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Inside the closing-time Greenfield Mall corridor, ceiling lights reflect on wet tiles as Ben pushes a mop beside a yellow 'Wet Floor' sign. He glances at his watch, bucket and folded sign resting on his cleaning cart.
Ben the janitor loved working at Greenfield Mall. Today he had to mop the shiny floors before closing time. He put out his yellow "Wet Floor" sign and started mopping. Ben worked hard, making the floor sparkle. When he finished, he looked at his watch. "Almost closing time!" he said. Ben was tired and wanted to go home. He quickly folded up the warning sign. "I'll put this away now," Ben said to himself.
On the still-damp mall walkway under bright fluorescent lights, Laura, phone in hand, skids backward with one foot flying up. A few steps away, Ben rushes toward her, mop abandoned, reflections of overhead light shimmering on the wet floor.
Laura walked through the mall, looking at her phone. She was texting her mom about dinner. Laura didn't see that the floor was still wet. Suddenly, her feet slipped! "Whoa!" she cried as she fell down hard. Her ankle hurt badly. Ben heard the noise and rushed over. "Oh no! Are you okay?" he asked. Laura's eyes filled with tears. "My ankle really hurts," she said. Ben felt terrible about what happened.
Inside a well-lit clinic room on a sunny afternoon, Dr. Chen kneels beside the examination table, gently holding Laura's bandaged ankle. Medical posters line the walls and a plastic walking boot sits ready on a nearby stool.
Laura's mom took her to see Dr. Chen. The doctor looked at Laura's ankle carefully. "You have a small fracture," Dr. Chen said gently. Laura would need to rest and wear a special boot. At home, Laura's mom talked to the mall manager. "There was no warning sign," she explained. The manager looked worried. "Our rules say signs must stay up until floors are dry," he said. Everyone realized someone had made a mistake.
In the mall's staff break room under cool fluorescent lights, Ben stands before the manager, holding a newer, larger yellow warning sign. Other mall workers watch from folding chairs, a coffee machine and notice board filling the background.
The mall manager called a special meeting with all the workers. Ben stood up and said, "I'm sorry I took the sign down too early. I wanted to go home, but I should have waited." The manager nodded. "We all need to follow safety rules," he said kindly. The mall decided to use better signs and remind workers about safety every day. Laura visited the mall weeks later, all healed. Ben saw her and smiled. "I'll always be more careful now," he promised. Laura smiled back. "And I'll watch where I'm walking!" she said. Everyone learned that staying safe takes everyone working together.