Chapter nine

Piper didn't sleep that night. Not even for a second. Every time Parker rolled over, Piper would freeze. She was not good at playing it cool. She couldn't die with Alex and Larry both hating her. They were the only people who really mattered.
Piper glanced sheepishly across her room, at Parker. Parker was fast asleep. Beside her bed, on a small table was a black book. Piper wondered what was in it. She studied Parker, convinced she was asleep, Piper climbed out of her bed and snuck over to Parker's bedside table as gingerly as possible. Piper picked up the book and began reading it. It was a list of names. And Piper's was on it, right beneath Nicky's, and Norma's. Piper's jaw hung open. Was she Parker's next victim? Is that what the list meant? She felt a familiar surge of alarm pulse through her.
"The hell are you doing?" Parker grumbled. Piper put the book back on the bedside table, "I was just looking for something to read."
"In the dark. At three in the morning?"
"Yes, for tomorrow. In advance. I didn't read anything. I promise. I thought it was my book, but it isn't. It's definitely not. " Piper rambled.
"Look Chapman, freak out in the day. Right now, I want to sleep. Disturb me again and..."
"I won't. I will never disturb you," she said perhaps too eagerly, "ever."
Parker frowned at Piper, then rolled over and went to sleep.
Piper felt like she couldn't breathe, her throat seized up. She hurried out of her room and pressed her back against the wall. She began hyperventilating, and whispering to herself. Trying her best to freak out without awaking any of the other inmates.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Fuck. Shit fuck."

Mendez studied Red, "and why would I wanna help you?"
"Because you knocked up the latina." Red said simply. Morello glanced from Mendez to Red, she knew the role she had to play in all of this. Together they'd get that bitch back for what she did to Nicky. Watching Red play Mendez impressed and alarmed Morello, but she understood that there was a certain way to handle things in prison, so she never question Red.
Mendez stared at Red, "What do you need me to do."
"I've told you the plan, but just be ready, okay?"
Mendez nodded, "But if any of us get caught, I'm taking you down with me."
"I know what I'm doing." Red said. She glanced at the pretzels Piper had given her from Nicky, she took a deep breath. It was time to implement her plan.
"Good luck." Red said to Morello and Mendez, then headed into the canteen.

Pennsatucky sat at the table for lunch, she glanced Chapman. Chapman seemed subdued today, panicked. She was sat alone staring at her food rather than eating. She glared at Chapman. That skank. Pennsatucky prayed she was always in distress. She ate her lunch, enjoying the bland mashed potato the canteen served. A group of inmates walked passed her table. She glanced at them. You had to be on your guard in places like this. If the lord gave you senses, he expected you to use them. She glanced back at her plate and froze as she looked down. The small transparent packet stared right back at her. The white powder seemed holier than holy. She hadn't touched drugs in a long time. Maybe the lord was giving her a little something for all her hard work in here. She covertly slid the packet off the table and into her hands, then slipped out of the canteen, unaware she was being watched.
Red smirked to herself. This was too easy. She headed over to Parker. "Rumour has it, your business has competition in the Litch."
Parker just looked at Red.
"Don't believe me, head on down to the laundry room and see for yourself."
Parker studied Red, "what's your play, Red?"
"No play. Just a peace offering of sorts." With that Red walked away, giving Morello a slight nod. Morello clumsily bumped into Parker, who shoved Morello hard.
"Watch where you're going!"
"Sorry, sorry. I wasn't looking..." Morello said, raising her hands in surrender and walking off with her head down. Morello fought back a smile, she could still pickpocket like she used to. Parker waited for Red to leave the canteen before giving in to curiosity. Once the coast was clear, she slid out of the canteen and headed down to the laundry room.

