Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Kaiba’s Christmas Carol ❯ Chapter 2: Christmas Blues! ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: Christmas Blues!

 

After school ended, Kaiba went straight to work. Unexpectedly, one of his workers..... Bob Elliot was waiting outside his office, and wanting to talk to him. Bob Elliot was one of 20 lawyers that were scheduled to work on Christmas day. Kaiba didn't much care for him, really.....he was too much of a whiner and a slacker for his taste.

 

“Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Elliot?

 

“Oh, um.....well I'd like to speak with you…”

 

“Of course you want to speak to me.” Kaiba said, rolling his eyes. “If you didn't, you would be working instead of standing in front of my office and delaying my busy schedule.”

 

“Yes. Well.....perhaps we can go in your office, and talk.” he suggested.

 

Kaiba glared down at him, not having time to waste on this nobody. “Just spit it out.”

 

“You mean, right here?” He asked nervously.

 

Kaiba glared at him. “Any reason why we shouldn't?”

 

“Oh, uh....no. No reason, I guess.”

 

“So, what do you want? You're wasting my time, Mr. Elliot.” Kaiba muttered, looking away from him and at the paperwork he just received from his secretary on the way here.

 

“I…I wanted to know if I could have tomorrow off? I know we have to close out the books on Christmas....but, my wife wants us to go visit her family and…”

 

“Get to the point, or get out. I'm not interested in your personal life, nor your problems.”

 

“My wife's family lives in Chess City, just outside of Domino and she wants to spend all of Christmas and the weekend there, since Christmas day is a Friday.”

 

“Hold on.” Kaiba said, putting his hand up to shut him up. “You honestly think that the day before our closing schedule, I'm just going to let you take the entire weekend off, simply on the basis of it being Christmas?”

 

Elliot backed up nervously, running into Kaiba's office door in the process. “Oh, no.....of course not. It's not just because of that. You see, my wife just had a baby! She wants to show it off to her family. And.....it would really be a good time for her husband to be there for her and the new child. Umm.....that's why I'm requesting time off.”

 

“....and you want off from Friday until Sunday.” Kaiba said.

 

“Well....no. Actually, Friday through Monday.” he said.

 

Kaiba's hand came up, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a moment, as he asked, “Tell me.....how long have you worked here?”

 

“Almost three years, sir.”

 

Kaiba added, “And you are perfectly aware that we do the closings every year at Christmas, with no exception?”

 

“Yes, sir.....but just this once, I really wanted to spend the holidays with my family!”

 

“You are also aware that for requests on time-off, you are supposed give advanced notice?” Kaiba asked calmly.

 

“Oh......yes. Well, you see......at the time.....”

 

“You had at least nine months to know of this coming child. There is no excuse for waiting till Christmas Eve to ask for Christmas time off.” Kaiba snapped.

 

Mr. Elliot lowered his head, saying, “I am very sorry for such a last minute request, but.....”

 

Again, Kaiba put his hand up to shut the man up. He then turned to his secretary, and asked, “Cynthia......does Mr. Elliot here have any vacation time or sick days left?”

 

The secretary quickly typed up his schedule on the computer to find out the information. “Actually sir, he's not only used up all his vacation time, but his sick days for the year. He called in sick enough to cover next year as well. When he requested extended vacation time, it was granted along with a dock in pay to cover this extra time.”

 

“Oh, yes.” Mr. Elliot suddenly said, as her pointing out his schedule reminded him of something. “Actually.....I was wanting to discuss that, too. I don't understand why my pay was docked.”

 

“I don't offer extended vacation time.” Kaiba replied. “It's counted the same as if you never called to say you weren't coming in. If you had a medical emergency and can prove this, I will reconsider your dock in pay.”

 

“Well, my youngest child was in and out of the hospital and…”

 

“And? Where was your wife?”

 

“Oh, she was there. We both took time off just to be there and sit with him.”

 

“You all ready had your wife taking off of work to be with him. So, you admit to taking time off unnecessarily, to sit at your son's bedside doing nothing? You could have easily come to me with this matter, and been given assignments in which you could do at home and…”

 

The man interrupted Kaiba. “But I wanted to be there for him! What about your brother? When he's sick, do you sit there and just do work.....or are you there for him?”

 

Kaiba now glared down at him, angry that he dared attempt to use his brother as some kind of weapon against him. “First of all, my brother is none of your business. Secondly.....you all ready had your wife there, meaning you didn't need to be there, at all.” He then glanced over at his secretary again, asking, “Cynthia?”

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“Add up all the sick days this man took over the normal allotted ones. Then dock him for those, and fix up a severance check for anything that's left. Then, have security help him to clear out his desk and take his security badge.”

