Ch. 7 - New Roommate
Hours later after the incident happened and Emily was finally regaining consciousness. She sat up, finding herself alone in a small hospital room. The light blinded her and the edges of her vision were smoothed out and blurred, like a vignette was around the frame of everything she saw. Slowly she sat up. Her body swayed from side to side before she put her arm down to steady herself, discovering that she was also hand cuffed to the side railing of the bed. Her eyes traveled further up her wrist to her arm where her sleeve was rolled up and an IV was in her vein. Her sleeve was a god awful orange and the material was stiff. She shook her head and stopped when she found that to be surprisingly painful to do.
That's when most of what had happened resurfaced and she lifted her free, uncuffed hand to her forehead, wincing when she put pressure on the bandage adorning her head. The last thing she could actually remember was wanting to take a shower before her first official day began at the Rosewood County Jail. Then, there were other women in there with her. But what happened?
Emily struggled to remember everything but her train of thought fled when she heard an all too familiar voice.
"What do you mean I can't see her, you assholes called me. I demand you let me in!"
"Hanna?" Emily croaked and tried her best to peer through the partly open curtains in the window. Seeing only flashes of blonde hair…blonde hair, just like the blonde hair she had seen right before-
"Emily, oh my god, you're alive." Hanna barged through the door and after flinging her bag on a chair nearby she embraced Emily in her arms carefully.
"Hanna?"
The blonde friend pulled away and placed her hands delicately on Em's shoulders, her eyes roaming Em's face, "geez, those bitches really did a number on you, didn't they? I swear to god, I should commit a crime just to go in there with you and beat their asses."
Emily smiled, "you kinda already did that first thing."
Hanna dropped her jaw in shock and quickly smiled, hugging Em again, "god prison already changed you; you're not a wimp anymore."
"Hey, I was never a wimp."
"I know but it was still fun to say."
"Whatever, Hanna what the hell are you doing here?"
"Well, I got a call 4 hours ago, I'm your emergency contact and I guess your records the jail has didn't have any record of you being allergic to any types of medication, so they called me and briefly told me what happened. They told me you were fine and slipped in the shower and hit your head. I know you can be a little accident prone but naturally, I had to come see you myself."
"Thanks Han, but how'd you get in."
"Oh," Hanna smiled, "you're little friend Reyes, he's outside, he was the one who drove you here."
"Here?"
"Yeah dork, they had to take you to an actual hospital. Whatever they needed to patch you up apparently wasn't at the Four Seasons with you, so they took you here, you're in the Rosewood General Hospital."
Emily sat back into the bed, her cuff making noise as she did.
"Ugh, they have me chained here like an animal."
Hanna shook her head, "these fuckers, I swear, I'm so sorry Em."
"For what?"
Hanna tilted her head, "you know exactly what for."
"Han-" Em started.
"No Em, I'm serious, I don't know if I can let you do this."
Emily awkwardly reached her free hand, her left hand, across her body and over to where Hanna sat on the edge of her bed, to grab her hand, "Hey, it's okay, and I'm already doing it, no take backs."
Hanna didn't budge at Emily's joke attempt, "this isn't secret santa at the restaurant, Em."
"Well I know that, Santa's jumpsuit is red, not orange."
This, made Hanna laugh softly, "ugh, Em, I'm serious though, you don't deserve this, something worse could've happened."
Emily's smiled faded slowly in the realization that she was in fact saved from what could've turned into a life-haunting memory. She swallowed and came to also realize that she had no idea about the whereabouts of her savior.
"It's okay Hanna, stop thinking that."
Hanna nodded and grabbed her hand and a sudden smile crept on her face, "so I also heard that you have a friend in there, huh?"
Emily's head snapped up, much to her dismay, and she looked…was she blushing. Did Hanna know? Wait, but Em wasn't even sure it was her.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Your boy Reyes gave me a few more details on the 'report' of the other guard who was supposed to be on duty when all this," she waved her finger in front of Emily's head, "happened. So, tell me about her. She obviously had to like you if she stuck her neck out the line and came in to save you."
"Actually-" Emily stared a little confused, into Hanna's eyes.
"What? You're telling me you don't remember?"
"No! I do, I remember the blonde hair and I know it had to be her."
"Well then?"
"Hanna did any of the officers say where she was? Did they say her name? I mean she wasn't the only blonde in there, so who knows, it could've been anyone? Who am I kidding, is she okay? Or did they tell you what happened?"
