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Fallen #38
"So she makes me dress up like a blind guy and then takes my cane away! I mean, who takes a blind guys cane away?" L.J. exclaimed as he recounted our shopping expedition for the rest of the group. "The kind of person who had been beaten with said cane for the past hour!" I replied through the laughter. "Besides, I don't know what you're bitching about, did I not buy you stuff?" I asked giving him a hard time. "Well…yes." He said timidly. I smiled as I ruffled his hair.
Everyone was sitting around the dining room making small talk. "So, what's new with my case?" Lincoln asked praying for the answer he was 99.9 positive would not come. "Unfortunately, we aren't any closer… If anything we've been set back by the escape. Nick and I have been hounded by police since it happened, local and federal." Veronica explained giving Lincolns hand a squeeze. "What about Kellerman?" I asked. "I haven't seen him since… No doubt he's around though." She answered still bothered by what she had seen in the alley. "What have they been saying about the escape?" Scofield asked eager to hear what the rumors were. "Don't you guys watch or read the news?" Veronica asked. "The news is better when it's not about you." I said. "Well, they are baffled by it really. You two," she said pointing at Sucre and Scofield "are being considered the "masterminds" behind it all. Of course that was expected after they found the hole in your cell." Veronica said. "Hey! Mike's the mastermind, not me. If we got caught, I'm rattin you out man!" He joked. Scofield said nothing, he just smirked. "I hate to say it Mike, but I'm proud of you! I still can't believe you pulled it off. The planning alone is ridiculously complicated, not to mention the lengths you went to do this." Veronica praised. "I think that it's safe to say that you are the hero of inmates across the nation." She added smiling. "Yeah, man. Maybe we should set you up a fan club or something." C-Note teased. "Ha Ha, very funny." Scofield grumbled, obviously unimpressed.
"So, Mr. Franklin, what do you want to do with your last day in the good U.S. of A?" I asked C-Note as I cleared the rest of the dishes from the table. "I just want to lie around, play some b-ball if ya'll are up to it… Give Sink a chance to redeem himself from the game last night." He replied with a smile. "Any time, anywhere, brother." Lincoln said smoothly. In about five seconds the room was testosterone free. "Wow," Veronica started "I didn't think Westmoreland could move that fast." "You'd be surprised. He may be an old man but he's young at heart… He's a good guy… They all are." I said. "What about the one who did that to you?" She asked in a concerned tone, gesturing to my injured mid section. I scoffed "I hardly consider him a man… More like a monster, and a cowardly one at that." I said each word dripping with hatred. "What exactly happened? You look like hell and there is a tension around this place thicker than I have ever experienced." Veronica asked with concern. I took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened. I told her about me ordering T-Bag to stay away from L.J., about T-Bag attacking me, Sucre serving as my knight in shining armor, Brandon and his boys taking T-Bag away, Sucre threatening to tell everyone what happened, about my little outburst, L.J. feeling guilty, and my conversation with Lincoln.
"And here we are now." I finished, wincing as I stretched my side. "God… When did things become so difficult? You know, I took for granted all those nights that I slept soundly and felt safe. Now I don't even feel safe when I'm awake… This thing, it's too big Cali. Nick was right when he said that this didn't end with stopping Lincolns' execution. We're not going to be able to clear his name, let alone blow this whole Ecofield thing open. Not without some concrete evidence… Something that they can't cover up." She said in a defeated tone. I hated seeing my sister that way. She was always so strong, so optimistic. I began to loathe myself for skipping town when I did, knowing now that she had been feeling this way the entire time "I know, V… Honestly, I don't care about clearing Lincoln's name. I just want to get him, L.J. and Scofield out of the country as soon as possible. Once that's done we'll work on blowing this all open. I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit back and let this happen so someone else. I don't care if the Vice President is the ring leader… No one should have to go through what we have!" I said reaching over and grabbing her hand. " Cal… Thank you…For coming back. I was sure that you had washed your hands of Chicago… of us, when you left. You didn't have to come back; I don't exactly know why you left, but I know that you had your reasons… I'm sorry that I doubted you and treated you the way I did when you said that Lincoln was innocent. I should have at least taken the time to hear you out…" She said sorrowfully. "You know, I was pissed when you just up and left, but Michael… Michael was worried sick! He was running around asking everyone he could think of if they'd seen you or if you'd ever mentioned leaving. He called me everyday, sometimes three times, asking if I'd heard anything. After about the first month he stopped calling, then, on the rare occasions that I saw him he would ask, and then pretend like it was nothing when I said no. But it was something, Cal. I could see it in his eyes, in his face… Four years is a long time Cali, and with no word! For all we knew you could have been dead somewhere! We never knew, Cali and we wanted to, we needed to!" She shouted angrily fighting fiercely to hold back her tears.
I didn't blame her for being angry, I didn't blame her for yelling at me… I deserved it! I had asked for it the day I took off. I'd been selfish; instead of handling things maturely I ran away, only interested in dulling my own pain and failing miserably at that. I was ashamed; it wasn't until Veronica said this that I realized just how selfish I had been.
I sat at the table staring at my hands through blurry eyes when Veronica turned around to face me and realized that I was crying. "Oh God, Cal!" She exclaimed breathlessly as she rushed around the table and knelt at my side. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to…" She began. "No. I'm sorry, V. I'm sorry that I left, I'm sorry that I worried you… I'm sorry that I hurt you! I never meant to cause anyone pain. I'm so sorry!" I finished crying harder than I had ever cried before as my big sister, the only blood relative who didn't discard me, comforted me, telling me that it would be okay.