Chapter Seventeen-The Aftermath
The room was quiet. Too quiet. The absence of noise outside left only the pounding of the hammer that had somehow positioned itself inside her head, and that was accompanied by throbbing pain worse than any migraine she had ever experienced.
Piper raised her right hand slowly to her face and touched the top of her jaw where it met her cheekbone and then immediately regretted her action. There was already a mushy lump forming there and even the lightest exploration with her fingertips signaled the hammer to strike the inside of her skull with an increased strength and rate.
"Ow."
"Oh good, you're awake."
Piper turned her head slightly to look for the owner of the voice, but her eyes did not seem to want to focus together. The disorientation and vertigo suddenly made her nauseous. Whoever was present seemed to anticipate what was going to happen because a trash can was quickly placed in front of her. She didn't do much more than dry heave, but it did nothing to help with the headache.
As she lay back Piper was suddenly realized she had lost part of her memory. She remembered talking to Alex in the laundry and agreeing to the escape plan. Then the emotional goodbye and getting situated in the bottom of the laundry cart before Nicky pushed her across the prison to the kitchen. But everything after that was a blank.
"Where am I?" The room was small but her blurred vision didn't help identify her surroundings. Maybe she had been injured in the escape attempt. Was she with Alex's cartel partners? Or a hospital on the outside?
"The infirmary. You don't recognize me? I took care of your hands a few months ago. Chapman, what is the last thing you remember?"
Piper focused as best she could directly on the speaker's face. She did recognize him. It was the medic who had stitched her up before she was sent to the SHU. "I'm still at Litchfield."
"Still?"
Oops. "I think I was dreaming I was done with my sentence and released. Nice dream." Piper did her best to cover the slip. "I remember working in the laundry this morning. That was this morning, right?"
The medic accepted the lie easily. "Yes. It's six o'clock. You've been unconscious for most of the day. That was quite a wallop you took." He stood up and put the trash can down before encouraging Piper to lay back. "You should rest. Officer Caputo and Assistant Warden Figueroa are waiting outside anxious to talk to you. They want to know why inmate Vause attacked you as part of her escape."
"What!" Piper sat up so fast her vision swirled and she slipped back into darkness.
The ride was cold, freezing cold. Alex felt numb as soon as the delivery truck had passed through the gate and started down the highway, but that wasn't just from the temperature. She was trying to take deep breaths to keep the panic at bay, but it was only partially working. She had made a completely impulsive decision based on remote possibilities and luck and now she had nothing but time to evaluate her actions.
Her initial review was not positive. She had known there would be risks to sending Piper to the cartel for protection. The escape attempt might fail and Piper would be facing even more years in maximum security. The cartel might refuse her and Piper would be on her own with the police looking for her. Alex's greatest fear had been that the cartel would insist Piper work for them, using her as a mule until Alex was released from prison.
Alex had never imagined Fahri to be as evil and conniving as she now understood. She shuddered as much as the tight space would allow thinking of what 'Tracy' had disclosed of Fahri's plan for Piper. She had heard stories of what happened to the girls sold into the private sex clubs in the Persian Gulf. They usually became heroin addicts with short tortuous lives.
Whatever the outcome, Alex knew she had done the right thing keeping Piper away from Fahri. She was angry at herself for ever trusting her former drug dealing colleague with anything to do with her love. There was a reason he was so good at what he did and a big part of that was sheer ruthlessness.
Her teeth were chattering uncontrollably now. She had made sure Piper was wearing thermal pants and a shirt, but she had no time to change. The trip in the delivery truck would probably take at least an hour. Alex let her fury at Fahri boil inside as she formulated a new plan. She would need to deal with that bastard and the cartel first, as soon as she stepped out of the truck. Then she could focus on Piper.
Prison had humbled her, forced her strong personality to subsume itself to survive. Now, with no time to dwell on it, she needed every ounce of her former strength, and a heavy dose of attitude, to act. Her life depended on it, and more importantly so did Piper's.
As much as her anger kept her from freezing, it was thoughts of Piper's trust and love that truly warmed her. All she needed was to bring a vision to her mind, of Piper cuffed at the hands and feet and shuffling into her cell in max to spend the next twenty years, to keep focused on what she would have to do. She had to cling to the possibility that her actions would allow her to see Piper again someday. That is if Piper ever forgave her for knocking her out and leaving her.
When Piper came to again she heard loud voices arguing in the outer room.
"Just because the in-place lockdown has been lifted does not mean you can talk to Chapman. She needs to give us a statement about what happened first." Caputo's voice was loud and firm. "We've been stuck here waiting all day."
Piper smiled when she heard the distinctive voice of Red respond. "I just want to make sure she is ok. I feel responsible since she was in my kitchen when the attack took place."
Attack? Piper rubbed her hand over her swollen face. It hurt, but not as bad as earlier and her head was less fuzzy.
