All for none

In a depressing coincidence, the developer I talked about yesterday was fired today. I thought at the very least he'd be allowed to work 'til the end of his three month probation, but instead he was escorted from the building shortly after he was told.

Before he left he sat at his desk for a short while, picking mournfully through his personal effects. None of the other developers spoke to him, nor reached out to him in any way, as though his misfortune might be contagious. I realised then how isolated he'd been, something I'd known at some level but failed to fully appreciate until too late, and how little I'd done to help him. I tried to say something, but all I could manage was "I'm sorry." It sounds hollow now, it sounded even more so then. In response he smiled the wan uncomprehending smile I'd seen so many times before, nodded, and left, pathos trailing in his wake. It was a sad yet appropriate exit.

Afterwards we went to lunch together and nobody talked about him. His failure was our failure after all, and we huddled together trading banalities to cover our embarrassment and guilt.