Chapter Ten: Trait
A/N: Oh look a 10th chapter. Honestly this was supposed to be uber short, like 5 chapters short but I found out I couldn't tell the whole thing in under that small of a window. Idk if this'll go to 20 though, that's a bit much tbh.
Anyways. Yeah.
You've noticed the difference.
It's been three days since you and Katherine were thrown into the Silo. Two since you found the crevice in the wall. And in those past days you and Katherine have yet to hold another actual conversation but it's different now. Now the icy tension that came with ignoring and skirting around each other in a small space is gone.
You don't exchange words but you also don't exchange glares either, so that's a win/win.
Though you still don't know what to do about the map and the key card. You're not entirely sure how she plans to do it but you know they're connected and that key card is nondescript because instead of certain doors it's a master key. One that can give her access to just about any door to make all that sneaking she inevitably plans to do that much easier.
You scratch your head and think that maybe you should just ask.
"Elena," you look up in time to see a flash of brown hair as Katherine herself pushes you back. Talk about the devil… or well think about. You take the steps backwards as she leads you to an empty hallway. "Has Isobel talked to you recently? Like maybe today recently?"
You take in her expression and shake your head, "No. Why?"
She sighs but she doesn't waste time, "Every 20th of the month she makes me do something in exchange for her clue. I haven't seen her today at all."
"I haven't seen her either, actually," you say. In fact, you've been extra attentive of her presence since the whole Ilia Flemming revelation and you can't remember seeing her much besides the cafeteria. You frown then when something occurs to you. "Makes you do something. Like what?"
"Nothing," Katherine shakes her head, "Random things. It doesn't matter. You haven't seen her. I haven't seen her."
The Section Blocks are big but they aren't that enormous so you have to wonder where else Isobel could be.
Katherine bites her lip before turning to leave, "Tell me if you do."
She walks away and for a moment you wonder if the maps are for Isobel. Maybe Katherine has nothing planned whatsoever but then you shake your head. That's as stupid as thinking she doesn't know they're there to begin with. And honestly, the only way you'll get a straight answer is to ask her yourself.
You glance down the empty hall behind you before making your way to the corridors that lead to Block D's cafeteria. When you have your food you notice that Bonnie isn't sitting anywhere. She's missing too, apparently, but you do spot Katherine with Caroline, Rebekah and two other people who you've seen around. Sage is in a table with Sierra, and three other people. Most people are coming back from their work so they filter in slowly, depending on how far down they work on Port Hill property. You and Caroline finished work a couple of hours ago, so you were stuck in your cell for a while by yourself. You go to one of the empty tables to sit, not minding the continued seclusion but also kind of wishing Bonnie was there to ramble your ear off.
You're halfway through your food when a ruckus starts up a table down from you. You ignore them but then can't help but glance when someone shouts.
"No way!"
"What? What is it?" someone else joins in.
"No, I shouldn't," the main narrating voice that's been chatting this whole time feigns. You're sure she's feigning because she only gets louder as she talks.
"Oh come on!"
"Yeah, this is good!"
"Okay," the woman says excitedly and you turn back to your food. "Well, you guys know Stacey from Block C? The quiet one that goes around and hands out the bed sheets?"
You hear people confirm, nodding and grunting for her to continue.
"Well she's in here because she's some crazy ass stalker. I mean her file says that even after two restraining orders and a warning she stalked and threatened her ex and his new girlfriend before actually going out and beating him with a golf club."
There's mumbling and someone kisses their teeth, "It's the quiet ones you need to watch out for, my grandma always said."
You roll your eyes as everyone gathered at their table agrees like they know what they're even talking about.
"Oh, but get this. You guys are going to love it. I always save the best for last. You know that girl," there's a long pause and you feel eyes. "That girl that looks like Katherine," the initial narrator continues and you look up now. A lot of the other surrounding tables are glancing to the table but the person talking is looking directly at you. You straighten at her smug expression. "That's right, I know exactly why she's here."
There's a soft murmur that quickly hushes out and you feel everyone looking between you and this girl.
"I mean why else but murder, right?"
You tense. You don't say anything but already you're half turned in your chair with your hand loosely holding your plastic fork.
"At work some of the newer files came in for us to sort. And I mean damn, a rich girl killing her poor old grandfather isn't enough. The other one has to be in here for killing her brother too."
Your face hardens as the woman's taunting voice rings loudly in the sudden silence of the cafeteria. Red. Red everywhere.
"Talk about a family trait."
There's no time to register what your feet are doing; what your hands are doing as they shove people out of your way and your fist connects with something hard. You get pushed, kicked back even but you fight it. Rage fill your eyes and you want nothing more than to shut this woman up even though she's not currently saying a word. She scratches at you but you don't even flinch. Someone else grabs your arm and another pair of hands grabs the other. The woman, whatever her name is, sits up to hit you but she also gets pulled back.
When you're let go you take the chance to go for it again but someone grabs you by the shoulder, turning you halfway. You make to shove them off.
"Elena, calm. Down." you hear Katherine over everyone else as she moves to block your angry glare. Her hand is on your arm and she pushes you at arm's length so that you look to her. "Calm down."