Alex put another batch in the machine. She heard a sound from around the corner, but she ignored it. It was probably a rat, or some inmate up to no good. She continued what she was doing, paying no attention to the clatter and rustling coming from a few feet away.
All of a sudden, the feeble Pennsatucky hurtled into a dryer with a loud thud.
She groaned, Alex's eyes darted from Pennsatucky to the attacker, it was Parker. Alex noticed Pennsatucky's glazed over eyes. She was on something. And this was not a fair fight.
"I asked you a question." Parker warned. Alex stayed silent as Parker grabbed Pennsatucky by the collar and shoved her into the dryer again.
"I told you-it just appeared! Must've been the lord-"
Parker opened a dryer door and shoved Pennsatucky inside; Pennsatucky started panicking, "I swear to you! I SWEAR! I have NO idea where it came from!"
"You'll be boiled alive. The heat'll make your skin shrivel and peel off—"
Alex couldn't watch anymore, it was cruel to just stand there.
"Come on-" Alex said, "this is getting out of hand, leave her alone. Ask her when she's not doped up."
Parker slammed Alex into the wall, then shut the door and locked it.
"Don't. Tell me what to do." Parker barked.
"What's going on?" Piper's voice interrupted the fight.
"Get lost Chapman—" Parker warned.
"Piper. Go." Alex ordered.
"Not until you tell me what's going on." Piper's eyes shot to a packet of drugs on the floor.
"Are you using again?" Piper asked Alex.
Alex frowned, "what? No."
"Take your domestic and get out of here-" Parker warned them.
"Let's go." Piper said. Alex shook her head.
"No. No way am I leaving Pennsatucky in there to burn alive—even though she does deserve it."Piper watched in terror as the two women squared off. Parker stepped toward Alex, holding her gaze in an ice cold glare.
"We have a problem?"
"Yeah. I guess we do."
Parker shoved Alex, and pushed the power button on the dryer. Alex shoved her back hard enough to make her lose her footing.
"Help me!" Pennsatucky screeched as the dryer began to spin.
"Alex!" Piper yelled in alarm.
"Get Pennsatucky out of there!" Alex ordered as Parker pinned Alex against the wall. Parker was a hundred pounds heavier than Alex, something Alex wished she had considered properly before defending the ungrateful hillbilly.
Piper fumbled with the dryer and pulled Pennsatucky out. Alex slammed her knee in Parker's crotch, Parker groaned and fell back. A razor wedged into a toothbrush fell out of her pocket. Alex grappled Parker so she couldn't reach it. Parker head butted Alex hard.
"What's going on in here?!" Mendez's voice yelled as he raced into the laundry room. Parker froze as she held the hand-made weapon over Alex's head. Bennett raced in moments later.
"Those drugs?"
"They're hers!" Pennsatucky declared, pointing at Alex. Alex stared at Pennsatucky. Piper just watched in horror as every thing unfolded in front of her.
"Put down the weapon, inmate!"
"It's not how it looks-" Parker tried, but Mendez wasn't having any of it. He handcuffed her, then Vause.
"I tried to save you." Alex spat at Pennsatucky.
"I'll pray for you." Pennsatucky retorted.
"It's SHU for the two of you. Drugs and weapons are serious offences."
"This isn't fair..." Piper interjected.
"It's prison. Not court." Mendez said as he marched Parker out. Bennett marched Alex out, Piper followed close behind.
"How long are you gonna keep her in there?"
Bennett didn't answer her.
"Alex, what the hell happened?!" Piper demanded. Alex gave Piper a calm shrug.
"I asked for space, and I'm about to get some."
Piper stared at the strong brunette. She wished Alex wasn't so preoccupied with seeming stronger than she was. Piper barely lasted two days in SHU.
"That's all you have to say to me?" Piper asked, at a loss.
"Yep." Alex said with a shrug.
Piper stared sadly, as the COs marched Alex and Parker out of the laundry room in cuffs.
Alex was shutting herself off from Piper, and today was the first time Piper had realised. Even when Alex had asked for space, Piper didn't think Alex would really be able to pull out of what they had. She thought they were both in too deep to ever be able to pull out.
Her heart began to sink as she realised she may never see Alex again. She turned to Pennsatucky, "What happened?"
"I found Vause doing drugs, and Parker attacked me." Pennsatucky lied, Piper studied her.
"You sure know how to pick 'em." Pennsatucky said then walked away. Piper was left to stand in the aftermath of all the insanity that had just played out. If Alex was using again, then she deserved to be in SHU. Were her and Alex really finished?