Red starred at Piscatella as her walked feeling all the hatred she could erupt from her core to her eyes.
"Red you ok? What did he say? You look like youre going to murder someone." Lorna commented sincerely.
"I might." Red responded.
"Oh shit. Alex looked at Piper.
"Well what did he say?" Lorna asked again.
Once Piscatella was out of ear shot, Red looked at her concerned family. "He knows where Nicky is."
"Where?" Piper asked walking into Red's cube and sitting on the chair. The others followed into the bunk.
"He didn't say…" Red trailed off looking out the window. The storm seemed to be showing no signs of stopping. Her girl was out there.
"For the first time concerning Nicky, I haven't a clue of what to do." Red sounded empty and helpless.
"They'll find her. Piscatella can't have…put…moved… her to a place that is very far." Lorna offered.
"She doesn't like thunder…" Red was off in some type of zone that the others couldn't seem to interact with.
"What if we went to look for her?" Alex suggested.
"Alex, are you crazy?" Piper accused.
"What? We've been known to do crazier shit." She pointed out.
"True." Piper agreed and they both smiled at each other.
"I know it's not what you want to hear Red, but I think our only option is to wait." Lorna explained.
"I'm going to try and sleep. Maybe when I wake up she will be here." Red said sounding like she had no faith in her words.
They all either gave Red a pat on the back, a hand on her shoulder, or a half hug.
Being grateful for the support but feeling no different, Red crawled into bed and pulled her knees up. Lying on her side in a ball. She was afraid for her girl. This was the first time there was trouble and she couldn't help. It pained her knowing she couldn't help, knowing this was out of her control.
4 hours went by. Everyone was asleep, except Red. She couldn't take it. She put on her shoes and tiptoed to the kitchen where she knew she could get out without being spotted, she had the key after all to the back door where the produce truck unloaded.
She got to the door, unlocked it and opened the door. The rain was shooting hard from the clouds, rain drops like bullets being fired at the ground, lightning flashed like a strobe light, brightening the world for just a split second before disappearing into nothingness once again.
She had to go. She had to go and get her girl, bring her home. She stepped out into the rain. Instantly she started shivering and felt all the more terrible at how Nicky must be feeling.
She made her way to a spot where there was a slight hole in the fence that the guards had been using earlier.
Once through the fence, she looked around. This was going to be tough. There was nothing but trees and rain as far as she could see.
Almost panicking, Red called out as loud as she could, "I will find you!"
Red had no idea which direction to go in. She stopped walking and paid attention to her heart. Maybe she would feel something, like a mother's instinct. Sure enough she had this idea to go left.
She was walking for what felt like hours but kept calling out, "Nicky! Nicky!" every couple of feet. Her voice was becoming hoarse between the yelling and the rain. She was soaked and freezing, she would never give up though, not on her girl.
As if God himself pointed a finger in her direction, Red heard the faintest "Mommy."
She spun around and walked towards the little voice. "Nicky!" She cried.
"Here! Here…" Nicky's voice was quiet but Red heard her loud and clear.
Red approached a pile of shaking clothes, she walked over to the other side of the pile and there was the face of Nicky, looking beat from the weather.
Red put her hand to Nicky's face to brush away her hair that the rain kept pulling down. Just before Red cold touch her, Nicky shivered away. Thinking she was just cold and it wasn't on purpose, Red tried again. Nicky moved away again.
"What is wrong?" Red asked, confused at Nicky's behavior.
"I..uh.." Nicky couldn't get any words out through her chattering teeth.
"How'd you end up out here? Why are you still out here?" Red was starting to realize the reality that Nicky put herself into. "Did you take something and just wonder off?"
Nicky was silent and just looked into Red's eyes.
"Is that it?" Red asked, coming to terms that her daughter would never change. "Are you ever going to stop, Nicky?"
Nicky began to speak but Red cut her off. "I want to help you but you won't even let me touch you. How am I supposed to help you if you don't want my help? I could be a bad mother and go back to the prison and tell them you are out here. But I am a good mother so I'll just go back to the prison."
As she looked at Nicky, neither one of them could tell if the other one was crying or if it was just the rain.
Her heart breaking as she stood, but seeing that Nicky wasn't going to accept her help, she walked back to the prison, leaving her daughter shivering in the cold rain.