Chapter Sixteen

Piper always knew the most dangerous thing that could happen to her in prison was to need medical care. She was tossed in a locked cell after she was knocked out and healed her bruises in there alone. Now, she was trying not to bleed all over her cube's floor. She knew it was bad and her circumstances were going to make it worse.

"Piper, what happened?" Alex said as she fell to her knees next to Piper. She felt the pain radiate through her abdomen and felt real fear. She was going to lose Alex. She was going to leave her alone. Piper had to tell her.

"I've been shanked...it fucking hurts...but listen..listen to me Alex," Piper said as she groaned in pain. Alex's face was instantly terrified. Piper knew she spent hours pondering her own death at the hand of an inmate. She didn't consider that it could happen to Piper.

"Pipes..oh baby, you're bleeding so bad," Alex said as she pressed her hand to Piper's side. She was crying now and it broke Piper's heart. "Help!"

"No, listen..I'll go but..listen to me please...you have a letter sewn in your pillow. Promise me on Diane's memory Alex that you will read that letter and do exactly what it says to do," Piper reached up to take Alex's face in her hands. Too late she realized she got blood on her face. Piper pushed her hair back from her face.

Alex looked at her with such terror in her eyes. "What the fuck are you talking about? Please, Help...please...she's been hurt," Alex yelled. They were attracting attention and Piper had to get her to agree before she passed out.

"Al, swear it dammit or I'll refuse treatment!" Piper countered as a fresh wave of pain rushed over her.

"You stubborn...yes, if it's that important. Piper this is serious, " her voice broke as others came in her cube. Piper was flooded with relief knowing Alex would do as she promised. She had to do it. Bell was there moving people aside.

"Did you shank your girlfriend Vause?" she pushed Alex away.

Piper cried out as she fell backwards. "No no...this girl in the shower...small wirey thing...I slammed her head against the stall. Alex was helping me," Piper said and it was so hard to think to speak. The pain was all she could focus on then. Alex pushed forward past Bell and took Piper in her arms.

"Please, please help her...please," she begged. Bell was already on her radio calling for a nurse and a medical gurney in the dorm. Boo was moving people back out of the way and Piper could hear Nicky in the background cursing to get through.

"So much blood," Piper murmured. She didn't like blood. She made a choice when she came in prison and it was going to cost her...most likely her life. It made her think of her visitors waiting. Visitation didn't start for a half hour or so. "Cal...and my mom are here to see me. Let them know," Piper said and then she had to moan in pain.

Alex looked at her for a moment then Piper could see a fresh terror in the depths of her lovely eyes. She knew that Alex remembered. "Pipes...you've got blood on bank right?"

Piper reached up again and stroked her cheek. "What are you going on about Vause? Back it up all of you, the gurney needs to get through."

"Have you seen me going to medical and leaving blood on bank?" Piper said with a smile. She winced afterwards though and cried out again as Bell told Alex to put more pressure on her.

"No no no, Pipes!"

"You never managed to worry that much when we travelled about the world, you thought I was daring," Piper said with a smile. The pain was getting better she thought. It didn't hurt as much.

"You didn't tell me till London, remember? Do you remember Reggie?" Alex asked her as she pressed her lips to her ear. Piper nodded as she started shivering.

"Useless really...everyone wondered what he did. I thought you just found him amusing and he would keep an eye on me when you were busy with Kubra," she managed to say. It was good to remember how they were. She had such wonderful memories of Alex before her job took control of her life.

Alex snorted some and Piper felt Nicky take her hand and squeeze. "He was useless. It took me a two months to find him though. Surely you can guess why?" Piper thought for a moment and then smiled.

"He had my blood type," Piper whispered then winced again in pain. Even then Alex was watching out for her but not really showing everyone. She never knew that idiot was there to be her walking blood bank.

Nicky looked confused as she asked, "Blood type?"

"Yeah Piper has a rare type. B- She should have blood on bank here," Alex said. Bell told her that they don't do that for prisoners. Piper didn't tell Alex that she was supposed to get Cal to help her by keeping blood in a bank in a nearby hospital. She couldn't bring herself to ask her brother to do it. She told her mother that she would. She just never did it.

"I'll tell them, Vause. I doubt it is on file. Move it you two," Bell said as she moved them out of the way. Alex told Nicky it was a girl in the bathroom when she asked. Piper saw a flurry of people leave and wondered briefly if they were going after the girl. She was lifted up from the floor and it pulled at her wound. She tried not to but she couldn't help but scream.

"Careful please, " Alex cried out.

One of the new guards stepped next to the gurney, "Back off inmate, we're taking her to medical." Alex was trying to get them to hear about her blood. Bell assured her but Alex followed. There was a crowd and Piper felt herself getting so fuzzy. Everyone was looking at her.

"What happened?" she heard Red's thick accent as she came up to the side of the gurney. She sounded scared and Piper was confused for a moment. It was getting harder to concentrate. She wanted Alex to hold her and she moaned her name.

"Move it Red, we're taking her to medical," Bell barked. Piper felt her hand on her forehead. It felt so cool and comforting.

