Shoveling Light I

The police were kind enough to wait for Sachiko and me outside the morgue. They took us back to Sachiko's apartment, filled with silence for the rest of the night. I couldn't sleep for a second more, and I didn't ask Sachiko about it because I didn't want to bother her.

Jun's phone alarm went off first. Sachiko grabbed the phone from the nightstand and turned the alarm off. She lay still on the bed.

"We should give each other's phones back," she said. "There's no point in hiding our situation anymore."

"That's a good idea," I replied as I stood up on the floor. "Jun and I will tell everyone at work about it today."

Sachiko sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Jun and you? What about me?"

I stood up. "You should take the week off."

Sachiko frowned. "Huh? But I don't need to take a week off."