CHAPTER TWELVE
2013
LITCHFIELD PENITENTIARY
Frieda headed towards her bunk, " Zoe, it's just me," she called and Zoe appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
" Did you see what's happening up there?" Zoe greeted her, " I came straight here, I wasn't going to get caught up in that. Not when I've only got four weeks left. Hope you didn't mind me hiding out down here."
Frieda put the jar of peanut butter on the shelf, " Of course not. It's better to be down here, then up there in the Purge."
She wrapped Zoe up in a hug before they cuddled up together on the cot that Frieda kept in the corner. " We can ride it out down here. I've got enough supplies to keep us going. Red thinks this riot won't last-three days tops." Frieda told her.
" Is she okay?"
" She's fine, last I saw of her, she was gong exploring."
" She's up to something," Zoe guessed as Frieda tightened her arms around Zoe. Her mouth came down onto hers hungrily and for a brief moment they both forgot about what was happening upstairs.
They'd gotten as far as taking their shirts off when they heard a loud bang, making them both jump. Frieda looked up at the ceiling, " That sounded like a gunshot," she said and got out of the cot. Zoe grabbed her arm.
" You're not going up there are you?" she asked, alarmed.
" No, but I think it's time to bring our friends down here. Where's it's safe."
Zoe went quiet, " You're going to…bring people down here?"
Zoe didn't like the idea-at all. She didn't want to be selfish, but this was their place-the only place where they can be alone. She was surprised Frieda was even considering it.
" Which friends are you talking about?" she asked finally and Frieda told her. " Just a select few," Frieda grabbed some paper and a pencil and started drawing a diagram-directions on how to find the bunker. She looked up to see Zoe frowning.
" Look, like I said before, it's better to be down here then up there in the Purge. You heard it-someone has a gun up there and it went off. Don't you want our friends safe?"
" Of course I do. Who bought in a gun? I thought the guards weren't allowed."
" They aren't. It must be one of those new guards," Frieda said, " It'll be okay-we'll all ride out this riot together." She cupped Zoe's face in her hands and kissed her.
" Our time alone has come to an end," Zoe said sighing, " and when things goes to shit down here, then don't say I didn't warn you." She went and sat back down on the cot.
Frieda watched her for a few minutes and decided this was the time. She's been thinking about doing what she'd been planning to do for a while now but there's never been the right time. And there probably won't ever be a right time. It was now or never and Frieda's hands started to sweat. She wiped them on her pants and took a deep breath.
" Zoe, I want to ask you…," Frieda stammered and cleared her throat.
" What's wrong with you?" Zoe frowned, Frieda had started getting all nervous and this was so unlike her.
Frieda got down on one knee and took Zoe's hands in hers. " Zoe Katherine McKenzie, will you marry me?"
Zoe stared at her dumbfounded. " What did you say?" she whispered.
" Will you marry me?" Frieda asked again and waited.
" Yes, Frieda, of course I'll marry you," Zoe finally said and threw her arms around Frieda's neck, almost knocking her off balance.
" Oh thank god, I actually thought you were going to say no for a minute there." Frieda sighed with relief as Zoe leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
Frieda shook her head, remembering how she proposed to Zoe just two days ago. She climbed onto the bus with the other inmates. Chapman sat down next to her. " I can't go back to Max," Frieda murmured, " I just can't. Not without Zoe…where did they take her?" she stood up suddenly, " Where is Zoe McKenzie? She should be on this bus."
" Sit down inmate. Everyone's who's meant to be on this bus, is." The guard barked.
It was the morning after they were all found in her bunker and were dragged out and onto this bus.. Frieda was tired-she had gotten no sleep and if even she could, there was no way she could close her eyes. Every time she did, she saw her. Zoe getting shot in the chest and taken away. Nobody could have survived that. There had been so much blood coming from the one person…and also the screaming. The screams from the other girls and even from herself was still ringing in her ears.
