"…cocaine, though! The Warden, doing drugs? He's—he's running rehabilitation for that kind of thing—maybe not compassionately, maybe not effectively, but he's doing it—but him! Him, of all people!" Jared squealed, panting as he pounded the ground with his stubby legs. Alice lifted her weight passively, making subtle, lady-like grunting noises in the background, letting the little guy let off steam. "Did you know?" He leaped around to face her, sweat pouring from his gargantuan forehead. She sighed melodramatically.
"I mean, it was kind of obvious." She put her weight down with a soft moan. "No one can be that nuts and be sober. You of all people would know that." Jared cringed with a reflective thought. She was right. He was blind again. She stood up and straightened out her skirt, picking up her weight and walking out. "I could really care less what he does with his free time. But if it bothers you, shorty, talk to him about it." She pushed open the door only to meet the Warden himself; looking normal and healthy, highly juxtaposed to his previous rather frantic state, Jared thought. He bounced into the room, giving Jared a nasty glare.
"You dropped your papers all over my office earlier!" he said, waving his cane at Jared condescendingly. "That's one more strike, Jared, and you don't have too many of those left!"
"Sir, I-," Jared began, anxiously approaching the Warden's flurried coattails.
"Ah-ah! Not one more word from you, not when there's work to be done! Now come on Jared, the Doctor's expecting us."
"Sir!" Jared piped up bravely, thinking of Alice's sensible advice. "I-I really do need to talk to you!" The Warden's already rapid, arrhythmic heart skipped a few beats, his stomach spawning a butterfly or two. He turned around, keeping his frustrated persona, frightening Jared even more.
"Well, what about? Spit it out already!" he snapped, biting his lip covertly on the inside of his mouth.
"Sir!..." Jared choked, "I—I can help you—if you're—if you're having trouble—if you're addicted to cocaine—I—I'm here for you." The Warden sniffed as he swallowed his heart, blinking hard to wipe away the vivid images appearing behind Jared that he knew weren't real. Shit, it was gonna be another one of those days, wasn't it. He clenched his right hand in a harsh fist and stared Jared dead in the eyes.
"I'll ask for your help if I need it." He pumped his fist a few times, hoping Jared wouldn't notice. That was one of those addict things people do, he wasn't an addict, having a bad day, he wasn't an addict. "And I don't need it. Now come on. We have work to do."