"Make sure my mom knows I didn't stand her...up. It's okay, don't worry," Piper managed. She heard Red talking to Alex and then Piper felt the blackness seep up and overtake her.

She was standing at the top of a waterfall in Bali. She was looking back at Alex as she crossed her arms. She had just dared Piper to jump off of it. The water was clear and Piper wanted Alex to think she was crazy, fun and spontaneous. Alex laughed and told her she didn't need to prove anything to her. Piper felt such a rush when she turned back and looked down at the water. It could kill her. Being with Alex could get her in trouble...it made her pulse race. She was always the kid that did the right thing. Now standing there she knew the smart thing would be to walk down the path and jump in below. But if she jumped in there, Alex would give her that specific look. The look that said she was loved and could still surprise her woman.

She closed her eyes and remembered how Alex had taken her on the beach after their dive. She worshiped Piper's body until her nerves sang. She was still flying high. Alex worked more now they were away from New York. Yet, she took the day to be with Piper alone and it made her heart so happy she felt she could make that jump. She could surprise Alex and see in her eyes how she felt. The water looked so inviting that Piper stepped closer to the edge of the rock and looked to the swirling waters below.

"Seriously, Pipes. It isn't safe. Just hold on okay...Pipes...just hold on I'm coming" Alex said to her. Piper didn't have to look back to know she was walking towards her to take her hand and pull her back down the path. The water started to turn in an odd way and suddenly the bright blue...turned dark, blood red. The water was frothing and Piper knew that when she dove into the thick, bereft crimson, she would not return to the surface.

"Hold on Piper, please baby hold on!" she heard Alex say, though she sounded so far away from where she was before. Yet Piper couldn't help but look down at the swirling redness.

"Piper, please hold on, open your eyes," Alex pleaded. Piper opened them and saw a blurry Alex looking at her with red rimmed eyes.

"Don't cry," Piper murmured. She looked to the side and saw Cal sitting on a bed. He looked pale and worried as well. Piper was confused and her whole stomach hurt. She could see the nurse arguing with Caputo by the door.

"Look at me,Pipes...don't worry about me, baby. You just stay with me," she said in a scared hoarse voice. Piper didn't like hearing that from Alex. It was worse than when she returned to Litch and was crying all the time. It was worse than anything she'd ever heard from her. She had to try and do what Alex said but it was so hard to stay present and not slip back to the soft warmth of her dream.

"I'm fine, no worries. Is Cal really here?"

"Yes Pipes, he's donating blood. We're trying to get you moved to the local hospital...the nurse brought him to medical without authorization once he realized your blood type. Red had visitation with her son so she went in and told them what was up. Your mother started to demand to see you and almost got you thrown out. Cal went to the window and talked to me through it and eventually we got the nurse to go let him in...oh baby, you were so pale," Alex was rambling a bit and it was hard for Piper to understand her.

"I love you sis," Cal exclaimed. She felt a flush of warmth and turned her head to smile at him. "They wouldn't let Mom come back here so she's in the visitation room still. This place is disgusting." Piper just nodded and clenched Alex's hand.

"It is surreal seeing him here," Piper whispered. "I was at the waterfall. I was about to jump again. Not sure you'd followed me this time. It was so red." Piper mumbled. Alex moved her head over and gently tapped her cheek until she opened her eyes again.

"They're not going to let me stay but I'm always here with you...don't jump this time baby. Please, Piper, just wait on me to take your hand again. Please tell me you won't give up," Alex pleaded.

"Waterfall?" Cal inquired from his cot beside his sister.

"She jumped off this waterfall. Scared the shit out of me in Bali...like an idiot I dared her," Alex said shaking her head.

Piper grinned. "She followed me. She ran and jumped right after I did and then we made love under the water while our guide watched." Alex's eyes got wide at how much Piper shared but she knew Cal could care less. He frequently over shared and had his own sense of boundaries.

"I'll follow you again. I swear it Pipes, I can't do this alone," her voice broke again and Piper was so moved she felt tears flood her eyes. That sound from her love's mouth was something she wasn't supposed to ever put there.

"No..no Never give up, promise me and I'll promise you. You do exactly what the letter says, destroy it after you read it. Do it Alex and Never give up," Piper whispered to her. Alex kissed her softly.

"Enough. Take Vause back to the SEG room until we're sure this wasn't another attempt on her life. Chapman, your brother is going to go with you because apparently there is not a drop of your blood at any of the three closest hospitals here. I'll send an officer to take your mother. I'll never hear the end of this but at least another prisoner will not die on my watch," Caputo muttered. On his command Bell came over and took Alex by the arm. She held on to Piper's hand until she had to let it go.

"Promise..." Piper murmured. Alex looked at her, not taking her eyes from her form as she was pulled out of the room.

"I promise Pipes," she said and that had to be enough.

***I'm sending lots of love to the world now. If you're in Paris or Beirut or any of the countries currently under attack by extremist groups...I'm sorry and I'm sending you as much love as I can hold. I hope my story is keeping your interest. I work too much but this story and my readers are never far from my mind. As always, Peace- Fae***