Finally having dealt with the book issue and with only a moment to spare, I rushed to my next post which was patrolling the recreation yard. I hadn't spoken to her after what she'd said, in truth I was a bit freaked out. How the hell could she have possibly known that I'd gone to the bookstore and bought the same book as her? I mean...I didn't believe in psychics or mind-readers but what I did believe in was stalking. Had she phoned someone to come and follow me? To stalk me after work? What if the person followed me home and now knew where I live?
I couldn't exactly ask her either. That would mean admitting to what she had accused me of and I didn't want to do that, if possible I wanted my doings to remain completely anonymous.
Trying to think up reasons other than stalking for a few moments, I came up with something. Maybe...it was just a lucky guess after she saw me flick to the end of the book and smile when previously I had asked her what it was about...Yes, that's it! Finding what I thought to be a good reason, I calmed down. Stalker...pfft. Yeah right, why would she be so interested in me to send someone to see what I was up to anyway?
The light partially blinded me as I walked out of the building to first conduct a search that all of the fencing was secure and not weak in any spots so that a prisoner couldn't try to get out on my watch. So on I went, kicking and shaking each section of fencing and deeming it all safe before I blew my whistle, telling my fellow officer that he could bring out the inmates.
Out they flowed, of course this wasn't all of them because the number was too vast to even contemplate bringing them all out at once. This was maybe half of them, the other half would have their break straight after these but I wasn't to watch the second lot. And as if luck was on my side...(not) guess who I just saw walking out of the doors?
I found it strange how the prisoner's had just been walking out in a clump before she walked out alone and maybe two minutes after her another big clump. Okay, what's the deal with her and the rest of the inmates? They scatter as soon as they see her as if she had a disease or something, like anybody who would notice her would turn the other way and run. Surely it was her attitude, but then again I thought that sarcastic humour and creepiness was welcomed here with open arms?
I kept my gaze on her, wondering where she'd go and saw she simply strolled around the first part of the yard before taking up a seat on one of the picnic benches in the corner, away from the others. She was staring out into what I thought was nothingness and a quick check of where she was looking proved to be only the fencing. With a frown I studied the fence to make sure she wasn't plotting some escape attempt with a flimsy section that I'd somehow missed on my security check but found nothing. I trailed my eyes back to her to see that now, she was staring right at me.
As if I'd been caught looking at one of her books again, I immediately pretended I was looking elsewhere and could almost hear the scoff she had most surely done. I told myself to stop looking for her and to stop giving her a reason to want to mess with me. If I ignored her, I wouldn't seem as interesting to wind up and maybe she'd move onto another officer or prisoner.
Unfortunately, part of this job required me to patrol the premises so walking past her bench was a necessity. With my head held up high and avoiding her eyes at all cost, I went on my way walking alongside the fencing. As I passed the first section, I saw a familiar face, the girl who had been sent to the nurse, only it didn't seem as if she had because she was still limping and still looked to be in pain. A frown etched it's way onto my face and I immediately headed over there, she smiled when she saw me approach.
"Good morning Officer Hwang" she bowed.
"Good morning" I replied. "Can I ask why you're still not putting any weight on that ankle? What happened with the officer?" Her girlfriend then turned around after having a separate conversation with a small group of inmates to her side.
"Hello" she smiled, putting her arm around the injured girl's shoulders. I froze momentarily at how her fingers were tracing what seemed to be a soothing circle around the top of her arm before snapping out of it and continuing the conversation.
"Hi, well?" I asked, the question directed at the girl who hadn't answered me yet.
"I'm not sure I should say" she gave a shy smile and looked down.
"Of course you should. Listen, I'm not one of the heartless CO's you've probably come across alright? Tell me what happened"
She sighed, looked to her girlfriend for reassurance and then spoke. "I waited for a while after you'd left for the other officer to arrive. One did about half an hour later and he was called Officer Park." Shit, there was no surprise to where this was going "He asked what happened and when I told him..." She seemed hesitant to continue, as if fearing I'd tell him everything she said.
"This is confidential" I replied with a smile but the sound of a loud laugh rang out, seeing who had done it caused that smile to disappear. Kim, still sitting at the bench that was a rather large distance between us but was looking over here...how could she have heard that?
"A friend of yours?" The injured girl asked, a question you'd expect to be paired with a smirk but her face showed nothing of the sort.
"Definitely not" I replied, shooting a subtle glare Kim's way before placing my attention back on the girl. I reassured her once again that it was confidential and with a little extra boost in the form of a kiss on the cheek from her...lover. She told me everything.
"I told him what I'd done and he laughed at me. He said I deserved it and that the pain would constantly remind me that I was a..."
"..." I gestured with my hands for her to continue,
"Worthless piece of shit."
