CELLS A2 AND A3

"Buster's still in his bunk." Sabrina saw him there, barely breathing under his thin white sheet. She considered getting hers from the top bunk and draping it over him, but threw the thought away. Holly wouldn't like it. "Jenn, are you feeling okay?"

She seemed to perk up at the sweet sound of her voice, rolling over on her back, clutching her pillow. She nodded.

Their mysterious savior, Robert, still hadn't returned. Sabrina figured that he was still putting together their escape, putting the final pieces into place. She hoped that it would happen just before the tortures began. She looked back over at Buster, pity stabbing into her.

Somebody stronger should have been first.

She wondered where all of their heroes had gone. Surely, if they were still alive…

Holly's feet clicking on the floor brought Sabrina out of it. The sow brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Have you two been eating enough?"

"Yes'm."

Holly looked mildly satisfied. "Good." She was treating the Robert situation like it never happened, as if all of them were going to be there for a very long time. "I still have half a pear left, if you two want to share. It's under my pillow." Sabrina cringed as Holly let out a huge, raspy cough. Her eyes had started to lose their color. She always looked dirty, even after she had come out of the shower. Their capture had been weighing hard on all of them, but Holly looked like she would be the first to die from it.

Sabrina began, "So, he watches us eat, we eat all of what we're given, and we put the stems and seeds back in the bowl, most of us anyway, right?"

Holly released a deep, exasperated sigh. "Not this."

"The leftovers, if there are any, are cleaned before the next morning, before we all wake up. We get new pears, new food in the morning, waiting."

"Please-"

"He's clocking us, seeing how much we consume. Seeing what we can live on. In addition, we are searched, put into our proper beds, the first ones we chose, and he tucks us in. And then, they clean this place from top to bottom. I don't see any dust around here, do you? No fingerprints on the glass?"

"Been talking to Buster much?"

"… He's right, you know. He says this treatment is only until Robotnik moves us to his new building, whatever that entails. Now, with this torture shit-"

"I told you not to talk to him." Holly stood to her feet. "You can do what you want, but talking to that kid, you're spreading an exit wide open. Would you dare reminisce about old times now, in this place?"

Jenn had started to moan again, softly, into her pillow. In A5, Brandon had gone into the bathroom. The room echoed with the sound of running water. Sabrina lowered her eyes, giving up. "Sorry." She didn't know what else to say. "… My period… it's… coming tomorrow..."

Holly shook it off, shuddering, turning away. "Don't be sorry; I'm sure the sheets will be clean the following mornings, just like lover boy says. Count your blessings, be glad you can still have a period."

Sabrina's eyes went wide then. The showers had been shut off. Even Jenn had gone completely silent. "Serious?"

Holly nodded. "Heart attack serious."

"How far along?"

"Longer than a month, I can tell you. You think I get fat from eating?"

"Well, I thought-"

"Thought what?" Holly watched Tristan exit the bathroom, watched him keep his head lowered, averting his eyes. "My turn. See you two later."

Sabrina watched her walk away. Pregnancy. Holly was doomed if they didn't escape soon, so she didn't allow herself a single glimmer of hope, nothing reserved for the future. She was giving her food away, starving herself, preparing already, not for escape, but preparing to die in this place.

Tristan was standing over by the glass, looking into A1. The prisoners there were preparing for the departure of one of their own, giving the kid all of their food, patting him on the back like he was going on a vacation. He was taking all of this the best way possible, smiling even though his eyes were filled up with tears.

Tristan's window into their world was a weird looking rat kid named Denner, and they kept each other up to speed with what they could communicate with gestures, having charade conversations. He had been hoping Denner wouldn't be occupied, but he gave up waiting, letting them continue with their ceremony. Tristan settled for listening to the sounds of Holly taking a shower, cringing under the strain.

Sabrina left Jenn by herself and came to Buster's side, laying her hand on his covered figure. "Hey, bunkmate." She felt him stir.

"Hi."

"Wanna play some ball?" She felt stupid for asking even before she said it.

"No thanks." Buster pulled on the sheets, uncovering his face. His eyes were bloodshot red. "Did you recognize anyone on that list?"

Sabrina's upper lip trembled under his look, her vision blurring. She struggled to hold it together. "No."

Buster's hands were quick, but gentle. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other snaking over her shoulder. One tug and they were in each other's arms. Sabrina didn't mind. At least this way, he couldn't see her cry. He might have known anyway, known that she did recognize somebody on the list, in fact, she has a sure her husband was one of the names called, but all the same, she liked it better like this.