An Unexpected Trip. Pt. 04
From his seat in the funeral home lobby, Digitalis watched the boxy old van join the deep tire ruts in the snow, sliding its way down the driveway toward the road. Digitalis's partner Arthur sat working in a cramped office just off the front desk; he'd volunteered to stay behind and finish some paperwork while his brother Fox, Fox's partner Caspia, and their teenage son Koda drove to the store to stock up on food. The snow was already more than a meter deep in some places, and the local weather forecasts predicted even more later that night.
Only one funeral director, a young human woman named Beckii, had made it in that day, and it was her office that Arthur was using. Since the funeral home would be closed for the next few days and Arthur's family were her only clients, Beckii bustled about filing papers, checking everything, and locking doors. Arthur had seemed to want some space, so Digitalis settled in the lobby, where a waiting area sat close to the front desk.
The waiting area had a couch set next to the window, a television mounted near the ceiling, and a hot drink bar, with a hot water dispenser and a large selection of teas and powdered beverages. Digitalis spent the next hour trying the different teas and watching the road outside. Weather reports punctuated the soap opera on the television, which switched over to Star Cops: Deep Space Fines at 3:30.
Digitalis stood up from the couch after downing a cup of sweet peppermint tea. His large feathered wings, colored like a bluejay's, had been politely tucked behind him, and it felt good to stretch them. Digitalis needed to pee too, but decided to check on Arthur first.
Arthur sat at Beckii's desk, resting his head on his puffy coat's sleeves. His black-feathered wings sagged behind him as he sat in front of the computer, and he wore a brightly-colored striped knitted hat over his hair, which his niece had made for him.
"Hey Bear," said Digitalis. "How's everything going?"
Arthur sat up in his seat and huffed, "I'm still trying to figure out why they need an internet connection for this. I only have two pages left though, once they load."
"Have you heard from Fox or Caspia?" asked Digitalis.
"They texted me when they got out of the store-...." Arthur took out his phone to re-read the message. "...eight minutes ago. They still need to stop by the pharmacy though."
Digitalis brought Arthur a fresh cup of earl grey tea before returning to the waiting area and making a cup of cocoa for himself. Once he'd sat down and gotten comfortable, Digitalis realized he'd forgotten to go to the bathroom. From where he was, he could see the door to the men's restroom next to the front desk, so he didn't stress about it.
After what felt like another hour, Beckii approached the couch to tell Digitalis that she was going outside to check the water pipes in the funeral home and cemetery grounds.