"Okay, I want to start a sexual assault support group for just the men in Emerald City." Sister Peter Marie says.
"What good is that going to do?" Warden Glynn asks.
"A lot of good. Peter Schibetta is coming back to EmCity soon and he's going to need other friends. People who know what he's going through. Not to mention it could help with Cyril O'Reilly's violent outbursts." The sister says.
"Fine." Warden Glynn says.
"And I want Franklin Winthrop transferred to EmCity. The Aryans are obviously abusing him and its best he get as far away from them as possible." Peter Marie says.
"That's fine with me." Tim McManus says.
"If that's all then, you may all go." Warden Glynn says.
"Sister?" Tim calls.
"Yes, Tim?" Peter Marie answers.
"This support group. I want Alvarez in it." Tim says.
"Why would you want him be a part of it? He's never been sexually assaulted." Peter Marie says.
"Yeah, except I'm thinking he was. During his last stint in solitary." Tim tells her.
"By who?" Peter Marie asks.
"I think it was the CO's. He won't say but just the way he acts. I know."
"I'll see what I can do." Peter Marie says.
"Thank you." Tim says exiting the library. Peter Marie starts the walk back to her office. Now all she's got to do is convince Tobias to go to these meetings. Not for himself he had already dealt with what happened to him. But to help the ones still dealing with their abuse. She walks into her office, Tobias sitting at his desk.
"Hello, Tobias." Peter Marie greets him.
"Hi, Sister." Tobias says smiling at her. She pulls up a seat next to him, "What is it, sister?"
"I'm starting a support group for people who have been sexually assaulted specifically for the men in Emerald City. I would like for you to come." Peter Marie states.
"Why me, Sister?" Tobias questions, "I've already dealt with what Schillinger did to me. I've accepted it."
"Yes but others aren't so lucky you see. Now I think you can really help these men." Peter Marie says.
"How? How can I help them?" Tobias asks.
"By telling them they aren't alone. This has happened to you and things get better." Peter Marie explains.
"Alright, I'll come. But you include Andrew Schillinger." Tobias says.
"Fair enough." Peter Marie says, "First sessions in an hour. Be there."
Meanwhile in EmCity in McManus' office:
"No! No, Cyril isn't going; he's already dealt with the rape! I don't want him to have to relive it!" Ryan screams.
"Did he really deal with it or do you just think because he doesn't have nightmares about it, he's dealt with it? Ryan, whenever anyone touches him in the wrong place he goes on the defensive." McManus says.
"Fuck. You really think this could help him?" Ryan asks leaning against the chair.
"Yes, Sister Peter Marie thinks it will, trust her, Ryan." McManus says. Ryan nods to him. "Officer." Ryan is let out of the office by the officer. He makes his way down the stairs towards Cyril and his cell. Cyril sitting on the bed bouncing a ball.
"Hey, Cyril. I got to talk to you about something." Ryan says.
"What about, Ryan?" Cyril asks. Ryan smiles sitting next to him on the bed.
"Well, Sister Peter Marie wants you to go to these sessions with some of the other guys here." Ryan says.
"Okay. Are you coming?" Cyril asks looking over at his older brother.
"No, Cyril it's only for certain people. You know when you first arrived? What that man did to you?" Ryan asks.
"Uh huh." Cyril says.
"Well you aren't the only one he's done that too. And he's not the only one who does it. Now these guys in this meeting have had what happened to you happen to them." Ryan says, "And you all are going to talk about it. But I want you to know that you can talk about it, Cyril. What he did to you wasn't your fault. You did nothing wrong. He took advantage of you. And I should have been there to protect you." Ryan says putting his arm around Cyril's shoulder.
"Does this mean I get to make new friends?" Cyril asks. Ryan chuckles.
"Yeah, yeah it does." Ryan says. Men outside were starting to whistle and yell prompting for Ryan to stand up, Cyril close behind. He walks out of the door looking down at the main floor, Peter Schibetta with his bag of stuff walking back into Emerald City.
"Well, well, look whose back! Yo' Schibetta, you all healed now?" Poet laughs. Peter ignores him; a new member of Emerald City approaches Schibetta.
"Hey, I heard you have a nice piece of ass. How about you give me a little taste?" The man says squeezing Schibetta's ass. Schibetta shoves the man.
"Don't fucking touch me!" Schibetta yells.
"Break it up." McManus says, "Schibetta, I need to talk to you. Drop off your stuff then come up."
"Tim, you really think it's wise putting Schibetta and Alvarez in the same cell together? I mean talk about bringing the two gangs together." Sean asks.
"Yeah well Alvarez and Schibetta are out of the gangs anyways, besides I figured both of them need a friend, why not each other?" McManus says.
"Alright if you think it'll work go for it. But I'm keeping my eye on them." Sean says.
"Good, now get out of here." McManus says smacking Sean's butt softly.
"See you later?" Sean asks winking at him.
"Hell yeah. Now get lost." McManus says gesturing for Alvarez and Schibetta to come in.
"Why the hell you put us together? We aren't friends." Alvarez says.
