Within a short couple of minutes, the safety officer, Stan, was at her side with an icepack. He had a look at her bump and commented that it was quite a goose egg. He looked at her shaking hands and got her some juice, and sat her down.

“Miranda, you could have a concussion, so we need to get you to the doctor. I’ll take you.”

Stan found someone to make sure that they could get the lunch ready for Andrew’s meeting, and called the company doctor to see him straightaway. After her consultation and confirming that Miranda had a nasty bump on her head and a concussion, Stan helped her fill out an accident report, and looked at the copy of the police report that the officer had given Miranda at the scene. When he asked her why she hadn’t called him sooner, as per the company policy, he said so gently and without frustration. Miranda told him about Andrew’s anger over being late, and that she had to get the coffee on.

“You could have asked Alison for help,” he suggested.

“Alison was in the meeting for the beginning, giving them a report. There was no one else around.”

“Well, looks like the real issue here is Andrew, after the person who hit you in the car.”

“Andrew is often gruff,” Miranda said, “But I do a really good job, and he normally recognizes that and leaves me alone to do my work.”