“Ready for the tour?” Nichols asked, snapping her latex gloves off her hands loudly. 

“Oh! Yeah.” Piper pulled her black blazer over her body tightly and followed after Nichols who stripped off her gown. Underneath the gown was a short sleeved white t-shirt and black slacks. She’d had her hair up in a loose bun to embalm but now she let it down, letting her curls bounce beautifully as they slowly walked away from the embalming table. 

“Well, since you’ve made it all the way back here, I’m guessing you’ve met Red.” Nichols asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

“Red? I met Mrs.Reznikov if that’s who you mean.” 

“Haha, yeah.” Nichols chuckled. “She always makes new people call her Mrs.Reznikov. Everybody calls her Red. She’s our dispatcher.” 

“Dispatcher?” Piper asked. 

“Yeah. If we get a call about a body needing picked up, a casket being delivered, anything really, it goes through her. She answers the phones, all that good stuff. Think of her as a secretary, really.” Nichols gestured her hand towards the front of the funeral home where Red’s desk sat, near the entrance door. “Red holds down the fort. I’m Nicky. Everybody calls me Nichols. I’m an embalmer, slash removal technician, slash whatever fuckin’ else they need done around here. I change lightbulbs n’ shit sometimes, it’s whatever.” 

That made Piper chuckle. 

“Overall, there’s like seven of us who work here. Me, Red, Lorna, Tasha, Poussey, I know it’s a real stupid name but don’t make fun of it or she gets touchy, the big boss, and then you.” Nichols continued walking towards the entrance of the prep room. She nearly collided with a short woman entering the room. 

“Ah speak of the devil!” Nichols exclaimed. 

“Poussey?” Piper asked. 

“Are you kiddin’ me?” The woman asked, chewing on a piece of blue bubblegum. “If that were my name I’d kill myself.” 

“This is Lorna.” Nichols gestured to the woman. “She does removals and cosmetics.” 

Lorna stuck a perfectly manicured hand out to Piper. Piper shook it, smiling at her. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Piper.” 

“Cute name. You’re the new tech?” She asked. 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Well, hopefully you stick around. The last few were such sissies they ducked out a month in.” Lorna scoffed and brushed past Piper into the prep room, throwing on a gown hanging from a hook on the wall.