"Well I thought maybe that could change. Maybe you two can become friends. Alvarez I want you to go to the support group with Schibetta. And don't bother arguing, Sister Peter Marie is already expecting you." McManus says.
"What support group?" Alvarez asks.
"Sexual assault support group." McManus says. "Don't bother denying it, Miguel please. Meeting starts now so I'll see you both after."
"Yo, Beecher, you going to this group too?" Alvarez asks when he sees Cyril and Beecher walk up to them.
"Yeah, Sister Peter Marie told me I'd better be there." Tobias says. "I've learned it's better to do what she says rather than argue with her."
"Right? You hear that Winthrop is being transferred to Emerald City?" Schibetta asks.
"Yeah, those Aryans aren't going to be happy about losing their prag. Especially after you got Andrew transferred out of Unit B. Still can't believe Schillinger would let his own kid be a bitch to the rest of the motherfucking Aryans." Alvarez says.
"Yeah well the way Schillinger sees it, he'd rather Andrew be the Aryans bitch then my bitch so." Tobias says. "Cyril, come on. We are going to be late." Tobias says turning around, Cyril stopped at the gates of Emerald City.
"I don't want to go." Cyril says pouting.
"Come on, you've got to be fucking kidding me." Alvarez says under his breathe.
"You can meet all these people; they are all going to love you. You'll have more friends come on. I promise." Tobias says. Cyril looks at Tobias taking one tentative step then another, Tobias smiles wrapping his arm around Cyril's shoulder. Sister Peter Marie is sitting on the stage in the cafeteria with Andrew Schillinger and Franklin Winthrop when the four walk in.
"Ah, hello there. Welcome. Have a seat." Peter Marie says. Schibetta sits next to Andrew; Alvarez sits next to Schibetta, Cyril next to Schibetta, Tobias next to Franklin. "Now, what I want for you all to get out of this group is to talk about your sexual assault experiences and how those experiences made you feel. Some of you aren't going to be willing to talk just yet, which I understand but I expect in time you will. Now who would like to start?" Tobias raises his hand slightly.
"I'll start, Sister. Hi, everyone. I'm Tobias Beecher. When I first came to OZ, I got put in Emerald City. My first bunk buddy was Adebisi, he threatened to rape me but Schillinger got McManus to switch pods and so I moved in with him. First night he burnt a swastika on my ass, then afterwards raped me for the first time. It went on like this for the next few months until I started using heroine, one day I just decided I'd had enough and finally stood up for myself. Almost blinded him and shit on his face." Beecher says. Andrew laughs.
"You shit on him? Nice." Andrew asks.
"Called him asswipe for the next few months, yeah we had fun with that one." Alvarez says laughing.
"Alright, enough of that." Peter Marie says.
"So, Schillinger did it more than once?" Schibetta asks.
"Yeah, it happened a lot." Tobias says.
"Adebisi raped me. I guess I pissed him off and he decided to retaliate by raping me. I mean I attacked him and everything but afterwards was when it got real confusing because he came to the psych ward. He was comforting me and I didn't know how to take it, I couldn't…I felt confused and I thought he might do it again. But then he apologized." Schibetta says.
"And did you forgive him?" Peter Marie asks.
"No. I don't think I ever will even now that he's dead." Schibetta says. "Fuck I'm scared anytime someone touches me."
"Me too." Cyril says. "When I first got here that bald man told me that he was going to take me to see Ryan, but instead he lead me into a closet and told me I had to do something for him first. Then he started taking my clothes off and I knew it was wrong but he was going to take me to see Ryan. And…and then Henry, my friend that I met when I was in the other place, made me do things. Bad things but he said that that's what friends do. And he said that Ryan could never know." Cyril says.
"Who is this Henry?" Peter Marie asks since this was the first time she was hearing about this specific event.
"Henry Stanton." Cyril says.
"The guy he met when he was in protective custody." Tobias says.
"And how did this happen? How did Henry get out of his cell?" Peter Marie asks.
"The guards let him out, and then they opened my door. You aren't going to tell Ryan are you?" Cyril asks in a panicked voice.
"No, Cyril. I'm not going to tell Ryan. But I think you should. It's important that he knows." Peter Marie says.
"Are you kidding? Ryan would fucking kill that wanker." Alvarez says.
"Well, I'd love to kill the guys who…who made me do those things." Winthrop says.
"No kidding." Andrew says. "They look at you like you are a piece of meat. Just a toy to play around with."
"That's normal. Has anyone been dealing with flashbacks or nightmares?" Peter Marie asks moving the conversation away from violence.
"About the assault?" Andrew asks.
"Yes about the assault." Peter Marie says. Andrew, Schibetta, Cyril and Alvarez raise their hands.
"I'm more worried about when the assaults are going to stop. I can't deal with anything right now." Franklin says.
"Well I've got some good news. You are being transferred to Emerald City. You can go back with all of them." Peter Marie says. Before she can continue with the session the lockdown alarm starts to go off. "Well I guess that is going to be all for today. I will see you all on Thursday alright?"