Title: Hot Tempered Is Only The Beginning
Rating: T
Summary: Pretending to be a boy is only the half of what Lara Haven aka Jack has to put up with.
Scarly-Girl: Um, what tunnel? The one they're escaping through? Sorry, you have me a little confused now lol.
Mercuryband: Ya C-Note is being an ass, hehehe. If you'll see more of T-Bag's reaction in this one lol.
KillerRubberDuckiesR-J: I'm glad you liked the chapter! Ya, Lara is pretty crazy, but in a good way lol.
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I was swimming,
except it wasn't in water…it was some kind of jello substance and
I was trying to reach the top, I was so close! But every kick of my
legs, every stretch of my arms and the surface would just get farther
away. My lungs were burst for air; I could feel my eyes popping out
of my head, and every movement become slower, like I was weighed
down.
I opened my mouth to scream but the substance rushed in,
suffocating me even more. I coughed and choked, no longer trying to
reach the top but merely trying to find some small amount of oxygen.
I couldn't hold on any longer though, I fought harder in my
last moment but slowly I gave up. The thought was foreign to me, but
I was surprised by how easily it came. I hung, suspended in the goo
but instead of the light dimming, it grew brighter and brighter,
almost painfully bright.
Pain shocked through my body and I
jumped. That pain started me fighting again, but the surface was
coming closer now. Joyfully I struggled to the surface, the light was
gone now but I didn't care if I was alive or dead, main thing was I
was out of the jello!
----------
I woke with a
start, sitting bolt up right my hands shooting up into the air as I
still tried to pull myself from my gooy dream. Of course I was mildly
surprised – and pleased – when I found myself covered not in
jello but blankets and what was restraining me was actually Dr.
Tancredi.
I let my arms fall slowly and I stared up at Sara then
around the room, slowly my mind taking in my surroundings, Sick Wing.
My mouth was hanging open and I knew I probably looked like some
slack-jawed yokel who accidentally wandered into New York city, but
frankly, a few seconds ago I thought I had been drowning in a bowl
full of jello, I was allowed to be a little stunned.
"What –
Whats…How…"
"You feinted." Sara said firmly turning
around to pick up a pen light which she shown into my eyes. I
flinched back at the blinding light.
"I did not feint!" I shot
back, slightly offended.
"Right. Okay you didn't feint but
somehow you ended up in Michael Scofield's arms. So tell me Jack if
you didn't feint then what were you doing!" I could tell she was
upset. No really, it wasn't only the clipped tone of voice but she
was really yanking my arm around before taking my blood pressure. It
was actually quite painful.
"Ok! Ok! I feinted!" I paused
looking up at Sara, trying to figure out why she seemed so mad at me.
Then it hit me. I tried, the good Lord knows I tried not to laugh at
her…but it just struck me as funny.
"Ohhh I get it."
"Get
what." It wasn't a question; she was ordering me to tell her. The
nerve of some people! Lucky for her I was still happy that I was
alive and not drowning in goo.
"You like Fish." I said,
grinning brightly.
"What!" Sara looked down at me, stopping
just as she was about to take off the bandage that was around my arm.
"Well why else would you get so snippy about me in his arms?"
I smiled suddenly, damn if only I hadn't been unconscious! But I
quickly wiped away my smile at the look on Sara's face. "I'm
not after him though! Really! Besides, it wouldn't look good for my
image." I said turning my head sideways and striking a rather
dramatic pose. After a pause Sara chuckled.
"Your insane Lara."
I grinned crookedly.
"So I've been told." Sara moved away
the blood pressure machine – I have to say I'm not fond of that
thing. – She hesitated for a long moment and the silence was almost
excruciating.
"What did
happen in there Lara?" She asked, turning back around to face me.
My happy demeanour fell away as I remembered the reason that I had
feinted. They knew.
"Nothing." I mumbled looking away. There
was another long silence then,
"Do they know? I mumbled
something incoherent, still looking away, and Sara came over, sitting
on her little stool in front of me. "All of them?"
"Just us
that work in the break room." I said finally. Panic bubbled up
inside me as I realised the seriousness of the situation. "What am
I going to do!" I wailed suddenly.
