Cholera

[marnanel]

The scene: A work break room. MARNANEL is getting a cup of coffee from the machine, and CLEANING PERSON is squirting disinfectant into the sink.

MARNANEL: Thank you.

CLEANING PERSON: ...For what?

MARNANEL: For cleaning the sink.

CLEANING PERSON: Cleaning the sink? (She wrinkles her nose in confusion.) You're saying "thank you" for me doing this?

MARNANEL: Yeah, so we don't all die of cholera. Because I don't LIKE dying of cholera.

CLEANING PERSON: ...Cholera?

MARNANEL: And other waterborne diseases! People died of them ALL THE TIME before we started disinfecting sinks and so on. So I'm glad you're cleaning the sink, because it's a horrible way to die.

CLEANING PERSON: It is?

MARNANEL: Yeah! Bloody diarrhoea! Vomiting! And then you die painfully.

CLEANING PERSON: *stares*

MARNANEL: *decides this would be a good place to end the conversation*