favour

 sit in the lab, do a favour for a colleague. Copy some stuff onto his computer, a small program. He interrupts all the time, he knows it better, he has demands and wants safeguards. Remind him that this is a favour, a recommendation, and if he is going to talk about liability then it would definitely be an idea to do it himself.

Rather than complain any more, he lowers his tone. Then he starts to talk about immigrant low lifes. A short sharp word informs him that he will gain no friends here with that kind of talk, prepare to leave. He changes the subject to his feelings of being discriminated by the computer firm using the symbol of Adam's and Eve's downfall, point out that his machine is nearly twelve years old, it cost a lot of money then and todays computers are cheaper. 

Why do conversations have to be made up of complaints? Resolve a path forward, suggest a method for a backup. Leave it until tomorrow.

In the big hall go to the dispensing machines. The cleaner is going over the office, there is time for a cup of coffee and half an hour to kill. Sit down at a table, take off the mask, and sip the coffee from the paper cup. Hear a voice from off right. Look over, that is the man from the lab. He followed. Oh no.

Listen to a rant in repeat over the evils of dispensers and the sugary things held therein. The unhealthiness of it, the poor quality of the nourishment. Explain that this is all courtesy of the students catering services, this is the way that they earn money.

That makes the rant worse.

Who needs enmity in the face of such friendship?