"I don't know who you are," your eyes go over her shoulder instead as you shout to the woman who's now sitting, "but you need to shut the fuck up right now! You have no idea what you're talking about!"
The woman heaves a breath as she too is being told to relax but she smirks when she hears you.
"You don't need to know me but unfortunately, we all now know who you are, murderer."
Right now you don't feel guilt. Right now all you feel is anger because even in a room full of criminals that word makes you feel so dirty. That label doesn't belong to you and no one is allowed to call you that. You are innocent. Innocent.
You push Katherine out of the way and cover the distance in two strides, effectively catching the woman's head in your hand and snapping it to the side onto the table. There's a collective gasp that is soon drowned out by shouts when the woman rolls off the chair taking you with her. You don't feel anything physically.
You're angry. You're so angry and every chance you get you hit and kick and pull. You barely register the red on your knuckles when you pull back from a punch and in what feels like five seconds you're being restrained by hands. A pair, three pairs, five.
The other woman is the same, being forced face down and it's only when you tear your eyes from her do you realize the people holding you this time are in uniform. And not the blue kind.
When you're forced to stand you feel something on your side pull and you wince from the pain.
"Okay, folks, shows over. So is dinner," the other surrounding guards are pushing people back, "Get out of here."
You breathe slowly as two people escort you with your wrists cuffed behind your back. For a split second you make eye contact with Katherine in the crowd. She doesn't look concerned nor does she look offended that you literally shoved her out of the way earlier either. You can't read her expression.
Ah, fuck, you think when you're pushed through a pair of doors. You want nothing more than to stop and take a breath, if not because you recognize that the corridor is starting to lead towards the Warden but then for the injuries you haven't started feeling till now.
Behind you the other woman is also being led to the same destination.
Talk about a family trait.
The audacity some people have have always astounded you and the blundering way she said those things? You don't care if Katherine did or did not kill Viktor Pierce. Killing family members is not some heritable attribute because even if it was, it wouldn't apply to you. It will never apply to you. You are innocent, you know yourself and no one—not some judge or files or some stranger—can prove to you any otherwise.
You calm down.
Though calm doesn't mean you're still not seething. It just means you're done trying to beat someone silent (deep deep down you know that doesn't change anything. No amount of anger will change anything now) and you're ready to sit in front of a doctor and get patched up.
Lockwood tells you that you're going to have some extra duty during your free time for the next five days. You hadn't argued. Actually you hadn't been listening to her all that much because all you could think about was what that girl said. To you. To everyone.
You bite your lip at the thought and proceed to banish the entire thing from your head because what happened back then—that thing that sent you here—is not something you want to have deep thoughts on ever again.
You take a deep breath. It's a bit rough as if something is grating on your side like you broke a rib.
Wouldn't be surprised, you clench your teeth, feeling the pull of tender muscles in your jaw as you look down at your hand. Right now you're sitting on one of the infirmary beds. You noticed the amount of people on the other beds when you came in so you pulled your curtain closed the second the guards left you alone. Your hand is shaking, you notice and it's a bit bloody but you're pretty sure it's mostly that woman's rather than yours.
"Elena?" a man in a white lab coat comes in, pushing back the curtain a bit as he introduces himself. "My name is Dr. Saltzman. It's Elena Gilbert, right?"
He's looking at the clipboard in his hands.
"Yeah."
"Okay," he places it down on the table beside the bed, "Can I ask what happened?"
"I got in a fight."
"Can I ask about what?"
"Shouldn't you just ask where it hurts?" you say curtly. He doesn't need to know beyond that but he isn't the least bit taken aback at you, in fact if anything his lips turn in amusement. "What?"
"If I didn't know any better I'd think I was talking to Katherine," he says, and then clarifies, "Pierce. If you know any other Katherine."
You don't say anything but you think he's a bit cheeky for a doctor.
"So, Elena, what hurts?"
"My side," you breathe in and out again, "I think I broke a rib. And my hand kinda hurts."
You hold up your bloody hand and he nods, "Okay then. Let's start with getting that cleaned up."
He pulls up a wash basin and you rinse your hand. When it's clean you see that you have a few small scrapes around your knuckles.
"Can you make a fist, Elena?" he asks after you dry it. You do it, but there's a pull on your knuckles and your hand is still shaking. It's faint but he notices anyways and makes you compare your hands to find any swelling. There's not much of a difference.
"Now try touching each of your fingers to your thumb," he instructs.
You try and do it. It hurts a bit but that's to be expected. He then takes your right hand and gently presses his thumb in places that hurt.
"It doesn't seem broken or fractured. I'd say it's just bruised but we can get an x ray just in case."
You nod. Hopefully your ribs are just bruised too. You'd definitely settle for bruised after being stupid enough to be provoked into a fight.
"Sounds good," you say with a nod.
"You surprise me, Elena."
Your eyes move to the curtain where Isobel is approaching from the door, sauntering in that way of hers with swaying hips and unadulterated certainty in her eyes. She blindsides you with her presence, mostly because you've been too occupied trying to simmer down and you hadn't thought about her since the conversation with Katherine.
"I thought for sure you and Katherine were polar opposites, but after seeing Penny I guess you're more alike than you seem."
She smiles at you, gently—sweetly even, and shrugs, "Must be a twin thing."