"It probably won't matter Mr. Caputo. Chapman told me earlier she didn't remember anything since being in the laundry this morning."
That was the medic. Piper wondered if he was trying to cover for her or just relaying what she had said.
"Well she better remember something! She was assaulted and her girlfriend is gone. Not to mention the complete clusterfuck involving Mendez and the scared straight girl this morning. The events of this day are going to cost us all our jobs if Vause isn't found pronto."
Piper winced. That was definitely Figueroa's whiney voice even if she didn't know what the hell the assistant warden was talking about regarding Mendez.
The medic ignored all of Figs self-preservation concern. "Some patients never regain memories after a blow like that. I still recommend we take her to the hospital for a CT scan, she vomited earlier and that can be a sign of serious brain trauma."
"No one is coming in or out of this facility until every nook and cranny is searched in the morning. I want inmates kept in the dorms until further notice. And Chapman will remain here until she can tell us what she knows." Figueroa was all business now.
"Well I think Vause just went crazy about Chapman going to trial and then jumped a fence. Chapman tried to stop her and got her brains scrambled as thanks." Red's voice sounded abnormally loud and Piper realized Red was trying to tell her something.
"Go to your dorm Red, now." Caputo sounded tired and stressed. A door opened and shut and Piper assumed Red had left the infirmary. A minute later the medic re-entered the inner room and turned on the light.
"You awake Chapman?"
"Yeah." There was no point in denying and she knew what she needed to say to Fig and Caputo.
"You feeling better?" When Piper nodded he continued. "Up for visitors?"
Before she could answer the door opened and Figueroa stepped in, Caputo behind her. "I will decide when inmate Chapman is ready to talk, and that is now."
Piper stayed lying on her side and forced Fig to come around the small cot to speak to her. She also wanted the assistant warden to get a good look at her prominently displayed swollen face. "How can I help you Ms. Figueroa?"
The woman stayed standing, towering over Piper on the cot. "Do you know where inmate Vause is?"
"No. I really have no idea." Piper saw no reason to lie unless she had to.
"Were you aware of her escape plan?"
"No. She never gave me any indication she wanted to escape." Still the truth, although clearly a stretch.
Caputo had leaned against the wall where Piper couldn't see him and she flinched when he spoke. "I find it hard to believe that she hit you Chapman. How did that happen?"
Piper sighed, glad she could be honest again. "I don't know Mr. Caputo. The last thing I remember is being in the laundry working this morning. I don't know what happened after that." Piper rolled so she could look Caputo in the eye. "I'm not sure I believe Alex hit me either. Is she really gone?"
"Alex Vause will be found, and when she is she will be in maximum security for a very long time." Figueroa was scowling and pacing in the small room. "Huh, I guess the two of you might see each other again after all."
"I'm not sure Chapman will be in any condition to be transferred tomorrow with her injuries." The medic had been standing in the doorway listening.
Caputo scratched his head. "I don't think the district attorney will want Chapman to stand trial with a bruised face. That kind of works against his case."
Figueroa was fuming. "I guess we will work that out tomorrow. For tonight Chapman stays here." She stepped over to the cot and leaned over Piper's face. "I suggest you get some rest. Maybe it will help with your memory."
Alex's assessment of her time in the truck had been very accurate. She was in the tiny concealed space for just over an hour. When the truck stopped, the driver got out and hopped in the back, opening the cabinet and encouraging her out quickly. He helped her down and into a nondescript warehouse and barely looked at her before jumping back into the truck and driving away.
It wasn't much warmer here. The warehouse was not one she recognized, but she had never been very involved in the production or storage part of the operation. The cartel changed them frequently anyway. A few workers were at tables scattered around, repackaging what looked to be cocaine from large blocks into smaller baggies. Plastic covered everything and electronic scales were set on each table. Alex chuckled as she saw the workers were cutting the cocaine with white powder from large bottles labeled levamisole, a veterinary de-wormer that was a look-alike cheap powder. Oh well, you get what you pay for.
The workers wouldn't look directly at her, but their eyes gave away what she needed to know. There was a man standing on a stairwell at the side of the warehouse that led up to a windowless room.
"Come with me." The man called out with a thick accent. Alex walked towards him, stopping one step below when he failed to move. "I thought you were a blonde?"
"I'm full of surprises today." She gives him her most charming and disarming smile and it seems to work as his body language relaxes. "Is Fahri upstairs?"
"You know Fahri?" Alex nodded as she gave the man a deeper assessment. He clearly worked for Fahri, but she didn't know him. She had to assume he was a newer cartel member. He was young but seemed calm and clear headed.
As they proceeded up the steps Alex recalculated her plan. If this young man was Fahri's muscle she needed to deal with him as well. Why not try honey first? He had done nothing to earn her wrath, yet. "What's your name?"
"Antonio."
