Winter was cold and Piper found herself fighting depression. Her job was going well. She had two surprise visits from her Parole Officer in January and got permission to go see her ailing grandmother. She missed one of her meetings with Roger because he was out of town on business. The wait had made her anxious and she didn't sleep well. She didn't jerk awake anymore expecting to be in trouble for being out of her bunk. She took that as a small victory. Yet she would still be plagued by nightmares about something happening to Alex. She stopped taking her anxiety medicine. She didn't like how it made her feel.
Larry called her a week after New Years and they talked. He asked her out for the next week and he brought flowers when he picked her up. It was great to see him and talk. She missed their friendship when they didn't speak. He kissed her goodnight at the end of the night and walked straight back to his car. She didn't feel the need to make an excuse about why he couldn't come in. It was nice.
Piper got the flu in February and missed two days of work. Her PO came by for a surprise visit. He was in a mood and accused her of laying out of work. She told him she took off the morning only and was going in to work. He offered to drive her. She got dressed and dragged herself in to the office. Her boss, Steve, was flabbergasted to see her at the office door midday. Half of the office was down with the flu. Piper remembered fighting it off last year and assured him she was fine. She worked through the afternoon and as she rode the subway home she fell to sleep. Piper woke hours later in the wee hours of the morning, way past her stop and was confused. She recognized that she has a high fever and got off the subway. She called Polly but it went to voicemail so she had to call their house phone. Polly answered and Piper waited for her to come get her.
She slept in the car all the way back to Brooklyn. Polly couldn't really wake her up when she got her home and when Piper actually woke up it was in the ER. Her temperature had spiked so high that Polly was terrified. Piper was severely dehydrated and they admitted her. She woke some time later with a start.
"Hello darling, good to see you awake. Here drink this," her mother said. Piper sipped on some water and winced. Her throat was so sore and she felt a sense of deja vu at this scene. She looked around and didn't see Polly and checked her wrists weren't cuffed.
"Mom, where am I?" she asked. The last thing she remembered clearly was getting on the subway. Her mom told her that she had gone in to work when she shouldn't have because of her parole officer.
"I called him. I told him that if he put your life in danger again I'd report him. I told him that I worried the entire time you were in Prison and I wasn't about to do it now you are out. He apologized if he bullied you in to going in to work." She said with pride. Piper hoped she didn't pay for her mom's tirade and admitted to herself that she was probably more like her mother than she thought.
"What...day is it mom?" she asked as she saw the sun was dim in the window. She told her it was Friday evening and Piper panicked. She was supposed to meet Roger for lunch that day.
"Where is my phone?" she demanded, sitting up in her bed so fast she was dizzy. Her mom told her that it had died after she called Polly. Her mother made her lay back down.
"Piper calm down. You still have a fever and the flu. The doctors said there are many in the hospital with it and you have to take this seriously." Piper tried to protest but she could only lay there weakly. How could she explain to her mother that she had missed a meeting and a call from Alex? She knew Roger and Alex were worried.
Piper found her panic rising and it made her breath more labored. The alarms went off on a machine and the nurse came in to check. She put Piper on oxygen and she asked for her phone to be plugged in somewhere. The nurse took it and tried to placate her while she pushed something in to her IV. Too late she realized it was a sedative and she was out.
It was some time later when Piper woke up. No one was in her room and it took her a long time to come fully awake. It was dark outside and she had to use the bathroom. She took off her oxygen and moved to stand up. She swayed and had to pull her IV stand with her but she made it to the bathroom. Once she was relieved she was determined to find her phone. She made it to the door and hand to lean against the wall. The door opened and Larry stood there with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Fuck Piper, get back in bed. Damn." He said in a concerned voice. Piper clenched her teeth with frustration. Where was Polly? Where was her phone? She told him she was fine but he put his coffee down and made her go back to bed. He also made her put her oxygen back over her ears.
"I just want my phone." She tried meekly.
"Damn Piper, I know you're addicted to twitter but that is a bit much," he teased, "I have it here in the drawer but it has to stay off in the hospital, it interferes with the instruments. Would you like me to call someone? I can go outside to make it."
Piper looked at him and realized with her heart falling that there was nothing that he could do. "Um I want to talk to Polly. "
"It is late Pipes. She had to go pick of Finn and she is home. I mean we don't want Finn exposed." He explained. Piper nodded and closed her eyes. Larry sipped his coffee and Piper asked for some water. He offered her some food but the thought of it made her stomach roll. She couldn't believe she had to wait longer to tell Roger. She hoped that Alex had called Polly and knew she was alright.
"So you got the night shift?" Piper teased smiling at him.
