Monica sat down at her desk gratefully, exhausted. Checking the clock, it was 2:12. Thank God she only had to sit here and relax for four more hours. Jerry was wrong about one thing; this job was hardly easy. At least the first four hours weren't. As Jerry's shadow for the first day, Monica didn't think she would have to be doing much. She was terribly wrong.

Right off the bat when they were let out of their cells, two of the prisoners started a brawl; right in front of the guards. Jerry had to tackle one to the ground even, while Monica and Bret shouted, shoved and pulled their guns, and after a bit of mayhem, she even got one of the two prisoners into a cell successfully. Jerry was ordered to take the rest of the prisoners out for their work with Monica, while Bret stayed and watched the two trouble-makers. That was only the beginning.

While the inmates were working in the fields, Jerry caught one trying to break free of his restraint chains, and even went as far as having to hit the guy with his baton before he stopped freaking out. Monica was told to quickly take the man back to his cell and come right back to the fields, where Jerry would be waiting. On the way back to B block, the prisoner tried to take Monica's gun, but luckily she was quicker than the injured man, able to hit him again with her own baton, and take him serenely back to the cells.

A few more accidents occurred over the course of the morning, and Monica was glad to return to her desk with the prisoners all locked up and safe.

"Is it always like this?" Monica asked, leaning back in her chair and stretching.

"Mostly," Jerry replied while writing something at his own desk. "Some days are worse, some days are better."

"Oh."

"Didn't expect it to be like this?" Jerry asked, grinning as he looked up. "Too much for you?"

"Hardly," Monica lied, grinning back, "I can't wait until tomorrow."

There was a slam of a door as Bret appeared, tipping his hat to Monica and nodding towards Jerry. He was a tall, muscular man with a clean shave and hair cut short. Every time he set his shoe down, he reminded Monica of her father, with the heavy footsteps.

"Hope you're all doing well?" Bret asked, stepping up to Monica. "Welcome to the team, ma'am."

"Thank you," she said.

"Fine work you did today," he commented.

"Thank you," she repeated, but felt a bit uncomfortable at the compliment. She didn't need it.

"I'm Bret if you didn't already know," he smiled. "That thing this morning distracted me from a proper introduction."

"No problem," Monica answered, "Jerry already told me about you... I'm Monica Gilbert."

"Yes, Jerry and Tim mentioned you were here," Bret said, his eyes laughing. He turned and strode off to his desk, taking random glances at certain prisoners as he passed, saying things like, "Afternoon, Joe," and "Nice day, Wes."

Monica glanced carelessly out the window to the scenery outside. There was a stretch of dirt and a couple other buildings off to the side. The only thing that caught her attention was a guard who was heading towards his block. Taking another look, Monica thought the man looked like... Percy...

"Bathroom break?" Monica said hurriedly, sitting up in her chair.

"Sure, go ahead," Jerry said. "Bathroom's not very pretty in here; I suggest you head to the main building."

"Thank you," Monica said, getting up and exiting the building. Even at her fast pace, when she made it outside, the man was gone. "Damn..." she said to herself, noting that the language around there was usually even worse than what she just said, and the word just kind of slipped out.

Peering around, trying to figure out where Percy had headed, she found herself walking towards E block. She paused at the building and peeked through the window before entering. Nobody was there. Perhaps around the corner...

Monica creaked the door open softly, her eyes darting from the only three prisoners in the place. One of them was sleeping, the other one that she recognized with the mouse, was busy playing with it on his bed, and the third was another recognizable one. The black man, and all he did was stare.

She made her way warily down the mile, feeling that the quicker she walked, the faster she could get to the other side to where Percy might be. When she passed the man with the mouse's cell, he looked up.

All he said was, "You that gal looking for Boss Percy, isn't that right?"

"Mind your own business," Monica grumbled faintly, passing John Coffey.

"Ma'am?"

Monica stopped when she got to John's cell and peered at him through the bars. It was he who had said it, in his deep, rumbling voice.

"Yeah?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows. Then she remembered that the prisoners on E block were the ones who were going to the electric chair... and also the ones that the guards were told to treat nicely. "Yes?" she corrected herself, letting her eyes slide back to normal.

"He's a bad man, ma'am, a really bad man," Coffey said softly. Monica felt hot anger build inside her.

"That's none of your concern," she said quietly, continuing on her way.

"Ma'am?" Coffey asked, a little louder. The sleeping man stirred. Monica ignored him. "Ma'am, he were a bad man, but since you came by, he not as full of hate as before."

Monica froze in her tracks. What was this guy playing at? She turned around and stared hard at him. "What do you mean?"

"I feel something, ma'am," John said as Monica began to feel a little annoyed at the ma'am calling. "Ever since then, there's been something else. I dunno what it is, ma'am, I'm sorry. But it's not the bad he was, it's not the bad. It's good."

By this time, Monica thought Coffey was completely nuts. "What are you talking about? Has Percy been acting strange?"

"No ma'am," John replied simply. Hardly believing a thing he was saying, Monica turned to leave again. "It's strong," he added, softly as ever, stopping Monica again. This time she didn't turn around, though. "It's stronger than his bad. You did that to him."

"Did what to him?" Monica asked slowly.

"Pushed the bad away with the other something," John said, a bit confused at what he was realizing.

"I have to go," Monica muttered, turning and heading back down the mile. She didn't want to be there any longer, and she wasn't sure why. The man was very odd... Before she stepped back through the door, forgetting about finding Percy, Monica paused. "What's your name?"

There was a short silence before the man said as quietly as ever, "John Coffey, ma'am. Like the drink. Only not spelled the same."

Monica nodded, but Coffey didn't see. "See you, John Coffey." And she closed the door behind her.



A/N: Fun chapter? Liked it? Hated it? Tell me! More to come! :) :) :) :) :)