Chapter 17
Millie placed a few calls, and was able to get a copy of the prison incident report faxed to her.
As she was reading it, Millie thought it didn't make much sense for the prison to call it an accident. Abbey was always escorted by a guard. Always. And what was she doing in that stairwell? Only guards had keys to the stairwell. And that particular stairwell was not on the most direct path from the kitchen to her cell.
When Millie expressed her concerns to Liz, she was appalled. How could they hurt her mother? According to Pat's reports she was a model prisoner. She did her job and stayed to herself. So why?
Later that day, Abbey was breathing on her own, but she remained in ICU.
Liz and Millie took turns sitting by her bedside. Liz had called Zoey and told her about the accident, but didn't share her suspicions. She talked to Ellie and pleaded with her to come to Manchester. But all Ellie said was that she would think about it.
That evening, Abbey was staying awake for longer periods of time.
Liz pulled a chair by her bedside and decided that this was the time.
"Mom, how did you fall?"
Abbey turned her head away from her daughter's inquiring eyes.
Liz pulled her mother's face back toward her. "The report on your so called accident doesn't make any sense. How did you get to that stairwell? Only guards have keys to ….. Oh my God! Mom. Was a guard attacking you? Did he…."
Abbey spoke quickly. "No, Liz, he didn't do anything. I guess I fell before he could. I only remember vaguely that he was trying to kiss me and I fell as I twisted out of his attempt to restrain me."
"Mom, you can't go back there. It's not safe."
"Liz, I have no choice. It's the only women's prison in New Hampshire and I've been convicted. I have to go back."
"They'll kill you if you go back."
"Yeah. But I have no choice."
She hated the guards. Not every one, but there always seemed to be a few who wanted to take her down a notch. They talked about her being so high and mighty at one time, but it wouldn't be that way in prison. Abbey knew there was no way to inform anybody. It would have only made her life more miserable.
