Page 5 of Jackson

He stared at me curiously in response, which was only encouraging me further to play with him.

I liked a challenge, which in this case, was going to be my downfall. This inmate didn’t need me poking at him with my own brand of weird humor.

He was a felon, in prison for something serious, even if it was non-violent. Getting mixed up with that was both stupid and morally egregious. Not just for me, but for him, too.

But damn, was I forming a soft spot.

His hands flexed slightly when I spread the burn cream over the wound, coating it generously. Even if a burn didn’tlooksevere on the outside, it didn’t mean it wasn’t hurting like one and wasn’t worse underneath the first few layers of skin.

That was what sucked about burn wounds. Until they looked like your skin was actually melting off, not many people took the pain seriously.

Gonzalez let out a soft sigh once the cream began to soak into his skin.

“How’s that feel?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Better. I didn’t think I had my hand on it that long for it to hurt this bad.”

“Well, we’re warm blooded. So, even if you didn’t, it doesn’t matter. Your body’s cooking it from the inside, which is why it hurts.”

“Oh.” He blinked, finally looking at me again. “Really? That’s crazy.”

“The body’s a weird enigma.”

He was quiet as I dressed his burn the rest of the way, making sure to keep the gauze tight enough to not fall off while moving but not so much that it would irritate his healing skin underneath. A fine and delicate line to tread that I was thankfully well versed in.

“There we go. Good as new.” I reached over and patted Roxy’s head.

Standing up, I collected the kit and stored the unused materials back inside of it before latching it once more.

I probably should’ve taken more of my time dressing his hand, using it to talk with him as much as I could. Having sixteen other inmates in the program, I wasn’t going to get any specific one-on-one time with any of them while they were here.

Not like this, anyway.

However, I had a feeling if I did that, it was going to lead me into not wanting to give him back at all. And that was just something I was going to have to suck up.

He’d be out of here in six weeks and never to be seen again.

“Thanks, nurse,” he mumbled.

His words had me whipping around again, my eyes going wide.

Was that a joke back?

His cheeks were tinged a darker hue that looked pretty on his tanned complexion, eyes averted so as to not catch mine.

A grin split across my face. All right, maybe Iwouldmake up some excuse to keep him here for just a little bit longer?—

Just then, the door to the medic station was thrown open and an angry CO was storming inside the tiny room. “What the fuck did you do, Gonzalez?”

Roxy began to bark instantly, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden burst of aggression.

I stepped in front of them both, blocking the CO—Browne, according to his nametag—from advancing any more. “We had a burn situation. I’m cleaning him up now.”

Roxy quieted instantly with a small huff.

The CO eyed me. “He was supposed to be escorted by one of us before you took him anywhere. You know that, right?”

That was the problem with COs coming onto my property. They always seemed to want to have a big-dick complex with me and show off in front of the inmates that they were the big bosses in charge and that everyone else around them was to fall in line.