Bam, Whack, I’ve Got Your Back

I work in a grocery store, covering different customer service positions as needed. Employee lockers are quite small and squat, and mine is on the very bottom, so I have to squat or kneel to get to it.

One evening, I close my locker and stand up without realizing that someone next to me has opened their own locker above me.

BAM. Stinging pain in my head. I let out a startled, “Ow!” and my coworker frantically apologizes. It’s the tail end of my break, so I head up to the front of the store to ask my supervisor what to do. Worst case scenario, that’s where we keep the first aid kit.

Supervisor: “Hey, welcome back. We’re gonna have you bag for [register].”

Me: “Got it. But before I go, is there any blood on my head?”

Supervisor: “WHAT?!”

He frantically circled around me, looking for any sign of blood on my scalp, while I explained how I’d whacked it.

Luckily, it didn’t result in anything worse than a headache and some minor tenderness for a few days after the stinging passed, and now I know that my supervisor will have my back if I ever get a more serious injury on the job.