Page 5 of Rat

“Say something,” Ollie muttered.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.”

Rory raised the cup. “It’s hot.”

“Glad you think so,” the inmate replied. “You’re not bad either.”

“No… I…I meant the coffee.”

“Am I not hot then?”

Captain walked into view, then sat down at the table, blocking both Rory and Ollie from the men behind him. Rory inwardly sighed with relief and wondered whether Captain knew he’d just saved him.

Captain huffed at his breakfast and whisked the eggs with his fork. Rory noticed he had more on his tray than both him and Ollie put together, and his toast wasn’t burned to a charcoal crisp.

“You’re already making an impression,” Rory mumbled.

The inmate serving in the canteen had his eyes on Captain’s back. He bit his lip and dragged his gaze up and down a few times, then a yell from another inmate got his attention, and he started serving up again.

“Is he still staring at me?” Captain asked.

Ollie smirked. “Not at the moment, but you’ve certainly got an admirer.”

“Until I terrify him later.”

“Why are you going to terrify him?” Rory asked.

“Not on purpose, I mean when I go to sleep.”

“That wasn’t a one-off?”

“Those night terrors happen more than they don’t happen.”

Rory glanced down at the table. “Maybe you should talk to the doctor.”

Captain hissed and shook his head.

“It’s not weak—”

“I know it’s not, but any suffering I go through is deserved.”

Ollie snorted. “You’re only in here for five. Whatever you did couldn’t have been that bad—”

“I’m not suffering over that; that day doesn’t torment me.”

“Then what does?” Ollie asked.

“None of your business. Point is, he won’t be looking at me like that tomorrow.”

“We’re still looking at you fine,” Ollie muttered.

Captain glared at both of them. He didn’t look at them like he wanted to eat them or kill them—his look was vacant, dead, and it was equally disturbing. There were dark bags sunken into his skin, and his irises were almost as dark as his pupils. Ollie averted his gaze, but Rory kept looking back.

“I make people uncomfortable. Mark my words, I’ll get no admiring glances this time tomorrow, and the guys that look at me like they want to fight me will pity me, but I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about you two.”

“Us?” Rory muttered.

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