 

“Mr. Kaiba, what are doing?” Elliot asked.

 

“Quite simple, really.....I'm firing you. Now, get out of my sight before I change my mind and take what little is probably left of your pay check and use it towards your extended vacation time as well!” Kaiba then moved the guy out of his way, walked in, and slammed the door to his office in the man's face.

 

Elliot then turned to Cynthia, begging, “You'll talk to him for me, won't you? Get him to change his mind?”

 

“Sorry, Bob....I like my job. I'm not about to go against Mr. Kaiba's wishes. Besides, once he makes up his mind, everyone knows he doesn't change it.” She shook her head, saying, “You really shouldn't have brought up his brother, Bob. After 3 years, you should know better.”

 

In fact, right after the situation with Bob, Kaiba also made sure to add a memo to the entire employee staff, stating: Attention all employees, you should all remember if you read your contracts that extended vacation days are rarely granted and you must have a valid reason for it. If you take more sick days than all ready granted then you might find your pay has been docked for the time you lost. You may however request overtime to make up for it. If you do not like this you're welcome to leave! Medical emergencies are judged on a case-by-case basis, and again are rarely given out.

 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 

That night, Kaiba came home exhausted. He was so sick and tired of seeing Christmas everywhere! If it weren't for the studies that have proven how celebrating major holidays can boost moral, he'd forbid them to decorate the office.

 

Kaiba thought about his plans for the evening. Normally, he would try and enjoy his evenings spending them with his brother. But, not now....not during Christmas. Mokuba was well aware that Kaiba wanted nothing to do with this holiday in particular. As much as he loved his brother, he couldn't bring himself to want to do anything but to be alone and work.....allowing himself to burry his thoughts in anything but this time of year. Once Christmas was over, he would have no problems returning to the normal routine.

 

Yet avoiding his brother also brought him twinges of guilt. Fortunately, he made sure to remind Mokuba of Yugi's party whenever he could. Unlike many years, at least Mokuba could go somewhere during Christmas this time and enjoy the holiday, allowing him the peace and quiet he wanted without the feeling that he was somehow wronging his brother.

 

Kaiba walked in the door to greet his brother as usual.....and at first, everything seemed to be as it should. But, as he looked around he noticed the same disturbing objects were still in the house that was there yesterday.....and was supposed to be removed. “MOKUBA!”

 

Mokuba came running down the stairs and into the living room. He was about to tackle his brother with a welcome home hug, when he noticed Seto didn't exactly look happy.

 

“Um.....is something wrong, Seto?”

 

Kaiba pointed to a corner of the room, “Why is that still there?”

 

Mokuba gulped, looking over at the Christmas tree and presents that he had asked to be moved. Mokuba had hoped if he maybe came back home in a better mood, he wouldn't care so much. It was a shame that work always made his brother so miserable during the Christmas holidays. “But, Seto.....it's Christmas. We should celebrate it, too.”

 

“There's nothing to celebrate!” he snapped.

 

“But......tomorrow's Christmas! I know the meeting's during the day, but can't we do something afterwards?”

 

“NO!” he snapped. Taking a calm breath, Kaiba once again rubbed between his eyes where he felt the migraine coming on. He just wanted some rest and time to not constantly be reminded of this cursed holiday. “I'll be at this meeting all day, tomorrow. When I get home, I'm going to need some much-needed rest. You already know that Yugi's holding his usual Christmas party. If you really need to celebrate Christmas, you can go over there and have fun.”

 

Mokuba looked down in disappointment. “I know, Seto. But, I was really hoping to spend time with you.”

 

“That's not going to happen.” Kaiba said. He moved away, heading for the stairs so he didn't feel guilt once again at seeing his brother looking so down. He hated disappointing his brother, and really hoped this party would actually cheer him up. But, Mokuba knew how much he hated the holidays....he should have been used to this, by now. “If it'll make you feel better, I'll make it up to you when Christmas is over. We'll take some time off, then.”

 

“Okay.” Mokuba nodded, knowingly....but he still wished his brother would be there for him on Christmas.

 

Heading up the stairs, he added, “I mean it about that tree, Mokuba. I want it gone by tomorrow.” With a sneer, he added, “Maybe you can bring it Yugi's party as a welcoming gift.”

 

“Yes, big brother.” Mokuba mumbled.

 

“I'll be in my office.”

 

Mokuba looked dejected and took the presents upstairs to add to his collection. He never unwrapped them or took them back. Every year, he hoped he could convince his brother to celebrate it with him. He never said his brother had to like or even love it. But, he felt he could at least try for once, and see that it's not so bad.

 

It made Mokuba wonder at times, as he stared at the unopened presents......was it really work that made his brother hate the Christmas holidays so much, or was it something more?