Okay, with a fair amount of trepidation here's the latest chapter. :o Be warned, a lot happens fast and a lot of it was really difficult to write, but had to get it down on word document in order to move along with the beast that is this fic. Take it as you will though, and thanks so much Bookworm, EpicStelena and Indigo for the support and sticking with me thus far. It's massively appreciated.
Taking the stairs two at a time to the third floor, rage fueling her steps Carrie turned the corner and saw Dominic leaving the men's room. Luckily the one he'd chosen was in a deserted hallway.
"Hey, hallmate!", he called, approaching her.
"You tell Farrah someone would be stopping by with a surpri- HEY!"
Thrown when she took a grip on his shoulders, shoved him back into the wall, Dominic caught himself, smiled suggestively.
"Hallmate, if you wanted to fool around all you had to do was ask nice-"
Kneeing him in the groin, when he groaned, slumped down the wall to his knees, doubled over, Carrie looked down at him venomously.
"What the fuck, Carrie?! They fuck up your meds today or something?", he sputtered as she glared.
"The only one of us who will need treatment today is you, you fucking pervert!"
"What did you just call-"
"You heard me."
Eyes narrowed Dominic looked up at her incredulously, scoffed.
"Shit, Carrie. I thought we were friends."
"Friends?!", she snorted.
"After what you did to your stepson you thought we could be friends?!"
"Wait, hold up. You think that I-"
"No, I know what you did.", Carrie spat, looking at him with disgust.
"And I know anyone who preys on a child is a sick fucking bastard that belongs in a cage!"
"Well, take a look around, hallmate.", Dominic sneered, gesturing to the stark hallway.
"This place may be a shithole but does it look like a cage to you?", he asked.
"Better yet, you think I'd be issued a day pass out of here if I'd actually done what you're suggesting? To a boy who was going to be my own son? Who I came to love as much as you love Far-"
Answering him with a sharper kick to the ribs, Carrie knelt down as he swore, winced, bowed his head.
"Look at me. Look at me!", she snarled. When he didn't comply she took a firm grip on his jaw, raised his chin. Fought the urge to move her hand to clench around his throat.
"You say her name ever again and I swear, it'll be the last word out of your fucking mouth."
Mouth now turned up in a smirk, Dominic laughed.
"Very forthcoming with the threats, hallmate. I'm impressed."
"Fuck you.", Carrie hissed, using her grip on his face to shove his head back into the wall, hard. When he groaned, cursed her out she rolled her eyes, went to stand.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"Getting someone else to deal with your bullshit.", she spat, knowing she'd risked a lot confronting him the way she had, but also that she was past giving a shit. His mentioning Farrah by name crossed a hundred lines and she'd had to make that clear. A verbal assault wouldn't have been enough.
Unfortunately Carrie didn't expect Abby to see it the same way. Admitting to the incident would likely cost her visitation time, phone privileges, maybe earn her some time in isolation. But her fate right now was the least of her worries. If making a report knocked that day pass out of Dominic's hand, got him transferred out of the facility to a filthy cell, it would all be entirely worth it.
Looking to the wall behind him and then behind her for a call button to page a nurse, not seeing one directly in front of her she stood, turned on her heel and powerwalked towards one down the hall. Hitting at it, when it didn't light up she bit her lip, hit it again.
"I don't think you want to do that, hallmate.", Dominic sneered, but struggled to find his footing as Carrie picked up the phone nearby. Seeing there was no dial tone she slammed the receiver down, broke into a jog to a more populated corridor. She was confident she could outrun him, or at least get to a guard before he could, and she figured appearing slightly winded and frantic could only help her cause.
Rounding the corner though she felt a muscle spasm in her side. Ignoring it she pressed on, but felt the pain shift to her stomach. Slowing to a walk she tried to catch her breath only to feel another cramp. Sharper this time.
"Oh shit. FUCK!", she choked out, bracing herself on the wall. When the pain continued, legs shaking she dropped to her knees. Looking down, realizing her arm was clutched around her abdomen she broke out in a cold sweat. Wishing her posture and this sensation wasn't so familiar to her.
Hearing footsteps though she wiped her eyes, quickly stood up, not willing to show any sign of weakness as Dominic shook his head, approached her.
"I hit the call button.", Carrie bluffed. "A nurse is on the way up here as we speak."
"Oh c'mon, Carrie. I may be a twisted SOB but I'm not stupid."
"You're a fucking piece of shit.", she snarled. "And you don't scare me. I just assume let a guard shoot you up with Thorazine. Save me the hassle of dealing with you!"
"You sure you're not scared?", Dominic asked curiously, moving closer.
"Because I got a day out on the town and your address in my pocket."
When he patted his sweatshirt pocket Carrie reached for and snatched the paper, crumpled and threw it before he snorted.
"It's in my head too. I have a really fantastic memory. Like everything you told me about Farrah. What she liked to draw, do, wear in her hair..."
After she lunged at him, anticipating her Dominic took hold of, shoved her into the corner.
"See, if you'd just let me enjoy my day out, you wouldn't have to be dealing with this. You or your little peanut in there.", he laughed bitterly.
"See what your crazy bitch of a mommy's putting you through?"
His hand barely grazed her stomach before Carrie spat in his face. The one thing she could do to distract him since he had her pinned. Met with a slap across her cheek, her eyes welled up but she didn't whimper or cry out.
