Work Text:
The reality of what had almost happened didn’t really sink in until Sam heard Jonboy hiss, “This is how greenies die, Boring.” His voice cold with anger.
“You think I don’t fucking know. I’m sorry ok?” Boring snapped back, voice low.
Sam knew they weren’t supposed to be hearing this. The other two were trying to keep their voices quiet, but they were furious and scared. Sam was scared too. Scared of what had almost happened. They realized that they wouldn't have gotten a bio-hazard crate if they had gone into the hopper. They’d have been ground up along with the ore (Surely something that was built to crush rocks would make short work of a hard hat) and gone into the furnace. They’d have been just another impurity to be burned out of the ore. They’d have become part of the skin of black soot that covered everything on Shitty Rock. The grime that got rubbed on new workers hard hats on their first day.
Sam would have never left the mine, alive or dead.