Chapter Thirty Seven

Healy wouldn't let Piper leave until he got radio confirmation that Alex was in the SHU. He was pissed off and disappointed. Caputo wasted no time calling him and berating him about his "pet prisoner" selling drugs under his nose.

"You tell me that when you have proof. I don't think she is going to quietly fade away in SEG without proof. You still have the Bureau of Prisons watching your every move," Healy shot back. Piper couldn't focus on anything but the small glimmer of hope that Alex would be returned.

"You going to be okay with this Chapman?"

Piper blinked and looked at him. Is he serious? She felt her anger push to the surface and she started to open her mouth and let him have it. It was at that moment that Red entered.

"Sorry to interrupt but here are those new Three DO4 forms you ordered. I know you're behind on those," she said walking to his desk with authority. She looked over at Piper and gave her one of those scary stares that she knew meant she should keep her mouth shut.

"Thanks Red, look I need to do some investigating myself. You can have the afternoon off if you take Chapman back to your bunk and make sure she stays out of scuffles or situations where her mouth will end her up in the SHU. Vause was just taken there and...they don't take it well when the other is locked away from them," he said in a grudging voice that made Piper cringe. Well maybe there was a silver lining to the cloud of suckiness that surrounds her. Healy could see a lesbian relationship is real. Next, he might actually start to believe in female orgasms. He had them wait to leave while he went out in the hall.

Red didn't really speak to her about Alex at first. . She told Piper about her conversation with her husband. She talked about which stoves were going in her kitchen. Piper listened to her as if she was on the TV with the mute button toggled. Her anger swirled and flared in her stomach. She couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening to them. She wanted to scream Alex's name but bit her cheek instead.

"You keep it together, my girl. You can do this. She is a long way from totally lost. She has a lawyer and if anyone can wiggle their way out of this, it is that tall woman you love so desperately," Red said finally out of the blue.

"She was with me..." Piper pointed to the chair where Alex always sat. She knew then that there was no way she would have missed this meeting. This time each week where they talk and she watches Alex manipulate Healy with ease...it had become so important to her. They steadily learned to talk there. It was guarded but open as well. Piper wondered if Alex set up this time to give them that each week. She said it again, "She was with me."

The door opened and Healy entered with a red face. Piper knew that face well enough to know he had argued with Caputo. He walked behind his desk and pulled out a book. He then reached in his desk and pulled out a cell phone. Piper blinked and looked at him with a question in her gaze.

"You two go back to the dorm now. Do I need to send an escort Chapman?" he asked.

Red stepped forward and held up her hand. "Inmate Chapman and I will enjoy our afternoon in our bunk. Don't forget to call Officer Luschek so she doesn't get a shot for skipping work and you have a call with the county parole board secretary at 3:30." Her words seemed to seep into a well trained and organized mind. He nodded and scribbled something down on a sticky note as Red steered her out the door.

Piper walked beside Red and tried to calm her raging mind. She imagined Alex in that fucking hole, wiping off the sink and spigot with the TP or her sleeve. She prayed that the same guard wasn't on duty. It started a panic in her mind...her heart started to pound. She looked frantically around and then darted for the door towards the track. A guard, Montgomery, yelled at her and she just kept moving. Montgomery reached out and yanked her back by her uniform.

"I said no running inmate, Hit the ground now!"

Piper wanted to turn and hit him. She felt the anger surge in her body and her hand formed a fist. Red was there in an instant! "Stop it, hit the ground now Piper!"

Automatically, Piper dropped to her knees in the threshold of the door. She pressed her body down and Red followed suit, placating the irate officer the entire time.

"She wasn't running, she just got bad news is all...she is a good inmate," Red said over and over. Piper just covered her head with her hands and crossed her legs. He yelled at her for running and Piper just said stone silent. Eventually he told them to get up and get back to the dorm or he'd write them both a shot. Piper knew that wasn't fair to Red but she didn't say anything. If she started talking she wasn't sure what would come out of her mouth.

On the way, Red told her what happened. McAdam was moving the book cart from the medical unit back to the library. She stopped off in laundry to pick up the heroin from the new vent where it was hidden. She was stopped by Officer Banner at the door and he did a thorough search of the cart. He found the stuff and brought McAdam down.

"She fought, for no reason... where are you running here in prison? She was roughed up some and then taken to the SHU. Caputo came in and only cared about what Vause was doing. He sent them to get her right away, even though McAdam told him there was no proof she did anything. Don't worry, they will have to call in investigators," Red assured her.

