Chapter 6: New Kid In The Ward

Matthew found that his first year in Pentkuck went by quicker than he expected. Mainly because himself and Carlos tended to do the same thing everyday. However, he found Christmas hard. Pentkuck had organized a huge dinner for the inmates in wards D to F in the main building. Carlos told Matthew that those in A to C had Christmas dinner with their families in another building a few miles away. The two business partners sat in their usual table eating dry turkey with thinned down gravy. According to Carlos it was much better than the Christmas they had the year before.

According to Carlos' tale, Smith choose last Christmas to have his form of 'fun'. Which mostly consisted of beating one inmate black and blue, making his Christmas gift three days in isolation. All members of staff were on extra watch with Smith that year.

"I bet they've given him pills with a strong ass sedative in it," Carlos said, his gaze to Smith. "Better just giving him a fucking horse tranquilizer."

Matthew chocked on his water, spraying it on his vegetables. Hughie caught sight of this from the table across the room, laughter roaring from his belly. Thankfully for Matthew, he still was ignored enough by most inmates that only Hughie was able to catch his slip up.

At lights out Matthew didn't sleep at all, the memories of past Christmas haunting him like phantoms. Matthew closed his eyes trying to imagine spending the night with his brother and drinking wine to cheesy festive songs. The imagined that Alfred would have drunk one too many and was forcing him to sing along to 'jingle bells'.

His constant tossing and turning was enough to stir Carlos from his sleep.

"Can't stop thinking about your family?" he said in the stillness of the night.

Matthew stared up at the ceiling. "I don't deserve them," he croaked out.

"Everyone deserves a family," Carlos said, turning to face the wall and pulling the blanket over his shoulder.

Matthew sighed. "Even those who took away someone else family members?"

Carlos said nothing in return.

Half way through the next year Pentkuck received a new inmate in Ward F. Matthew found it almost surreal watching through his doorframe as Keith walked along side a sturdy looking man with floppy hazel hair that was in desperate need of a comb. The man didn't look too intimidating what with his lazy looking eyes just casually glancing through the halls and his lethargic strides down the floors of Ward F.

Matthew watched as Keith led the man into the cell which housed Hughie and his stomach dropped. For a year and a half Matthew had grown attached to Hughie and his little 'Mill'. He took a few steps out of his cell to get a better look at Hughie as he sat on the bed, clutching Millie to his chest.

Keith quickly said goodbye to the new inmates and hurried to do the rest of his duties. Once Keith was out of sight Matthew stepped towards Hughie's cell.

"Hu-" Matthew started.

The new inmate slowly put his hand to the cat. At first Millie seemed unsure of the new addition but within seconds seemed to warm to the man, even purring as he stroked her hair. Hughie kept the cat on his lap as he saw Matthew.

"Mattie! Mattie! Mill likes! Mill likes! Mill, Mill, Mill," Hughie trilled away.

Matthew nodded and allowed himself to smile slightly at the new inmate in form of a welcome. The man stopped petting the cat for a few seconds to look Matthew up and down. Matthew couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated at the mans size. Even though Matthew himself had grown rather burly - thanks to Carlos' exercise training - in the year and a half he had stayed in Pentkuck, he still wasn't as thick as the new inmate.

"I'm Matthew," he said, and side stepped slightly to put his own cell to view. "I stay in the cell just there."

The man nodded. "I'm Heracles," he said, with a blank almost tired expression.

Matthew could feel no hostility towards Heracles, it was rather hard to feel anything scary towards the man as he sat petting Millie, a content look on his face. Reassured that Hughie would be safe, Matthew left the cell and went back to his own. He went back to reading an old book which was falling apart - Matthew found himself lucky that all the pages were still together - along with suckling on a cheery flavoured sweet.

Little times such as then were a favourite of Matthew's. He could just get lost within the words of a novel and have fruit flavoured hard sweets fill his mouth. Sometimes he even pretended he was a child again, sitting crossed legged on his bed as the open window let in a cool summer wind, which made his hair fly in every direction.