He shrugged and said, "Last time you were in the hospital, I wasn't allowed to visit. It is nice to be able to sit with you." Piper reached out and patted his hand. She soon fell back to sleep and was troubled with dreams of Alex locked in the SHU again.
It was morning when she opened her eyes and she saw Polly sitting beside her with a mask on reading a book. Piper swallowed and felt less pain. She looked around the room to see if Larry was there. Polly seemed to know what she was looking for and told her Larry had gone home.
"He was here all night. He said you , got up looking for your phone and had dreams. Your fever is down now. " Polly said.
"I was supposed to meet Roger yesterday. Did she call?" Piper asked trying to sit up. Polly adjusted her bed so she could sit up some. Piper coughed but was able to settle in a few minutes.
"No but I left my phone in Finn's crib and it went dead. Remember you had to call the house phone. " Polly explained, " I checked yours and Roger left you three messages. The first was while sitting at the restaurant and the last two were later in the day. I called him back and left a message when I got here an hour ago. I'm not supposed to but I have your phone on, nothing yet."
Piper winced. She didn't like the waiting. She couldn't stand that Alex didn't know if she was alright. Piper asked when the doctor was on rounds, when she could go home. They said this flu was serious and she needed rest. They wouldn't really answer the question and it frustrated her as well. Piper tried to get up on her own to go to the bathroom. She was even more weak than the night before. Polly came over to help but Piper wouldn't let her touch her. She had a healthy child at home. Polly called the nurse and they made her get back in the bed, bringing the dreaded metal bedpan.
Piper waited as long as she could and snuck her phone out to call Roger. It rang twice when he picked up. "Piper? Are you okay?" He questioned upon answering.
Piper cleared her throat to speak, "I'm fine. Did she call?"
"Yes. She was ...very upset that you didn't show for the meeting. I told her that maybe you had got busy at work. What happened?" he demanded again. She could tell he was angry.
Piper swallowed to talk again, "I have the flu, nothing to worry about..." she began. Polly took the phone from her and wiped it with her handy wipe.
"Roger this is Polly, Piper's best friend. She tried to stay home and her asshole of a parole officer did a pop visit and heckled her in to going to work. He must have been on crack because he accused her of laying out of work and questioned if she was high on pills. She tried to show she was fine and went in to work sick. She fell to sleep on the fucking subway. On the subway! Hours later, in the middle of the night, she called me. I got her and now she is in Methodist. " Polly spewed it all to him. Piper was grateful.
"Is she calling him today? Did he talk to her..give me back.." Piper said sitting up and reaching for the phone. Polly rolled her eyes and handed it over. "Roger did she call again?"
"Yes, hun, she did. I'm sorry you're sick but glad you aren't dead in a ditch, as my mother would say. She called me at dinner time and this morning before she went to work. She is very scared. I expect another call as soon as she can. Do you want me to tell her to call Polly?" he asked. Piper asked Polly if she had her phone. She pulled it out of her bag and turned it on. "Yes please." Piper dropped her arm some and let the phone lay on her face rather than actually hold her arm up. She couldn't believe how weak she felt.
Roger told her to get better and he'd see her soon. Piper hung up the phone and put it under her covers. Her breakfast came in and Polly made her eat some of the oatmeal and drink at least half the juice. She looked at her and smiled some.
"I'm sorry I keep putting you through stress filled drama. I swear I don't ask for this shit to happen," Piper said.
"It's okay Piper. I love you and that means your drama too. " Polly said as she tucked Piper back and urged her to sleep. She did just that but woke soon to the sound of Polly's phone ringing. She waited and felt her heart flutter when Polly pushed the button.
"Hey there, did you talk to Roger?" Polly asked, "No? Oh listen.." Piper reached out and took the phone from her.
"Baby, I'm okay, I'm so sorry..so sorry" Piper croaked out. Alex burst in to tears hearing her voice. Piper held the phone to her head and listened to the terrible sound. "Shh I'm sorry. I got sick and Polly had to..." Piper didn't want to tell her where she was until Alex calmed down.
"Where are you?" she asked sniffling up her tears to articulate the question, " Fuck Pi..um kid, I've been so worried."
"I'm in the Hospital." Piper began. Alex made the most heart breaking sound that Piper started crying. Polly put the phone on speaker again as Piper wouldn't let it go to let her speak to Alex.
"She has that flu that has swept the city. She overdid it, basically because of her PO and tried to make it home with a fever of 103. I had to bring her to the hospital. She's doing better but still weak." Polly said for her.
"Piper please take care of yourself." Alex began.
"I'm sorry Alex, I didn't even know what day it was, I slept all day yesterday and when I woke up my phone was dead." She said to explain.
"It's okay, I'm just thankful you aren't ...I thought of everything that could have gone wrong. Red sat with me till Lights out, keeping me from doing something stupid." Alex said.