" I can't go back to Max. I just can't-not without Zoe…" Frieda murmured.
Frieda clasped Warren's hand and Zoe's. Zoe tightened her grip and looked over at Frieda. She was standing between Frieda and Red with Warren at the end. Zoe took a deep breath and exhaled, wondering if this was it.
" Frieda," she murdered and Frieda glanced over at her. There was a calm expression on the older woman's face and her blue eyes looked knowing as if she expected this was going to happen. Of course she did. Frieda is prepared for anything. Zoe thought proudly.
" I love you," Frieda said and Zoe was about to say it back when there was a loud explosion that blew in the bunker doors. Debris rained down from the ceiling as the Cert team ran in, their rifles pointing at the girls. One of the Cert team members aimed his rifle at Frieda and he looked like he was about to pull the trigger.
Frieda closed her eyes but she heard Zoe shouting, " No!" as she leaped in front of Frieda. She opened her eyes to see Zoe falling backwards to the ground and that's when Frieda saw it- the large blood stain on Zoe's shirt. The stain was quickly spreading and Frieda froze. Zoe had been shot.
" Zoe!" Frieda knelt down next to her and tried to ignore the shouts of the team members and the screams from the other ladies. She cradled Zoe in her arms and felt something sticky on her hands. Zoe's blood. Zoe's life was flowing onto the ground, soaking Frieda's pants.
" Frieda," Zoe gasped, opening her eyes. They had a dull and glazed look and her skin was grey. " I'm sorry," she said as blood trickled out of her mouth.
" What for?" Frieda asked and gently kissed her forehead. She was about to kiss her lips when someone grabbed her arms and hauled her off the floor.
" No! Zoe!" Frieda struggled against the man but he had pinned Frieda's arms behind her back. Zoe's eyes closed just as Frieda was dragged out of the bunker.
Frieda's eyes flew open as the bus stopped suddenly. They were at maximum security. God, I wish I was anywhere but here. She thought miserably as they were herded off the bus.
Frieda grabbed the walking frame and hobbled towards her new cell. It had been one week since the riots. She looked down at her heavily bandaged arms as they throbbed in sympathy. Two days after being in Ad Seg, she had tried to commit suicide. She'd been in a bad way. She had no news about Zoe and firmly believed her fiancée was dead. How could anyone survive being shot in the chest? Not only that, she had a few enemies in Max from her first time here that she would rather not see.
That's when she got a message from Red during their rec time. Red had been happy to see her best friend but not so happy to learn what Frieda had tried to do.
" If I wasn't so happy to see you, I'd kill you myself!" Red hissed, grabbing Frieda's arm, " What on earth were you thinking? What would Zoe say if she saw you?"
Frieda shook her arm free, " She ain't even here. Who knows where the fuck they took her. She could be dead for all we know!"
" I happen to know she's fine," Red whispered back, hoping this news would calm Frieda down. She'd never seen her like this before.
Frieda stopped in her tracks and stared at her, " She's…fine? How do you know? You're not just saying that to shut me up are you?"
" I overheard the guards talking about getting some new inmates. Alex Vause's name came up and so did Zoe's. They were in the same hospital together. I thought she'd be transferred to ad seg but she's being transferred straight to B block."
" She lived?"
" Yes, she lived and she's fine. So you can stop this nonsense about trying to kill yourself. It's the coward's way out and Zoe would agree with me."
" She got into Florida," Frieda mused as she kept walking around the room with Red following close behind. She was overjoyed to hear Zoe had survived and was doing fine. " But that block is neutral territory. Only for the trannies, grannies and crazies. And she's not either one of them."
" So how did she get in?" Red wondered.