"Nothing." Sara said
firmly, startling me out my emotional breakdown. "You're not
going to do a thing. I'll talk to Warden Pope and see if he can't
do something to change your P.I. job. We'll work to get you
transferred as soon as possible and for the mean time, if any of them
try to act on it tell one of the authorities." I was still silent
for a while after, contemplating what had just been said. I highly
doubted that the C.O.'s would really care – except for maybe
Louiy – and as for being transferred…what about the
escape?
However I decided to keep this to myself, and gradually I
layback down.
"Your right. Thanks." Sara smiled.
"No
problem." She got up and turned to leave the room but a sudden
thought occurred to me.
"Hey Doc. How long have I been out?"
"Three days." I let out a low whistle and settled back down.
Three days eh? Wonder how far along they'd gotten on P.I.
-----------
I had left the
Sick Wing not long after the talk with Dr. Tancredi, and now here I
was, walking with the 'team' to the break room. To our freedom. I
could feel their eyes on me – I was in the middle – but no one
said a thing, it was so unearthly quiet that I had to clench my hands
to stop myself from shivering.
The badges left us on the inside
of the break room and as soon as the iron door slammed shut the men
turned and faced me.
I have never felt so alone in my life – even in my first grade of high school when my sister and I had to change schools and I didn't know anyone in the class, and some stupid kid had made fun of my size. Suspended the first day. He had it coming though.
I cleared my
throat nervously,
"Hole isn't going to dig itself." I said
nervously. My green eyes roved the room and it was then that I
noticed we were missing one…no two of our numbers.
Where was
Linc and Abruzzi?
"Ya ya what about you?" Sucre stated
suddenly, looking curious and also, unless I was greatly mistaken, a
little angry. "How come you didn't tell us you were a chica?"
I stared at the others, my bottle green eyes searching every
face. I stopped at Westmoreland, shocked, and a little hurt that he
wasn't coming to my aid. So much for friendship; I don't care if
it was only prison, I looked at that guy as the Father I never had.
Ha! How right was I!
I felt my cheeks start to grow red and I
curled my small hands into fists.
"Wanna know why Sucre?" I
began, stepping forward as I let the hot wave of anger engulf me.
"Hmm let's think on this for a moment. Yeah, there is no way in
hell that anyone could use that information to better his lonely
situation." I said sarcastically. I could feel Sucre regretting
having spoken as I bore down on him. He was a good head taller than
me but I was so mad I couldn't control myself. Fear, grief, regret,
shame all of it had bundled into one tight ball and slowly expanded
through out me until I was radiating with emotion. Poor Sucre was
just the one to receive the blast, which is a shame cause I rather
liked him before he opened his trap.
"I didn't mean-"
"You
meant everything that you said you little-" I grabbed Sucre's
collar and dragged him down to me.
"Hey lay off him Scraps." I
released Sucre and turned at the sound of C-Note's voice. The use
of my nickname caused a bark of sarcastic laughter to escape from me
as I locked onto my new target.
"Don't you dare 'Scraps'
me C-Note! I outa gut you right now for ratting me out." I growled
low and dangerous as I made my way over to him – I could almost
feel T-Bag's anticipating smirk. "Just couldn't keep your mouth
shut could ya? How unusual." C-Note sneered then, his back
stiffening as I drew up to him.
"At least I'm not some racist
piece of trailer park-" he didn't get to finish his sentence as
my fist came flying out of nowhere and landed on his cheek. Like I
said once before, I may be small but when I'm mad I'm mad. C-Note
went down but instead of mauling him like I had intended to do
earlier, I just stood there and stared down.
"I am not a racist.
I didn't have anything against you until you called me…what you
did. Only reason I sit with the Alliance is to keep myself outa
trouble and it had worked up until you made your judgements!" I
hissed, clenching and unclenching my hands. "I never had a problem
with Sucre and he's Hispanic! Hell I thought Sucre was a pretty
cool guy!"
"Was." Sucre muttered rather resentfully.
"But
you didn't take the time to notice did you C?" I continued.
