Chapter 10
Life went on. She saw Liz each month and Zoey made several trips with CJ, who continued to grow in spurts. He began to look more and more like his daddy and it brightened Abbey's drab existence to see him.
Rhonda was an obnoxious cellmate, but Abbey was trying to make the best of it. She put up with everything, just as the warden suggested she do.
One night, however, Abbey wouldn't take it any longer.
Rhonda had been trying to talk with her after a particularly stressful day. All Abbey wanted to do was sleep.
"And you know that Roberta, the woman that knifed the…"
"Please be quiet. I'm tired and have a headache."
"You can't tell me to be quiet. I have as much right as you to do talk however long and whatever I want to. Now, about Roberta…"
"I said, SHUT UP! I'm tired and just want some quiet."
Rhonda lowered her voice and turned to face Abbey. "You told me to do what?"
"I said to shut up. I'm tired of your yammering on without any thought to anyone else."
"Well, Miss High and Mighty, this ain't the White House and you can't tell me what to do. If I want to talk, I will."
Abbey could sense what was about to happen, but her anger took control. She had kept her mouth shut for the past six months, but tonight she had reached her limit.
She sat up on the side of the bed in order to look at her cellmate.
"No, you'll be quiet."
"Are you gonna make me?"
"Yeah." Abbey stood to face off with Rhonda.
She didn't see the hand come from below.
Rhonda plunged the knife deep into Abbey's abdomen.
A burning pain shot through Abbey's body. Her orange jumpsuit turned red as it became saturated with blood.
Shocked, Abbey looked down at the stain spreading across her front.
She looked back to see Rhonda step away and smile. "I said, are you gonna make me? Well, hon, I made you."
Abbey collapsed, reaching out and trying to get attention from her attacker.
"Help me," she pleaded with Rhonda as the blood now spread onto the concrete floor.
"Nope. You're a doctor. What do they say, 'Physician heal thyself'? You fix it."
In spite of the intense pain, Abbey tried to yell but no words would leave her mouth. She knew she was losing too much blood and felt herself getting weaker. She needed help right away.
But no help was forthcoming. Her last thought before darkness overtook her was her desire to be buried next to Jed.