Hanna moved to face Em, grabbing a chair from behind her and lowering herself into it, "no, Em, I thought you knew all that, all that I heard was that you were in the showers when a group of other inmates came in and attacked you. They said an inmate was nearby and heard something and then, well she saved you. But she left before anyone really could see her."
"Then how do they know someone helped me?"
"The other women who attacked you fled and when the guard who found you, well found you, you were knocked out but they way you were rested and covered up, they knew you weren't just knocked out nor did you manage to fight them off."
"Oh."
"Yeah, but you do know who it is right?" There was a suggestive tone and smile in the way Hanna said that and Emily wanted to shake her head to mask a blush that was forming.
"Yeah, I mean I guess I do, she the only one I can think of?"
"Awwww."
"Han stop, not like that, geez you perv." Emily rolled her eyes.
Hanna scoffed, "whatever, what's her name?"
"Really, we're gonna do this here?"
"Well, I don't know where else we can! Besides the doc is coming in soon to grant you clearance to go back, I read your report already; you have a minor concussion and needed three little stitches…so I'd say I have like 10 minutes before we have to cut our girl time short.
"Fine…her name is Alison."
"Okay…," Hanna waited for more.
"Okay."
"Em! C'mon you loser, what is she like?"
"Hanna, would you stop, I barely met the girl 24 hours ago, and stop giving me those eyes, I'm not looking for love behind bars."
Hanna shrugged, "sometimes love just finds us."
"Ew, what did you do while I've been gone, read a Nicolas Sparks book?"
"Ooo ooo how about this, love-"
"Stop. It. You're making me sick."
Hanna held her stomach and laughed, "okay fine, at least tell me what she looks like."
"Ugh, only if you shut up after this, I seriously have a headache."
"Deal, grumpypants."
"Okay ugh, she's like a few inches shorter than me, she has long blonde hair, blue eyes…"
"So she looks like me?" Hanna wiggled her eyebrows.
"Ugh, I hate to admit but yeah a little."
"Great, so I am your type."
"Hanna, I don't have a type."
"Sure you don't, go on."
"What is there to go on about? That's all I know."
"Well how'd you meet her?"
"In prison." Emily replied flat and dry.
"Haha you sarcastic ass."
"Han, you're driving me nuts, we met at the library okay, I work there and so does she."
"Aw that's cute, you guys can 'get to know each other more' in between the privacy of the bookshelves."
"Alright, this conversation is officially over."
"God, I miss you out here Em."
Emily opened her mouth but focused her eyes more closely on her best friend; she noticed things she had ignored when Hanna first arrived; there were dark rings under her eyes, her hair she had cut a bit shorter, instead of high heels she was in sneakers and where Hanna usually had her makeup done up to the nine, she was now barefaced. Em knew her friend was still very beautiful, but something about her seemed –tired.
"Hanna," Emily started seriously.
"Yeah?"
"How are you holding up?"
"Emily," Hanna laughed, "look at where you're at and you're seriously asking me if I'm-"
"Not what I mean."
"Then wha- oh. Oh."
"Yeah, 'oh.'"
"I'm fine Em."
"But you're not, I know it and you know I can see it, so stop lying and tell me."
Hanna swallowed and took a deep breath before looking at her friend, "what is there to tell?"
"Have you talked to anyone about-"
"No, I can't Em, you know that."
"I know but c'mon Han, you know that there has to be a way."
"And if there is, I can't seem to find it."
Emily felt utterly helpless and she hated that they both had to face these things alone.
"Well, I have been talking to your lawyer or attorney lady whatever."
Em smiled, "Oh yeah? Spencer Hastings right? Well what about?"
"Well at first it was just your case and getting the finances in order, but after a while I realized after she takes her blazer off and sets down the briefcase, she's actually really cool, and she only two years older than us, so I don't know, it's just nice to have someone to talk to."
Emily wanted to say that didn't hurt. Hanna seen that.
"Oh god, Em, not like that, you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do, it's okay Han, I'm glad, just tell that Spencer she still has to be approved by me when I get out, she was one kick ass lawyer but being a kick ass friend has its own special qualifications that need to be met."
"Sir, yes sir." Hanna saluted Em and Emily's eyes widened.
"Oh shit Hanna, have my parents called?"
"Yeah, your mom called the house phone and I told her you were out on a date."
"A date?! Great Hanna, now she'll ask even more questions! You couldn't have just said I was in the shower or out shopping?"
"Sorry, you know how hard it is to lie to your mom, it was the first thing that popped into my head!"
Em face palmed herself mentally and groaned, "it's okay, but what did she say about my phone? She had to have called my cell first."
