January 19, 1976
Vern was adjusting to how things work in Lardner. It was actually pretty simple; there were only a few rules. Any idiot could follow them. 1: Do what you're told, 2: Keep your cell spotless, and, the most important, 3: DON'T TALK BACK TO THE OFFICERS. They'll slap the shit out of you for talking back. He learned very quickly. Although at the moment talking back wasn't really an issue! He also learned that Mickey was very talkative, but so far Mickey and the rest of the Aryans were the only people willing to talk to him, which was fine with him.
Nobody really bothered him, except for that bitchy officer he met when he first arrived at Lardner. He could figure out for the love of him why she hated him so much. She was forever picking at him. Normally, if he could talk, he'd cussing her out, cop or not. Then there was the nigger, Moses Rinehart. He was always calling him names like Cracker and boy. He did, however, pick back one of his favorite hobbies, reading. Currently, he was in the middle of The Outsiders. He began reading it once before, but his father, Herrick, took it from him and burned it. He said that it was just a stupid book about some stupid Spic kids.
Herrick was never really proud of anything Vern did. Vern always seemed to be the subject of his beatings. So, of course, when Vern turned seventeen, he joined the Marines, as his older brothers, Herrick jr. and Lance did. He'd just got done serving his four years, before he got sent to Lardner. When he joined the Marines, he left behind two younger siblings, his sister Greta and his brother Miles. Miles left home six months before Vern returned, probably joined the Marines like the rest of them did. Greta stayed, though. As bad as treated the rest of them, he treated Greta the worst. Vern thought at one time that Herrick might have been molesting Greta, but he never asked or said anything in of be slapped or something like that.
Herrick hadn't been to the trial or visited since he'd been at Lardner. Nathaniel, Greta, his mother, and his wife Martha had came to visit within the past two days though. Nate brought him the latest issue of MAD magazine and a pack of smokes, which were of no use seeing as his jaw was wired shut. He appreciated the thought just the same though.
Between having his head stuck in a book, most of his time was consumed by Mickey telling him his life story. Mickey's story was an interesting one to say the least. He was just a little bit older than Vern. He'd grown up in Holland, Michigan and graduated from high school there. He got accepted to Northwestern University in Illinois, but college life wasn't as exciting as people made it out to be, so he dropped out after only two semesters. He joined the Navy after that and served his three years. He got married to his high school sweetheart and they moved out of Michigan. After a night of drinking and shooting pool with some friends, Mickey got into a fight with a guy outside the bar and beat him within an inch of his life. So that's how Mickey landed in Lardner.
Vern was going stir crazy, otherwise. Alone half of the day, in pain from the stupid wires. All there was to do was play poker, watch television, work out, or sleep. The food wasn't exactly dinner at the Ritz. It didn't really matter, he could barely eat anyways.