" If I know my Zoe, she probably struck a deal to get into Florida. Don't forget this isn't her first time in max." Frieda replied. And she knew she had to get into Florida, no matter what it takes. A cleaner was nearby and she got an idea…
Frieda plotted. She made herself look older than she really was by stealing some cleaner's bleach and bleaching her hair and giving herself more wrinkles and dark shadows under her eyes and it worked. Not only that she took Zoe's lead and struck a deal. As long as she gave the investigator names they would hold up their end of the deal. And her plan worked. She was taken to B block. The guard lead her past several cells and she caught a glimpse of Zoe in one of them. The guard took her to her cell and once he was gone, Frieda hurried back to Zoe's cell.
" Zoe?" Frieda whispered.
Zoe whirled around and her face broke into a smile. " Oh Frieda, I knew you'd find me," she said. She was about to hug the older woman when she noticed Frieda's heavily bandaged wrists. " Oh Frieda, what did you do?" she asked, grabbing her hands.
" Oh, it's a long story," Frieda said, " but I was in a bad way when they first bought me in here. I really thought you had died and-"
" You tried to commit suicide-over me?" Zoe's face turned ashen as she stepped backwards.
" Yes but there were other things-complicated things. I'll fill you in later."
Zoe glared at her. She was upset and angry, "Frieda, harming yourself over me isn't worth it, and not only that, it's the coward's way out. I'd never expect that you of all people-"
" Please, spare the lecture, I already got it from Red." Frieda interrupted, " What's done is done and let's leave it at that."
" Okay…but I've got two more questions for you. Actually quite a few of them." She pointed to the walking frame, " What's with the walking frame and why is your hair suddenly so grey?"
" Oh that's just for show, " Frieda stepped away from it. Fuck it. She thought and opened her arms. Zoe ran into them and gave her a tight hug. Frieda cupped her face, " I actually found you," she whispered before settling her mouth down onto hers.
After a while, Frieda broke away and they sat on Zoe's bed, " How did you find me?" Zoe asked.
" From Red. We had the same rec time together. She overheard some guards talking about some new inmates arriving from the same hospital as Alex Vause and you were one of them. You weren't sent to C or D so we assumed you were sent to B. We didn't see you in ad seg." Frieda replied. Thank God she wasn't in ad seg to see me hurt myself. But then if she had been in ad seg, I might not have done what I did.
Zoe nodded, " I guess I was such in a bad way they were just going to put me back into gen pop."
" How did you get into Florida?" Frieda asked taking her hands in hers. " Florida is for grannies, trannies and the crazies."
" I have my ways," Zoe shrugged then she smirked, " Let's just say after being with you for so long, I've learned a few tricks."
" Did they give you any more time? I know that Red got ten more years because they think she was one of the leaders and that she's the one who killed the giant," Frieda winced. No thanks to her.
" One more month." Zoe sighed, " I was just three weeks away from release before the riots started and they gave me one more month because I didn't surrender peacefully. Which isn't fair considering not all the ladies who were in the bunker got extra time."
Frieda felt guilty after hearing that. She didn't get an extra time considering the bunker had been hers and yet Zoe got an month for being a victim of the riots. Life just wasn't fair sometimes.
Later that evening, it was lights out. Zoe changed into her grey nightgown and hung up her uniform. Earlier that day Frieda had submitted a change of bunkmate request and it got approved-she and Frieda were now bunkmates. Zoe glanced up at the top bunk warily. Frieda was older and obviously should have the bottom bunk. Frieda had been complaining about feeling stiff lately. But climbing up there with her sore ribs? She had taken a beating in the bathrooms earlier today because somehow some inmates heard about her crime and decided to attack her. Her ribs were sore and bruised and according to the doctor not cracked. She hadn't told Frieda about this, there was no sense worrying her when she had other worries to deal with.
Frieda entered their cell and stood in front of the mirror and tied her hair up into a bun silently. " Okay, what's wrong?" Zoe asked her after a while. Frieda put her brush down and turned to face her.
" Sophia Burset told me that you got attacked in the showers earlier today," Frieda said, " Is this true?"