"You fucked with the wrong patient, Miss Mathison." Dominic hissed, reaching for something in his back pocket only to realize it was no longer there.
"Well she wasn't the only one.", Nicki spat, twirling his crude knife in between her fingers.
"Let me guess, made this little thing your last stint in county? Smuggled it in through your shoe? Such a fucking amateur."
When Dominic lunged at her for the knife Nicki tossed it to the side, sending him to the floor to grab it. Watching in amusement as he picked it up again the redhead shook her head.
"What's so fucking funny. You bitches thought you could double team me?", Dominic growled, wielding the knife as Nicki looked on coolly. Seeing as eyes were off her temporarily Carrie slowly went to back away, run like hell to find a guard but Dominic ran at her with the blade, managed to slash at her arm.
After Carrie faltered, with an eager, vengeful look in her eyes Nicki ran at Dominic, wrapped both hands around his throat.
"Fantastic. Now I can say this happened out of self defense!", she exclaimed as Carrie looked up horrified, watched the younger woman choke the life, or at least consciousness out of Dominic before lowering him to the floor. Glaring down at him she looked fully prepared to finished the job.
"Holy fuck..", Carrie gasped as a nurse who witnessed his fall paged for some help, ran to Dominic's aid.
"Hey! Nurse Ratched! You see what your golden boy did to my friend here!", Nicki spat, gesturing to the cut extending down Carrie's arm.
When the nurse was still trying to resuscitate Dominic, the redhead shook her head, looked on bitterly.
"Lemme guess. Daddy Lawson's money is paying for the new wing here so his boy over there gets top priority?! Bunch of fucking sycophants! The prick came after us with a goddamn shank but do you give a shit about that?!"
After the nurse muttered something about more help being on the way, helped the guards get Dominic onto a gurney before wheeling him off, Nicki let out a few more colorful curses, made a few crude hand gestures before returning to Carrie's side.
"How you holding up, Blondie?"
"Who the fuck even are you?!", Carrie sputtered.
"Friends call me Nicki."
"Jesus, we're not friends.", she groaned as Nicki tore some fabric from her shirt sleeve.
"Well I am the reason that piece of shit pervert didn't rape you or slit your throat just now."
"Why are you here?", Carrie asked looking dazed, still reeling from everything that had just taken place.
"Look, how about you quit asking so many questions when I'm trying to bandage your skinny ass arm. That sound good?", Nicki muttered, struggling with the tourniquet.
"You're CIA, right?"
"Shhh..", she warned. "First rule in training. Don't talk about that shit!"
"Excuse me?!", Carrie scoffed. "You fucking broadcasted it in the goddamn rec room just a few hours ago!"
"I know. And it had the desired effect as they say.", the redhead grinned as Carrie frowned in confusion, then winced when she tied the bandage.
"W...what the fuck are you even talking about?"
"I'm talking about how I scared that knife wielding freak shitless."
"I don't understand, I-"
"I did my homework on him. I read the file his shrink had. Lawson's a conspiracy nut. He's convinced the Agency, the NSA, anyone and everyone in goddamn Intelligence is out to get him and his filthy rich family."
"You're serious?!"
"I figured letting him in on our little secrets would scare him. At least into walking around with that knife I knew he'd squirreled away. Then if he pulled it on me, I could off him in self defense. Looks less suspicious that way, you know? If that nurse hadn't come charging in I'd have fucking finished him right here."
"Jesus.", Carrie breathed.
"How did you know though he'd be here with me and have it on him? I-"
"I've been tracking him since I got his case file. Figured out his routine. I knew he used the bathroom on this floor, that it was pretty quiet this time of the day. I thought I'd get the jump on him myself. He'd pull the knife, I'd take him out. But you got involved and made his being a SOB look a hell of a lot more convincing. Thanks for that."
Nicki said, tightening the bandage as Carrie cried out.
"Shit, sorry. Could've been way fucking worse though.", she said as Carrie shook her head, her non bandaged arm clutching her middle again as her eyes welled up.
"No, it's not that I just.. fuck!", she choked out, leaning back against the wall.
"Get the nurse back here!"
"Hey, I gotcha covered. Was just a flesh wound, I've seen way fucking uglier."
"It's not my arm, goddammit! Some..something's wrong, I don't-"
"Hey, you gotta relax okay. Don't worry. Dominic the Douche isn't gonna come after you or your kid. He's finished, okay? So stop looking whiter than a goddamn ghost.", Nicki said, rubbing Carrie's back only to see her double over in pain.
Frowning, it dawned on her what Lawson had been spewing when Carrie was cornered, and the redhead's eyes went wide.
"Jesus Mathison, you're...fucking shit...hey, hey someone get over here! Hurry the fuck up!"
After a nurse ran over with two guards and one of them called for a second ambulance, Nicki swallowed hard, cut over to a nearby office and after picking the lock, hurriedly dialed the phone on the desk.
"Hello?"
"Hey, grandpa? I-"
"Nicolette, I told you to only contact me if there was a problem!"
"The target was brought to St. Mary's Hospital, sir."
"I'll find out if he was pronounced DOA. Is there anything else?", Dar asked as she bit her lip, spoke after a beat.
"It's Carrie Mathison, sir. Your guy Peter Quinn, he's friends with her, right?"
When he answered yes, Nicki sighed, pushed her hair back before speaking.
"Send him to the hospital too then. Tell...tell him to fucking hurry.", she sighed sadly.
"Someone really oughta be there with her."