Hi, I'm Tommy...Like the gun

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I've had better nights at work...

So tonight is the first time I've ever felt compelled to write.  I really didn't want to open the laptop tonight, I just wanted to sit and zone out in front of the TV and not think about what happened.  But as you can clearly see, I've opened it, and now I must tell my story.  So here goes...

Tonight started out like any other Wednesday night on the patio at CK's.  There were familiar faces at just about every table in the restaurant.  There was a little bit of a dinner rush, but nothing none of us couldn't handle.  It was a typical week night.  There was a table of four ladies that were all dressed in scrubs sitting out on the patio.  I'd never seen them before, and for all I know, this was their first trip to our restaurant.  They didn't seem to want any food, they said initially upon sitting down that they were there to "drink some beer".  I'm pretty sure it was around 5:30 when they came in.  They seemed to be all over the age of 40, and one was probably sniffing 60 years old.  They were a fun bunch of women.  They seemed to all like each other, and it looked like it had been a while since they'd had happy hour together.  They were making calls home after a while saying they wouldn't be home for a while.  Three of them started off sharing a pitcher of light beer, the fourth was drinking a Sierra Nevada.  Mind you, a pitcher of beer is pretty much equal to four pints, give or take a little bit.  They had finished their first round of drinks within a reasonable amount of time.  They didn't seem to be drinking too fast, nor were they drinking them very slowly.  We (Brooke and I) brought them another round of drinks.  Everything was going just fine.  They were laughing, telling jokes, and having a great time.  I'm pretty sure that another round of drinks came to the table in about the same amount of time.  Midway through the third round of drinks, they wanted to switch it up a little bit, they wanted some liquor.  So, the one drinking the Sierra Nevada ordered a double Grey Goose Bloody Mary, while the three others ordered a shot of Patron.  At this point I remember telling Brooke that it was going from 6 to midnight real fast at this table.  They were still having a good time, and everything was still normal.  Even a couple of regulars had front row seats to how much fun they were having.  Our regulars were saying how funny it was to watch these ladies, because they were complaining about work loudly, and swearing a little bit here and there.  About 8 o'clock or so they had ordered their last round of drinks.  It was the fourth pitcher of light beer for three ladies, the second shot of Patron, and the second double Bloody Mary.  It looked like the night was about over for these ladies, whether we told them it was, or they decided on their own.

For a while, the restaurant was busy and we needed some help in the kitchen.  The patio wasn't really all that busy, so I went to run some food for a while.  I was back there for maybe 20 minutes or so helping out.  When I came back out to the patio, Brooke came right up to me and said that the oldest one of the ladies was throwing up.  I couldn't believe it.  They all seemed fine when I went to the kitchen.  Now throwing up at a bar doesn't happen everyday, but it does happen from time to time, and we deal with it.  We can't always be expected to know if someone is at their limit, although we do a pretty good job.  I'm not saying this to be mean at all, but the woman was cross eyed.  She looked the same when she came in, as she did at this point.  After informing the ladies that it was obviously time to leave, one of them was slightly upset with me.  She said that she couldn't believe I would do that, that her friend needed time to compose herself so that they could get her home safely.  Another one of the ladies was completely understanding of the fact that it was time for them to leave.  Thank goodness for a little bit of reason in an unfortunate situation.  We let her try and compose herself for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then I was forced to ask them to at least sit out on the bench so that our customers that were eating didn't have to watch this woman vomit.  During the time for her to compose herself, her friends were making light of the situation.  They were laughing about what had just happened, and making arrangements to get her home, and even said they'd understand when she didn't show up for work the next day.    This lady could barely stand up, and couldn't walk on her own.  She had to be helped outside by all three of her friends, and even that took some effort.

When someone throws up on the patio, they are asked to leave every time.  This is pretty much standard anywhere you go.  It's not always pleasant, but it is part of our job unfortunately.  After cleaning up the table and the area around the table, I thought that everything was over.  Boy was I wrong.  After not seeing the ladies out front for a while, I was told that the lady had shit herself while outside.  No joke.  I say shit herself, because I don't want to use any other phrase.  That's what happened.  And what do her friends do?  They carry their soiled friend through the restaurant past dining customers, and into the women's bathroom.  Now this has turned for the worse.  Erin (the manager on duty) is in the doorway of the women's bathroom monitoring everything.  This lady was not leaving as intended.

I'm gonna step away from the story for a second to explain something.  I can handle a lot of things.  I would consider myself to have a strong stomach.  But when it comes to shit, I don't handle it very well.  If I get one whiff of it, I will gag.  I can't even pick up our dog's poop without having a hard time doing it.  If I was to be anywhere near the scent of what was going on in the bathroom at this point, I was in for losing my lunch for sure.  Jokingly, or not joking, some of the other girls I work with said they had voted me to be the one to carry out this lady.  I was not having any part of that.  I did not sign up to carry out a lady that had shit herself.  No way, no how.

Paramedics were called, and by whom, I don't know.  I'd assume Erin, but that's just my guess.  Erin was waiting at the front door for them to show up.  Now I'm not only feeling really bad for this lady, but I'm also feeling slightly helpless at this point.  I never thought that we'd standing where we were, waiting for paramedics to help this poor woman.  I never wish this upon anyone.  That lady has no clue what's going on, and she's helpless too.  And I was part of what put her there.  I know it's not my fault where is, but I can't help but to feel something.  

They took her out in a stretcher, and probably just got her on an IV, and ran some test to make sure she was alright.  The ambulance was on its way, and the ladies thought they were too.  That was until Erin saw how the restroom was left.  There was shit everywhere, the lady's pants, the lady's shoes, and even on the floor and toilets.  Erin had asked, or maybe told, the remaining ladies to help clean up what was left behind.  Now things are just uncomfortable for everyone.  I mean, who wants to clean up after something like this?  Well, Erin had started cleaning up with the ladies in the bathroom, and they weren't too happy that they were cleaning up after their friend.  They started cussing about the whole situation, and were being rude to Erin.  Erin was fed up and told them to just leave.  They left, and we probably won't see them again, even though they work right down the street at a clinic.  This type of cleaning is not fun, and to add insult to injury, these ladies made it even worse for Erin than it already was.

That's pretty much what happened tonight.  So like the title of the post suggests, I've had better nights at work.  I've never felt so bad for putting someone (Erin) in a position, that really wasn't my fault.  But, there's the part of me that felt so awful and ashamed to have been a part of this.  This is definitely a rare occasion, but when you're dealing with alcohol, it is always a possibility.  I'm convinced that she was a victim of one of two drinking no no's.  She either hadn't had much to eat prior to drinking, or she was on a medication that doesn't mix well with alcohol.  The other ladies had the same amount of alcohol as she did, and they were no where near as bad.  It really pains me to see this happen to anyone.  It's embarrassing for all involved, and just plain avoidable.  I feel like I failed as a server, failed as a leader, and failed at being in control of a situation which I've been in before.  There was a feeling of shame, for sure.

Erin, I'm so sorry for what you had to do tonight, and what you had to put up with.  I do not envy the position you had to take tonight.  Your job as a manager sometimes leaves you with no choice, and you did it without hesitation, even while fielding rude comments from upset women.  I admire you for how you handled everything tonight.