Time away.
I stared at the desk, at the neat arrangement of papers, the stillness of the room pressing in around me.
My entire life, reduced to a process.
“How long will this take?” I asked.
“It is difficult to give an exact timeframe,” the HR representative said. “We would hope to conclude the investigation within several weeks.”
Severalweeks.
I nodded, even though the number felt abstract and meaningless. “And if I refuse to ‘take some time away’?” I air-quoted.
HR Guy met my gaze. “I would strongly advise against that. Failure to comply with a precautionary suspension could itself become a disciplinary matter.”
Silence settled over the room.
The principal’s voice softened. “Kieran, I appreciate this is a great deal to take in, but we have a duty to follow procedure. That protects you as much as it protects the student.”
I stared at her. This didn’t feel like protection.
It felt like the ground shifting beneath my feet. Sinking.
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
HR Guy closed his folder, and Dr. Williams leaned back in her chair. “For now, you go home.” Another pause. “And you let us do our jobs.”
I sat there for a moment longer, then gave a small, numb nod. “Right.”
“And I’d advise you to contact your union rep,” HR Guy added.
That brought everything into sharp focus.
There was nothing else I could say in the circumstances.
I pushed my chair back and stood, aware of both of them watching me.
“Someone from my department will be in contact shortly with further details,” HR Guy added.
I didn’t reply, but turned and walked out of the office, the door closing softly behind me.
The corridor beyond felt unfamiliar, as though I was seeing it for the first time.
Or the last.
By the time I reached the exit, the only thought left in my mind was a single, disorientating certainty.
Everything has just changed.
The tram came to a halt, and I focused on the platform sign.
Shit, this is my stop.
I dived out of my seat and hurled myself through the doors before they closed. The slope to the pavement didn’t feel solid beneath my feet. My heart pounded.
How am I going to break this to Diana?
I walked slowly along the leafy street, the happy sound of birds chirping so incongruous, a lead weight in my stomach. The accusation replayed itself in my mind, each time sounding more unreal.