BruceWojaknever sleeps

Meanwhile, our Bruce:

1. TUE NIGHT

   The sticky note

   It started with a sticky note on his monitor: Weekends are yours now. Bruce read it twice. He said, "Again?" He didn't complain. He never does. He just bought a second pair of slippers.

2. FRI 8:00 PM

   Clock in

   Friday, 8:00 PM. The rest of the city is starting its weekend. Bruce is starting his shift. Same hook for the jacket. Same coaster for the mug. He says good evening to the servers. They never say it back, but they hum, and he has decided that counts.

3. FRI 10:30 PM

   The building empties out

   Floor by floor, the lights go off. Somebody's Friday drinks are getting loud two streets over. By 10:30 it's just Bruce, the hum of the racks, and a vending machine that eats one dollar out of every three. He has instant noodles at his desk and watches the little green lights blink, like a city seen from a plane.

4. SAT 1:17 AM

   Somebody else's morning

   At 1 AM it's already tomorrow somewhere else. Bruce reads headlines from time zones he has never visited and keeps the lights on for people he will never meet. Somewhere, someone is making the biggest call of their week. They will never know Bruce was up for it.

5. SAT 3:00 AM

   The hour nobody talks about

   3 AM is the hard one. The coffee stops working and the thinking starts. Bruce thinks about the Saturday brunches he'll never make, the barbecue invites that stopped coming, and the desk plant he keeps alive out of pure stubbornness. He waters the plant. He refills the mug. He keeps going.

6. SAT 3:47 AM

   Eyes closed. Just for a second.

   His eyelids get heavy. His head dips toward the keyboard. The servers hum a little louder, like they're nudging him. He jolts awake, blinks twice, and checks that nothing broke. Nothing broke. Not tonight.

7. SAT 6:12 AM

   Sunrise, from the wrong side

   The sky goes blue, then pink. Somewhere, people are sleeping in. Bruce watches the sunrise through the loading dock door with his second coffee, still in his pajamas. He is not going home. It's Saturday.

8. SUN 8:00 PM

   Clock out

   Forty-eight hours after he clocked in, Bruce logs off, rinses his mug and steps out into Sunday night. Everyone else is dreading Monday. Bruce is just happy to see his bed. He's back on nights tomorrow.

If you're up at 3 AM refreshing a chart, you're not alone.
You're on Bruce's shift.

Say thanks. He can't hear you, but he'd appreciate it. #ThankBruce