"Didn't notice that despite the fact that I sat with the Alliance
and ate with the Alliance, I wasn't one of them!" I broke off,
the whole of me just shaking from anger and fear. Everyone was
watching me, waiting to see where my dangerously short temper would
lead me next. I turned to walk away, stopped and turned again to face
C-Note.
"Even after."
I said, somewhat more softly but not without venom. "Even after you
called me his, I was mad yeah, but I cooled off but ohhhh nooo. You
just couldn't let it lie." I turned away again. My hands were
raised and ran through my hair several times making it look
windswept. I turned slightly and lent against the wall, my hands over
my face.
There was a burning in my throat and I gulped
desperately.
'Don't cry! Don't you dare cry!' I told
myself.
I let my arms swing down to my side were I gave a small
giggle of pent up emotion. My hair was sticking up at odd angles, the
fringe falling into my eyes. I was cooling down now. Actually, I was
just so worn from my little rampage. But my fringe had always been an
annoyance to me and I really wasn't in the mood.
I brushed it
out of my eyes. It fell back into them again. I forcefully raked the
jagged bits backwards. They hesitated for a moment, as if seriously
considering whether or not to continue testing me. They fell back
into my eyes.
I sighed, looked about for a moment and then slid
to the ground, tugging my knees up to me, rested my elbows on them
and then hid my face in my hands. I wasn't crying I didn't have
the energy to cry.
I heard Michael
clear his voice.
"We need to find a way to delay the-"
"We
talked about this Fish." I heard C-Note rumble then, getting back
to his feet. "We're going."
"I'm not leaving my
brother!" I considered looking up, considered asking where Abruzzi
and Linc had got to, but I didn't want to look at them right now.
Frankly, all I wanted to do was curl up into a little ball and not
move for a good two maybe three weeks.
The heated conversation
washed over me and lulled me. I gave a soft, inaudible sigh as I felt
the beginnings of sleep creep over me. This was what I wanted sleep.
I didn't want to have to think about what was happening now, what
was going to happen and what had happened. I just wanted to sleep.
----------
I felt someone
drop down beside me, waking me from my drifting.
"Hey." Oh
great. I hadn't even considered T-Bag when I'd been making my
speech. Well, so much for survival in the Alliance. I slowly looked
up, trying to scowl but only succeeding in looking exhausted.
"What?" I asked with a sigh.
"So, if ya name ain't
Jacko. What is it again?" I stared warily at T-Bag for a moment;
leaning back then and letting my legs slide down a little so the
blood could flow back to my toes.
"Lara Haven." I murmured.
"Lara." He rolled it around on his tongue, leaning back
against the wall as I had done. "Pretty name." Again I was
unsure, knowing T-Bag he'd use my true identity as
leverage.
"Thanks." I said slowly. Silence stretched between
us.
"Ya know
there's a back room that the badges don't check very often
and-"
"T-Bag" I stopped him, shaking my red head and despite
the situation laughing softly. "You didn't get any when I was
Jacko, what makes you think it's gonna be any different now?"
T-bag raised his brows but I could see the glint in his eye as he
listened to my challenge, thin lips moving into a dangerous smile.
Ya, he knew that my name may be different but I was still the same
feisty Jacko.
"Oh I have my ways Miss. Haven." I grinned
roguishly at this. I'd drifted to sleep yes, but I'd heard enough
to know that we were escaping tonight.
"Shame there won't be
enough time." I replied. We stared each other down for a moment,
and unfortunately I was the first to look away. I'll grudgingly
admit it, I didn't like losing, but honestly, it's hard holding
that guy's stare.
T-Bag laughed and ruffled my hair, I, as
always, swatted away his hand and then tried in vain to flatten down
the messyness that was my hair.
"Come on Jacko, we got work to
do." T-Bag got to his feet and offered a hand. "And ya know how I
love to watch ya work." I rolled my green eyes but still took the
offered hand.
We were out tonight. It didn't matter that they knew. After being in these walls, and going through what I had, I was going to appreciate my freedom. I was going to live a good life and through my mistakes guide others so they wouldn't have to tread the same path that I had.
…Ah who am I kidding? When I get out I'm getting drunk!