"She did, and I told her you left it at the restaurant and it got stolen. Aha then she gave us a whole lecture about being responsible and-"
"Oh god Hanna, they're going to figure something out soon, and then I'm dead."
"They're not gonna find out anything."
"How do you know?"
"Well, the last time your mom called, she said she and your dad were going on a cruise and she just wanted to call and say she loved you and what not because she wouldn't have internet access let alone service for phone calls for about…6 weeks?"
"6 weeks, Han?! I'm going to be here for a few months! Oh god, I'm screwed."
"You're not Em, just relax, we'll figure something out when we have to."
"Alright fine," Emily sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.
"So what have you heard about- uh," she was a little uncomfortable with changing the subject.
"Caleb?" Hanna smiled weakly.
"Yeah."
"Well nothing, the son of a bitch who has Caleb only says that they'll contact me when they need to, I get a picture every now and again showing me he's okay but I don't know Em. I don't know who would need this much money and from us, combined Caleb and I don't make that kind of money."
"Well how much do you trust this Spencer Hastings?"
"I don't know Em, we've only hung out casually like twice, but she seems like an honest person, and she's smarter than anyone we've ever met, I guess I trust her, but how do you mean?"
"Well she's a lawyer, she has to have some kind of resources to help you, I mean you should really get to know her and see if there's anything she can do to help, she probably knows a lot about law suits and cases that involve these things right?"
"Em, she's primarily a defense attorney, and how would I start that conversation? Like oh hey, I know we just met but um my husband was just kidnapped and now he's being held for ransom, know how I can find him and catch the son of a gun who took him and why? Yeah, Em, I doubt that'll work."
"Look, Hanna, all I'm saying is that she's the one person you have access to that can help with this."
"Em I don't know, I'm not supposed to tell anyone, if this person finds out, something bad can happen to Caleb."
"I know Hanna but with me in here I don't see where else you're supposed to go, and I know what this person said about if you contact the police, we're running out of options, it sounds desperate, but I think Hastings is the way to go."
"I can't Em, even if I do tell her, she'll tell me to go to the cops."
"How do you know that? Maybe there's some way to backtrack where the messages are sent and put a location on Caleb."
"I know that's what she'll tell me because ever since this all started, she's been seeing a cop."
"And? That might be a good thing, then you can talk to the cops in private without this psychopath knowing."
"Em the cop she's seeing is Toby Cavanaugh."
Why did that name sound so familiar to Emily?
"You mean-"
"Yeah, the cop that arrested us, or you, whatever."
"Shit."
"Yeah, shit."
"Han, I don't know how you're keeping it all together, but we're going to get Caleb back."
Hanna shook her head and tried hard not to let the tears spill over, "it's worth a shot, I'll wait a few awhile though to open up to Spencer."
Emily reached over again and held out her hand for Hanna to take.
Their moment was cut short when Reyes opened the door, "the doc is coming back, and I'm sorry Mrs. Rivers but I think you should go before he gets here." Hanna nodded her head and turned back to face Emily, "Em-"
"Shh, it's okay, everything is going to be fine, I promise."
"I love you Em."
"Shh, stop it, you're my sister, in every sense of the word, minus the biological part of course. We're gonna be okay Han, I have a good feeling about asking Spencer for help, as for the Officer Cavanaugh part, let me know how that goes."
"Ugh, I miss you already."
"Text me via letter."
"You're such a dumbass, are you sure I'm the blonde one?"
Em laughed as Hanna hugged her and left, thinking to herself, not that blonde.
x-x-x-x
Emily returned and was checked in to the jail within the next hour. It was around the free time period that most of the women were heading back to their bunks. Emily was escorted back into the same block as her bunk but instead of going straight ahead, she took a right turn and was led all the way to block D13.
"Um, we're going the wrong way," Emily pointed behind where she should've been headed but the guard in front of her wasn't looking.
"Uh, you are Emily Fields right? Inmate number M2796L13, in for attempted robbery, sentence is 3-4 months, I read your file okay, this isn't my first day. You've been moved."
"Moved? But where? And why?"
"You ask a lot of questions."
"That was just two."
"Okay well if you must know, you're moving to D13 with another inmate."
Another inmate? Emily thought, oh god, let her be someone as nice as Rojas was.
The guard stopped in front of the opening and Emily was escorted by a female guard the rest of the way towards her new sleeping and living area. The tall brunette guard stopped in front of the opening and handed Em a new pillow, "well her you are fields, say hello to your new roommate."
Emliy looked up and swallowed hard, "shit."