" No, it's not true," Zoe replied. She reached for the top bunk but winced. Frieda pulled up her shirt and saw the big bruise that was turning yellow. She glared up at her," Now, why did you lie to me just now?"
" I just didn't want to worry you, it's nothing. "
Frieda sat down on the bottom bunk and patted the space next to her, " No it's not nothing-"
" It really is. This is nothing compared to what I got when I first came to Max. The guards used to beat me daily. It won't happen again."
" Now how can you be sure it won't? " Frieda demanded, " What colours were they wearing?"
" Blue. "
" From C block," Frieda sighed.
" Why what's the big deal?"
" It doesn't matter. From now on, I'll be coming with you to the bathrooms. Safety in numbers." Frieda ran a hand through Zoe's long brown hair just as the lights went out and their cell door was shut and locked.
Frieda laid down in her bed and Zoe started to head up but Frieda grabbed her arm, " You are too sore to climb up-stay here with me," Frieda said, moving over to make room. Zoe climbed inside Frieda's bed. Frieda hugged her close without hugging too tightly. Zoe craned her neck as Frieda captured Zoe's lips with hers. She slid a hand up Zoe's nightgown as Zoe returned the kiss feverishly.
It's been too long since we did this, a whole week. Frieda thought as she rolled on top of Zoe and they made love. " What about you?" Zoe whispered.
" I'm just happy to be here with you." Frieda replied kissing her on the forehead.
" No, it's my turn," Zoe insisted and Frieda surrendered herself to Zoe. After a while, Zoe rolled off Frieda and for the first time since she arrived at Max, Frieda slept.
Ten Years Ago
Litchfield Maximum Security Prison
Zoe's eyes opened and she found herself in the medical unit of maximum security. Her whole body throbbed with pain and so did the side of her face. Her mind went back to two days ago when she was in administration seg, getting beaten up savagely by the male guards. She must have blacked out because anything after that was a total blank.
There was a bed table nearby with a cup of water and straw. She tried to reach it but the table was a bit further away than it appeared. When she stretched her arm out, her body shook with white-hot pain.
A shadow fell over her and a sympathetic voice said, " Here, let me help you." She looked up to see a tall woman with long black hair hover over her. She wore a hospital nightgown, her arm was in a sling and her face was bruised.
Zoe struggled to sit up as the woman adjusted Zoe's pillows and picked up the cup of water. She aimed the straw to Zoe's lips and Zoe drank thirstily. The cold water hurt her insides going down.
" Your lips are so cracked," the woman took her own cup of water and fished some ice out, " here have some ice,"
Zoe chewed on the ice-it felt so nice and cold. " Thanks…how long have I been here?"
" Two days," the woman replied, " You have a concussion and a few bruises and cuts. They found you in the bathroom-they say there was a lot of blood." She gestured to Zoe's uniform, " You're wearing orange so I'm guessing you're new."
" I've only been here a week."
" What are you in here for?" the other woman asked curiously but Zoe kept quiet.
" I'm Barb Denning," the woman said pulling a chair next to Zoe's bed, " You were a mess when they bought you in. I was told you were beaten up by the male guards."
" Yes-and I'm Zoe."
" I know." Barb said.
" Why are you helping me?"
" Because I've been where you are," Barb said pointing to her face, " I was attacked by some of my sister's followers a few days ago."
" You have a sister in here?" Zoe thought Barb's last name sounded familiar.
" Carol, but she's not worth wasting time over. How long do you have kiddo?" Barb asked.
" Ten years. My original sentence was seven but the judge thought I showed no remorse for what I did."
" What did you do?" Barb asked again.
" I killed my sister's abusive boyfriend. And she was the one who turned me in."
" Ungrateful bitch," Barb snorted and Zoe nodded in agreement.
" Well, we have something in common then, we both have bitch sisters." Barb said and she raised her cup and "clinked" it against Zoe's.