Piper knew there would be no proof that Alex had ever touched the drugs, because she didn't. McAdam had assumed the risk, probably because Alex told her that was what she had to do to get a cut of the profit. Now Piper just had to pray that McAdam would take the time without ratting out Alex. Her own lover had sold her out for less time; she had no doubt that McAdam was going to turn her in to the authorities.

Others were still at work but the news was spreading. Inmates whispered as she passed them and she could tell that many were worried she was going to hurt someone. Hell, Piper was worried as well. She didn't respond to Red but went to her bunk, sat...took off her boots and turned on her side. She curled up under Miss Claudette's blanket and stared at the white wall.

Had their time in the shower that morning been a goodbye? Thinking back on it, Piper could see how intense Alex was being. She pushed herself on Piper when they weren't in a good spot. She pushed her lover to orgasm as if she was claiming her...imprinting on her. Piper's eyes filled with tears but she bit back a sob. She knew she couldn't control the wailing or cursing if it slipped out. Piper had pushed down her fear and anxiety over what happened in the shower when they were locked in the SHU. She had kept her distance from men in close quarters and seeing Alex each day had made the nightmares stop.

She sat up suddenly and looked at Red. Without her saying a word, Red, reached in her desk and brought Piper the note that Alex left her. Piper was too upset to read it but now...now it may be the last thing from her she gets to read in a long while.

Piper whispered thank you and opened the note. It was written in her block capital style that was all Alex.

Dear Pipes,

I know it is hard to trust me. Like I said before, I am a master of fucking things up. I am taking risks that I normally wouldn't ever take because I have no choice. Please baby, please meet me somewhere so I can explain more in person. Pipes, don't give up just yet. I know I have no right to ask you but please baby.

I really need us to meet on Tuesday with Healy and we have to talk before that.

I heart ya kid A

Piper curled up with the note. Red sat beside her on the bed and just rubbed her shoulder. She wasn't offering words to encouragement, she simply tried to let Piper know she wasn't alone. Alex had been so sweet, courting her these last few weeks. It was out of character really...mushy and full of sweetness that she never showed when she was a big deal drug importer. Piper fell in love again with the prisoner Alex...with the one that left her in Chicago and felt such guilt over her hand in everything that has happened to Piper since she was incarcerated.

Piper understood that guilt. She was responsible for everything Alex is experiencing now. Piper was totally at fault because she is selfish. Her love should be on a beach somewhere, under a different name...flirting with hot girls and living safely away from Kubra. But instead, she was in a 7x9 cell, living in filth and eating food not fit for a dog. Piper could only pray she didn't have to take a shower that day.

She fixed her eyes and stared at a spot on the wall by her bunk. Red got up and went about writing letters to her husband. Piper just tried not to think and actively sought the darkness in her mind. Time passed and she felt a body behind her. At first she thought it was Alex, then she heard Nicky in her ear.

"I'm here. She is one tough as woman and she'll be okay. You gotta hang in there, she is going to need you when she gets out," Nicky said, repeating the same advice she gave her when Lorna was in the SHU.

"If McAdam gives her up, I'll not see her until..." Piper's voice broke. She would have to wait until she was out and Alex let her visit. The time would go form nine to...however many years she got for this. Piper had no clue how much heroin it was...she turned on her bunk and looked at Nicky. Her body ached when she moved and Piper realized she had been stone still for a long time. Nicky was off work and the light had changed. She really didn't care.

"How much was it?"

Nicky knew immediately what she was asking. "No sense in trying to guess. Fact is it wasn't found in her possession. McAdam is the one that has to worry about it." Piper glared at her and reached up to take her face in her hands. Nicky stilled and met her gaze. Piper saw how worried she was about Alex...about her.

"Tell me."

Nicky looked down, not meeting her gaze now. Piper lifted her chin and poured her determination into her gaze. She knew that Nicky could answer this question with real accuracy. Nicky winced and told her. "Judging from the size of the total amount, value in here that they will jack up..she is looking at least twenty-five more years if convicted." Piper sobbed then. She didn't cry all that time, maybe she was waiting on Nicky without even knowing it. Her worse fears were spoken. Alex could be in prison for the rest of her life. Piper screamed her name and it echoed throughout the dorm. The officers didn't say anything, they just moved into the guard room and closed the door to the saddest sound many had ever heard.

***Hard to write this...such sad place in the story with such joy in my life. NC finally struck down its same sex marriage ban. Woohoo, y'all have no idea. Now we just need the policy changed where we are protected from being fired for being LGBT. Please review and yes I will try and update soon. Peace,Fae***