Chapter Eight
Mendez set foot back in the prison. It was his first day back, since Trisha, since getting caught with Daya. Since dropping in to check up on her. He had missed her. He had never realised just how much he had isolated himself from human contact until they made love in that storage cupboard. He got suspended for it, but it was totally worth it. He took in a deep breath, the hint of bleach and cleaning products that clung to the air comforted him. He belonged here, keeping the inmates in line, getting some extra cash on the side thanks to heroin, and more importantly, he belonged anywhere inmate Dayanara was.
"You're back." Bennett said, more surprised than happy. Mendez smiled, he patted Bennett on the back, "it's been a while man."
"Four weeks." Bennett replied.
"What's new?" Mendez asked as the two headed down the corridor and into the prison for their shifts.
"Not much-" Bennett began.
"And Daya, how's she?" Mendez said, making no attempt to make his enquiry seem professional or casual.
"She's uh... she's..." And just like that, Daya came into their line of sight as she wandered over to Diaz, an elder inmate. Mendez's eyes grew wide. Daya was showing. She was pregnant.
"Well...she's—" Bennett tried.
"Pregnant." Mendez said, he brushed past Bennett and took Daya by the arm.
"Come with me, inmate." He ordered, Daya stared at him in panic then glanced at Bennett. All Bennett could do was stand still and watch in horror as Mendez escorted Daya out of the main hall. Bennett stood dumbfounded. He and Daya hadn't been on particularly good terms lately, and he knew they were both stuck for solutions about the pregnancy. But the thought of Mendez having anything to do with his baby filled him with dread. They were in over their heads. And it was starting to paralyse him with fear.
"So, you're just gonna keep ignoring me and pretend you don't feel a thing?" Piper asked Alex, "You know, it took me forty five minutes to find you. Forty five minutes of time I could've spent...reading a book, scrubbing the floors..." Piper tried to charm Alex, Alex ignored her and continued jogging round the lap. Piper sped up, determined to keep up.
"I could have even cleaned the showers with a toothbrush." Again nothing, Piper sighed. She grabbed Alex's arm.
"Alex c'mon."
"Get off've me." Alex said, Piper was taken aback by her anger.
Alex sighed, "I just... I need some space." The dismay in Alex's eyes made Piper hate herself.
"Alex, it was just a visit—"
"Piper. Drop it." Alex warned.
"You've got people in here Alex. Whether you admit it or not, they like you and you have this way of being able to connect with anyone. I don't. I don't know how to do that and it gets hard. You know? Watching you be there for people, do it so well-and then there's me. Stood on the sidelines with no fucking idea –"
"You're shit at caring about others? That's not my problem."
"Then why are you mad at me? Because my ex-fiancé visited me? I didn't realise you were so insecure." That struck a chord within Alex. She turned on her heel and levelled Piper with a hard stare.
"As if you've ever given me any reason not to be. Ever."
Piper scoffed and started shaking her head, "Oh do not go there. So not even go there! I told you I love you. I have not been granted the decency of having that said back to me. Don't be all self-righteous-"
"You know what, Piper? Next week, I've got a visitation with an ex. This girl? I nearly married her. The sex was amazing, the drugs, the intoxication of just being around her? Phenomenal." Piper stared at Alex, it felt as if Alex had punched her in the stomach. So this was how Piper seeing Larry had made Alex feel.
Alex gave her a shrug, "Guess I just proved my point." With that, Alex turned and continued jogging.
"You want space, I can do space. Because I love you, and I respect you. And I am sorry I made you feel like that." Piper said, as righteously as possible. Alex threw her a look as if to say, 'yeah right.'
"I can SO do space!" Piper promised, barely believing it herself.
Alex kept on running. Piper shrugged it off, she could totally do space. She could be a space ninja if that's what Alex needed. She could. She could. She started jogging... then realised space meant she couldn't jog when Alex was using the running track.
"space. Right." Piper scolded herself, "ok." She headed back to the prison.
Red stared at Norma, "and you accepted it?!" she demanded. Norma gave a clueless shrug.
"Ai, yai, yai. Norma. Ai, yai, yai. So help me Christ."
Red took the hand-made weapon and wrapped it back up.
"You can return to the kitchen." Red granted, but Norma reached into her apron and pulled out an item wrapped in foil. She handed it to Red then walked away.
Red opened the foil and found a piece of bread. With it, was a note, "When you arrived, you told me, 'There are two types of people. The people who make the bread and the ones who eat the bread.' It's time to show Parker which one you are, and remind everyone who Red is."
Red smiled softly, Norma got it. She got the code. She understood how things ought to be done and Red loved her for it.
If memory served her correctly, today Mendez was back. Her plan was to reach Mendez before Parker did and get him on side.
Then everything would take care of itself, she stared at the inmates as they lined up for lunch. Everything would return to the way it should be.
Nicky stirred awake in her hospital room. She raised an eyebrow at Piper.
"The hell are you doing here, Chapman?"
"I came to visit." Piper said with a nervous shrug.
"Where's Morello?"
"She had a visitation this week, so she couldn't make it."
"Well, that is fucking charming."
"Besides I'm low risk, so they think I'm a safe bet to be sent to visit you."
"Cuz you won't try to run away?"
"Nope."
"Pussy."
"Takes one to know one." Piper answered. Nicky studied her.
"What's new in the Litch?"
"Not much. Ooh, Daya's pregnant. And it's totally Bennett's. Alex wants space, Morello can't sing to save her life. Uhm, oh and Bursett is now doing white people's hair for a lower price. One bar of soaps instead of two."
"Woah, woah, hold up. Vause wants space? The hell did you do now?"
Piper scoffed, "what makes you think it was my fault?"
Nicky gave her a look. Piper sighed, "I got Larry to visit me."
"The beard?"
"He wasn't a beard." Piper said, "But yeah, and Alex found out."
Nicky raised an eyebrow, "You mean you didn't tell her? She just showed up and caught you?"
Piper winced, "is that really bad?"
"Lying is worse than cheating."
"Debatable." Piper said. Nicky laughed.
"So what's space mean in prison?"
"I can't use things or be in places when she's there. And it sucks, because you're here. Red's depressing me, and Morello keeps switching between guilt and remorse, then short-lived quest for vengeance because of what happened to you. Speaking of what happened... what did happen?"
"You don't wanna get involved. How's Red?"
"She's not okay. Pretending to be. But she's not ok."
"Do me a favour, give Red a packet of pretzels. She'll know what it means. And I'll pay you back when they lemme out of this place."
Piper nodded, "sure. No problem. How're you doing? How's the health and stuff?"
"Stuff is shitty. You're my only visitor this week. And health is on the mend, I'm a resilient mother fucker, Chapman. Parker's gonna have to try harder than that."
Piper's eyes widened. She then proceeded to mouth in a barely audible yet manic whisper.
"PARKER DID THIS?!"
"Don't say a thing, kid." Nicky warned. "This ain't a game."
"SHE'S MY BUNK MATE. I SLEEP NEXT TO HER." Piper felt her heart race in her chest.
"Oh my god, does she hate white people?!"
"No! SHUT UP. Chapman, don't tell ANYONE. Ok?"
Piper barely reacted, she was too busy freaking out on the inside. She had to sleep in the same room as this woman.
"CHAPMAN?" Nicky prompted. Piper nodded.
"Sure, sure. No problem. Lips sealed. Shit. Fuck."
"Calm down, you aren't a part of what's going on, so you're safe."
"I hate prison." Piper sighed.