He missed days like that. He missed his own bed, he missed his college friends, he missed his mother, his father, he missed Alfred. His heart broke at the thought of Alfred. For a year and a half he hadn't seen nor spoken to his brother. Alfred had sent letters for the first half of the year but Matthew never opened them, they sat in a pile inside a box hidden away beneath Matthew's bed. While Alfred had stopped writing as much as he used to, still every month a new letter would arrive for Matthew, only to be tossed into the box. Matthew knew he didn't deserve to know how well Alfred was doing.

A sharp wet laugh coming from Matthew's door made him jump and quickly shut the book. Standing by the door frame was Smith, his arms folded over his chest and his rusty teeth showing through his crooked smile. They had let him out of isolation early again.

"Hello, sweetie," Smith blew Matthew a kiss.

Over the months Matthew had stayed in Pentkuck he learned how to deal with Smith, that didn't mean he still didn't fear him.

"I'm busy," Matthew said harshly, going back to his book.

"What ya reading?" Smith asked, taking a step into the room.

Matthew ignored Smith.

"Looks like a fancy book." Smith walked to stand in front of Matthew. In one quick smooth motion he yanked the book out of Matthew's hand. It was like high school all over again for Matthew.

Matthew didn't rise to Smiths antagonism. Instead he just sat on his bed, holding out his hands for Smith to give it back.

"Animal Farm, eh?" Smith said, looking at the grubby front cover. "Once seen a porno called that. This one girl took a horses dick right in the asshole." Smiths eyes lit up with the memory. "Real hardcore." Smith spoke like an animal himself.

Matthew rolled his eyes and once they returned to Smith he noticed the bulge in his trousers. Quickly averting his eyes, Matthew grew hot and sweaty with anxiousness. Smith, however, seemed to treat his sudden erection as if it was as normal as a newly formed spot on his face.

"Can you just leave, Smith," demanded Matthew.

Smith threw down the book and stared down at Matthew, a strange glint in his eyes. "So pretty…" he cooed.

"What are you doing here, Smith?" Carlos appeared at the doorway, like a guardian angel to Matthew.

"Just leaving," Smith smiled at Carlos, before exiting the cell.

Once Smith left the cell, Matthew let out a sigh and leaned back. "Thanks for that."

"No problem," said Carlos, strolling to the pull up bar. "Why was he here?" Carlos asked, jumping up to clutch the bar.

Matthew shrugged. "He wanted my book."

"Why do they keep letting him out early all the damn time," complained Carlos, through grunts as he exercised.

"They can't keep him there forever," said Matthew.

Carlos groaned. "I wish they would, would make my life so much better."

Matthew stood up and walked to lean his shoulder on the wall, watching Carlos as he pulled himself up and down. Matthew never really liked to use the bar, her preferred to run in the back gardens or to just do a few crunches. He always admired Carlos and his dedication to keep himself fit and healthy, despite the circumstances they were both in.

"There's a new guy in Hughie's ward," mentioned Matthew.

"Yeah I saw 'em bring him through the front door, looked like he was falling asleep," Carlos said, with a smirk on his face.

"How can he look so tired, I don't think I've ever gotten a full nights sleep since I got here," Matthew rubbed his eyes. "I'm always so tired too."

Carlos dropped from the bar. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Eventually you'll sleep, this place takes a lot outta people."

Matthew shrugged. "I have an appointment with my physiatrist this week, I'll ask him for some more sleeping pills. That way we'll still have our stock and maybe I'll finally sleep."

Carlos fell to the floor, starting his push-ups. "Sounds like a good idea. Maybe you'll stop tossing and turning and let me get a decent nights sleep too."

Matthew's face went red, he hadn't realised is nightly fidgeting had caused sleep disturbance for Carlos. "I'm so sorry; I'll try not to move around so much."

Carlos grunted out a laugh. "It's fine Matthew, I was just teasing."

Letting out a breath of relief Matthew rubbed his eyes. "Please don't do that again."

"I'll try not to," murmured Carlos, half jokingly.

Matthew didn't like how bad he felt at being teased, he wished he could take back his previous words and incrouge Carlos to resume his sarcastic remarks at Matthew's expense. Being without such words thrown at him was something Matthew felt he didn't deserve such kindness.

I am a demon. I am a demon. I am a demon.

I don't deserve kindness. I don't deserve kindness. I don't deserve kindness.

A/N: This took way too long to finish and I am sorry for it being so short.

Thank you for the bottom of my heart for reading/reviewing.