Page 18 of Pen Me

He shoved me toward the open cell door, and I banged my restrained wrists on the frame in an effort to turn back and face him again.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

“What? Doesn't it feel good to know that an old man died for your sins, inmate?”

“Vince is dead?” I quietly repeated, unwilling to believe it.

“Not many people survive a steel pipe to the head, especially at his age. I hear they knocked him the same way he did that fellowhe was accused of assaulting with his cane. You know, the one they say gave you that shiner” Collins reached out and gently caressed my nearly healed bruise.

I was so stunned, I let him. Until I came to my senses and realized what he was doing.

“Motherfucker!” I lurched.

A flash of a white shirt snapped between us just in time, planting a hand in the center of my chest and hefting me back a few inches.

“That’s enough. That’s enough!” The supervisor barked at Collins. “You’re relieved. Both of you. Get off the unit. Now.”

His hand tapped in a plea against my chest.

“Is he really dead?” I asked, once I heard the door at the end of the unit click shut.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss other inmates with–”

“Goddamn it, I’m not asking you to gossip. Who the fuck am I going to tell back here? Just fucking…tell me if he’s gone,” I pleaded.

The sergeant looked into my eyes and swallowed so heavily I knew the answer.

“He sustained injuries that were incompatible with life. That's all I can tell you, son. Now, do you want your visit, or not?”

“Visit?”

“You have a visitor waiting,” he confirmed.

“Vince just fucking– Are you saying we’re not going to go on lockdown, or–?” My brain was spinning to catch up. I’d been down enough times to know this was irregular.

The white shirt stared at me until I was ready to scream at him. My whole body trembled with the urge to shake an answer from him, but the handcuffs made me swallow it.

“The incident with the inmate you’re referring to happened days ago. The jail came off lockdown this morning, after the accused assailant was transferred.”

I numbly followed him to the search room and went through the motions. It was normal to feel cut off from the world when you were locked up, but this protective custody shit was beyond unbearable.

“Menace?”

The hushed tone was all it took to break me from my spinning thoughts. I blinked and focused on Sauce, confusion pinching my features.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I saddled the stool and stared.

“Figured you might be okay with some company.” Sauce shrugged.

Sauce was a good kid, but he was young and still learning the hard truths of our world. His father would kick his ass and sign my death warrant if he knew he was here.

“Prospect, do you have permission to be here?”

“Didn’t know I needed permission to be a friend.” Sauce dryly answered, not an ounce of concern registering on his pale features.

It was a nice gesture, but still, not a wise one. I glanced toward the door, knowing I should get up and walk before we both got into water that we couldn’t come out of with the club.

In the end, the thought of willingly surrendering myself back to isolation was more than I could commit to.

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