The Meaning of Insanity As Defined By the Insane

MORGUE – Karl has established a new covenant with his patients, declaring that every one is valued and worthy of receiving love from every worker, but Charlotte, the most charismatic one of all, has comments about the matter.

“I know I don’t complain much, but Karl has gone too far this time. For the love of death, if he’s going to put that ‘covenant’ out there, he needs to respect it also. Too often, I find him chillin’ in the office with his feet propped up on his desk. Sometimes, watching the cameras. Sometimes, dozing off right after making himself a cup of joe.”

Dearly beloved convalescents appreciated the gesture with their “Thank You” signs plastered all over the foyer. Karl allowed them to do that because he wanted them to feel special, but of course, laborers don’t matter to him.

Megan Trolly, a mother to four well-behaved children all in their single digits, spoke up about the contract.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say the manager has an ace up his sleeve, knowing that he used to be the mayor of some town around here but was voted off for fraudulent activity. And – isn’t the customer always right? Aren’t we supposed to have the worker’s undivided attention and care? We’re practically kids!”

“Mother, you are being absolutely asinine,” one of the boys said with a rather Queen’s English accent stated.

“Quiet yourself, little one. You know nothing.”

Charlotte said, “And if our patients can’t even love each other, even in their own families, there is no hope of any rehabilitation.”

“And besides,” Charlotte said, taking in a puff of smoke (yes, she’s outside, so please don’t worry), “will he ever give us the respect we deserve? All some of our patients do is give us a hard time, and I work the hardest to console them and make sure they’re well taken care of. It’s like they’re dead inside.”

“They lost of piece of themselves,” Arlo responded, “and they lose another one with every death. Soon, they, too, perish and are become nothing.”

“Why are you so down, darling? Did someone close to you die?”

“Ever since the accident, I’ve never been the same.”

Arlo looked down at his hands, knuckles bruised and still recovering from a recent punch to a brick wall.

“I could’ve stopped myself. Even Mr. Shamus, before he was the official custodian, could’ve stopped me. But I had so much anger pent up inside me that I had to release it.”

“Aww,” Charlotte voiced. “From what, if I may ask?”

Arlo sighed in disappointment.

“I’m not even one bit in favor of Karl’s customer partiality because they are the ones who wronged me. One in particular though… a Donna Kendrick. Yelled at me over the phone, and I, being as emotionally unstable as I was and still am, couldn’t help but raise my voice back at her. Lied to her about my name. She threatened to never return with any of her colleagues again. But in my head, I said, ‘Good. I don’t want your business anyway as all your guys do is cause headaches and heartaches.’ And that’s when I relayed the phone to Zalia and stormed outside.”

“I’m so sorry, darling,” Charlotte replied. “I can see why you don’t want to participate in Karl’s insane plan.”

“The man’s literally insane anyway. Like, I feel like I could do so much more if he wasn’t the manager here. Like, I’m fine still being an assistant, I think, but the accountability would be so much higher, and we would feel and be rewarded for our toils here.”

Insanity described by the insane: a repetition of one’s actions with the expectancy of diverse results but the conclusion of the same consequences – low to no employee morale, chaotic patients, and an unchanging chief.