They had arrived on the small landing at the top of the steps. Alex turned and touched him lightly on the arm. "Antonio, I'm Alex." His raised eyebrows showed he had heard of her. "There has been a change of plans. I don't know what Fahri has offered you, but I would ask you to stay here, outside this door. I have business with Fahri that is just between us. I'm not asking for loyalty, just neutrality, but the decision is yours."
Antonio considered her statement for a moment before responding. "Fahri asked me to guard the door. I can do that from here."
Alex smiled. "Good. I hope we get a chance to talk later."
Now her focus was on one man. She was prepared to offer him options depending on how events played out, but none that he would like or likely accept. Then she thought of Piper, who was supposed to have been standing right here, about to face unimaginable horror inflicted by the monster inside. She let her anger seep into her bones until she felt feverish. Then she opened the door and stepped in.
"Hello Fahri."
Nicky could see the first light coming in the uncovered windows so she knew it must be morning although she had barely slept. Her mind was still whirling from the events of the last twenty four hours and she still wasn't sure what the hell had happened. She had waited in the kitchen for Vause after seeing her rush by towards the loading dock, assuming she'd be back. Several minutes later Red had rushed in and pulled her outside to where Chapman was lying in a crumpled heap, a nice shiner already rising up on her face.
She had asked the obvious question. "What the fuck happened Red?"
Her prison mama had never looked so upset. "I don't know. Vause jumped in the truck after Chapman was all set and ready to go. Then they both came out and Vause decked her and got back in the truck alone. Chapman never saw it coming and Vause hit her really hard."
Nicky bent down to check Piper's breathing. "She's out cold. We have to get some help. We can't hide this."
Red was running one hand through her hair. "I know. But if we do it now they will catch Vause and Bobby. They need some time to get away." Red seemed to come to a decision. "Grab her ankles. Let's move her into the storage room for now, get some ice on her face. I will call for a CO in one hour and say I just found her there."
"Are you sure? This is not how everything was supposed to go down. Did Vause lose her mind?" Nicky didn't want Red to get into any more trouble.
"I don't think so. Vause looked determined. She asked me to tell Chapman to talk to the lawyer and that she loved her. I think something went wrong and she is trying to fix it. She wants Chapman to tell everyone she tried to stop Alex and Alex hit her."
They two of them had carried Chapman into the storage room and then Red had insisted that Nicky go back to work to avoid suspicion. Right on cue an hour later the entire prison went on stay-in-place lockdown that lasted the rest of the afternoon. Then the inmates had been escorted in groups back to the dorms and locked down again for the night.
She had been called out at around ten o'clock and questioned briefly about Vause and Chapman, telling them she knew nothing. Red had come in even later and shook her head when Nicky started to get up to talk to her. Since then she had been lying in her bunk staring at the ceiling wondering what the implications were going to be for all of them.
Escape attempts weren't unheard of, but they were rare at the minimum security facility. The sentences at Litchfield were all less than ten years and most of the women just wanted to do their time and go back to whatever life they could. But it appeared that this escape had been successful, even if it was the wrong inmate who had jumped. That would bring down the pain on all of them Nicky realized. She had been so caught up in the injustice of Chapman's trial and helping to screw over the prison guards she hadn't really thought about the effects on the rest of them.
Well, it was too late now. Breakfast was a stack of cold sandwiches delivered to the dorm and the end of the lockdown was nowhere in sight. As the grumbling amongst the inmates got louder, Nicky wondered when her dorm mates would figure out that Vause and Chapman were both gone. And then the door opened and Chapman walked through, her eyes darting around as best they could through the swollen tissues of her face. She was instantly mobbed by everyone in the suburb.
"Get back!" Red waded through the sea of inmates and put an arm protectively around Chapman's shoulders. "Let her get settled first, then we'll see what she has to say, ok?"
Nicky took the opposite flank and they guided Piper into her cube, thankful for the continued lack of a roommate.
Red sat her down on the bunk and looked at her face, clucking disappointment. "Some way to show she loves you."
Piper looked up surprised. "She said that?"
Red looked around, her eyes lingering on the CO bubble. "Not now. What about your transfer? Your trial?"
"Postponed. The DA didn't think I would make a convincing bully looking like this."
"Good. You still need to talk to your lawyer, soon, understand?" Red stood up as she finished.
Piper furrowed her brow slightly. "Ok. I don't know what is going on; I can't remember anything from yesterday morning to last night."
"Just get some rest." Nicky stood up as well. "We'll try to get everyone else to back off for now."
"Thank you." Piper could feel tears start to gather. Where had her tough girl gone right when she needed her?
Nicky and Red nodded and left her alone.
Alone, without Alex alone. What had happened? What was Alex doing? Piper sighed and closed her eyes. This was the day she had been dreading, the day she was separated from Alex forever. But not like this. Somehow she would have to find her inner strength and trust that Alex was doing her best for both of them.
She whispered into her pillow, somehow her voice making it all real. "Alex, where are you?"