"What something?" Piper asked sniffling. Polly brought a tissue to her nose to blow. She looked up and shook her head but Polly just gave her the look. Piper blew but squinted her eyes at her friend and mouthed, "I'm not Finn" to her.
"I wanted to call Polly. I convinced myself I could get into Kaputo's office (btw well aware it is spelled different but I did it in the first chapter and I tend to stick with my choices ;). She just kept me calm and told me all the other reasons you weren't there for the call." Alex responded.
"Alex Vause if you...don't you EVER do anything like that, you'd be sent down the hill."Piper swallowed again. Piper's head was swimming. "I'm sorry, we have a few good months and then blamo."
Alex chuckled, "Yeah blamo." Piper thought about all that had happened to them. They realized they were in prison together, Alex tried to approach her, she was starved out and Alex tried to feed her, Larry Lied, Alex was locked in the dryer, she was tossed in the SHU, they started an affair, Larry found out, did the radio show, they broke up, Piper was threatened and attacked, she covered it up, got sick and went to the hospital, Alex got thrown in the SHU, she was attacked..on and on.
"It just sucks the way we have to communicate. It is cruel and unusual," Alex said in a soft voice.
"I agree, baby,"Piper said. She had a new appreciation for her friends that suffered through the one way communication during her time in Prison. "I'm okay though, I'll be home soon. I..was thinking maybe we could add another number to your list and I could get one of those hot phones."
Alex snickered, "Um I think you meant 'burn phones' love and I did think about that. Thing is, if I'm watched here, I've been calling Polly and Roger since..." She didn't continue and Piper filled in the rest of the sentence in her mind, 'before she left'. Piper frowned. She knew her love was devious and had tried to think through everything.
Yet Piper wasn't one to give up, "But we could use it if anything like this happened again. Just for emergencies..." she attempted to get her to agree.
"Kid, it is tempting but I don't know." Alex said. Her tone of voice said she wanted to do it but wouldn't take the risk.
Piper knew when to leave it to her to marinate, " Well think about it. I know Polly doesn't complain about the cost and I offer to pay her each month. Roger I offered and he laughed at me. Still, I'm not easy with owing people." She knew Alex didn't like it either but that was her last argument for it. Her head was swimming and she murmured something about needing her more often.
"I'll think on it. So you will be out soon? No more fever?" Alex said.
"I wish you were here to spoon me..come be my little spoon, "Piper said in a sleepy voice. Polly leaned over and spoke more in to the speaker phone that rested on Piper's chest.
"She is fading a bit Alex, she still has a fever but it isn't dangerous high. I'm sorry about my phone, I just didn' t expect a call, we got in a pattern there. I didn't know she was ill until she called the house phone. She was way across town, fell to sleep on the subway."
"Hey don't tell her that, she'll worry 'bout something can't fix. " Piper mumbled.
Alex sighed and cursed, "No one hurt her? Her purse still with her?" Polly said she was fine, purse was clutched to her when she found her on the bench by the train. "Okay I gotta go kid. I'll call Roger and let him know we spoke. " Polly told her he knew about Piper was waiting on her call.
"I love you baby. Don't worry, I'm going to be fine." Piper assured her even as her eyes drooped.
Alex said, "I love you too, kid. Talk with you soon." Piper thanked Polly but was asleep before she had put her cell phone back in her purse. She slept most of the day and ate half of her lunch. The doctor came in again after dinner. He explained she was still too weak to go home and her fever wasn't gone completely. He told them that the flu had claimed 143 people already in New York State that year and she had to take it slow.
She was in the hospital when her mom told her that Cal had eloped a week early to get married. She was thrilled and not in the least bit surprised. She knew Cal would never give in to an extravagant wedding. She felt bad for her dear mother. Neither of her kids valued the same social rituals that she did. He called Piper though and told her they'd have a big celebration once she was out of the hospital.
"Congratulations Cal. Give Neri a hug for me." Piper said. She fell to sleep that night with her fever almost gone. She dreamed one of the sweetest dreams she had ever had. She and Alex were on their hammock in St. Tropez. Alex was stroking her face softly and nibbling on her ear. She turned and kissed her lips softly. Alex pulled her close and told her that she was safe. Alex told her they would be free together always all she had to do was hang on. Piper slept through the night, clutching a pillow to her chest and she woke the next morning with her fever gone.
**I'm trying to get back on my regular sleeping schedule folks. I'm not sure they'll be another one this day, but who knows. Piper Kerman will be on NPR's Fresh Air tonight. Also the Attorney General announced today some reform in mandatory sentences especially in non violent and low level drug offenders. A bit late for Piper but this is a good thing. Please review, Faecym ***
