The mare behind the counter was staring at him.

“Just teaching that light who’s boss, ma'am,” he said.

She widened her eyes, and then looked back down at whatever she was working on.

He sighed, and walked to his closet. Inside, leaning up against the back wall, was a box of brand-new fluorescent lights. He carefully retrieved one from the cardboard box, being delicate, as not to break the pressurized tube of gas. He also picked up a short step ladder, and took that as well.

Upon returning to where he left his mop and bucket, he noticed that the mare behind the counter had left, he assumed that she went home.

He set the step ladder down, underneath the dead light bulb. He climbed to the top, and carefully lifted the glass panel that hid the light fixtures. He set it down against the wall, and then removed the dark, glass tube carefully with his mouth, which he then placed next to the glass panel.

Finally, he picked up the brand-new fluorescent light, and climbed up the ladder with it. Cautiously, he worked the light into its socket, until it snapped into place. It began to glow, softly, but the intensity increased by the second as the new light bulb warmed up. He placed the glass panel back into position, and took a step down to admire his work.

“Looks good as new,” he chuckled.

After putting the step ladder back, and throwing away the old bulb, he got back to mopping. Soon after he started working again, a nurse stepped out of the lounge behind the counter, and she turned the light off in the room behind her. She set her saddlebag down on the counter, and began to rummage through it.

The janitor had seen her before around the hospital. She had a wonderful pink mane and tail, and her cutie mark was that of the hospital’s logo. He liked her a lot, she was beautiful. Redheart. That was her name. Nurse Redheart.

After a few moments she stopped her searching, clearly satisfied that she had found whatever she was looking for. She looked up at him and smiled. He was using his mop for support.

“You have a wonderful evening, ma’am,” he said with a big smile.

She said nothing, but continued to smile at him as she walked to the elevator. He smiled back. The elevator doors opened, she stepped inside, and the doors closed.

His smile began to fade, but not completely, when he noticed the set of keys lying on the counter. Keys that had not been there only seconds before.

Upon realizing the newfound opportunity, his smile returned. He wasn't about to let this one slip away. Without thinking, he let go of his mop, and let it fall to the floor. He quickly ran over to the counter and snatched up the keys in his mouth.

He ran to the elevator and pressed the down arrow, but realizing that it would take far too long, he chose the stairs. He opened the fire-proof door, and hurried down the steps in pursuit of the nurse.

Back in the hallway, the newly installed fluorescent light glowed brightly, and would continue to give off its light for many days to come.