I couldn't help my jaw dropping open at what I was hearing. That guy really was a disgusting human being, the devil himself. I bent down and touched her leg, hesitating a little in fear I'd hurt her, it helped when she hopped over to a nearby bench to sit down so I could take a proper look. When I lifted up the bottom of her grey uniform trousers and pulled down her sock slightly, the sight really did shock me. Her ankle was mostly purple and very swollen. I didn't know much about first aid but what I did know was that this needed to be seen to immediately.
I wasted no time in getting out my radio and calling for someone to take over my shift while I personally took this girl to the nurse provided. She kept thanking me, I could see she was uncomfortable with accepting help like this from a CO but even she knew that this was bad.
Before long, her arm was around me and she was limping her way with my support down one of the corridors on our way to the infirmary. In truth, I hadn't even thought about how a lesbian was touching me this way. I was purely acting on instinct and I'd like to think I was getting better at accepting something like this. "Can I ask you something? Or at least give you some advice?"
I gave a shocked expression before smiling. "An inmate giving a CO advice, that's a new one"
"Sorry" she chuckled. "But I couldn't help noticing you and uh...Kim"
I frowned at that. "Noticing? Noticing what exactly?"
"Noticing that you two were pretty much staring at each other throughout most of recreation, if not staring then throwing glances." Immediately after she said that, I stopped fast and almost made her fall.
"Sorry" I said and got her stable again so we could carry on, on our little trek. We were almost there, just a little farther. "I don't know what you're talking about" that was to answer her previous comment.
"Okay." She raised her hands in mock defeat. "But I just wanted to warn you"
"Warn me?" I scoffed, surely this was a joke?
"I don't know her personally, but she doesn't seem as nice as she may come across to you..." I opened my mouth to assure her that she wasn't nice at all but she continued to talk "I don't know what she's done, but there are rumours. And there's also rumours about you too"
"What? Rumours about what?" We had arrived at the infirmary but I wanted to know what the girl had to say.
"Rumours about you actively going out your way to try to get to know her, to communicate with her." She replied. I gave a nervous laugh and it seemed she noticed. "I'm just saying, be careful. Everyone steers clear of her for a reason."
"Which is what?" I urged her to continue, come on!
"She's rumoured to be a-"
Unfortunately, the nurses arrival to see who the yapping voices belonged to interrupted our conversation. She led the girl inside and I bid her goodbye, telling the nurse to call me on my radio when the girl had been treated so I could escort her back to her room. I then went back to the recreation yard only to get a radio message soon after entering the grounds.
"Hwang, there's a new group of four inmate's on their way. Some have already showed signs of aggression so keep an eye out"
"Copy that"
I was once again patrolling the yard, watching out for any dangers that could arise and also still trying to ignore that girl sat by herself on the bench to my far right. I could feel her eyes on me even now and the temptation to meet them was getting to me. Not sure why I wanted to, maybe to show her that I knew what she was doing and it was not cool with me?
I shook my head as I tried to rid her of my thoughts, instead thinking about the four women that were meant to be coming in soon...Where were they?
As if on cue, four women in their bright orange newbie uniform's pushed their way out of the double doors, making them slam into the wall with force and giving a pretty good impression if what they wanted was to have all attention on them.
I watched suspiciously while they strolled around the large yard, scoping out each and every detail within eyesight while the inmates around me whispered. They were wondering who the hell these women were, as was I.
As soon as they had walked around the entire circumference, one of them decided she wanted to sit down and also decided, she wanted the place where my very good friend Kim (not) was sitting alone. This was not going to go well...
Kim was seemingly unaware that the women had approached and then surrounded her as if blocking any chance for an escape. After seeing that, my hand went straight on my radio before pulling it out and bringing it up to my mouth just as who I suspected was the leader of the gang stepped forward and spoke to her.
She was large and butch, covered in scars and even I as a CO wouldn't want to be near her or even attempt to tackle her. She was definitely one for the male officer's to deal with.
"This is Hwang, I'm going to need assistance at the south-west end of the yard."
I began walking over there calmly so as not to rile the other inmates up because knowing of their lack of stimulation, a fight breaking out would cause them to become excited and run riot. That, I didn't want and seeing as nothing was happening as of yet, I remained calm and made my way over there to stop anything that could arise.
However, soon the rest of the prisoners understood what was happening anyway due to the deep and booming voice that came from the large butch woman directed to the small and petite girl. "Move, I want this spot"
Trying not to look anyone in the eyes and checking my watch, an action I used to show that I was calm and that nothing was out of the ordinary, I carried on walking, squinting slightly at Kim to see how she would react.
I saw she had raised her head and was looking right at them, but she made no attempt to move. 'Just get up' I wanted to say, 'you're going to get hurt!'
I then saw since she hadn't answered, the butch who's surname I was soon informed over the radio was laughably 'Kong', had stepped forward to get closer to her.
"Hey!" I shouted, an attempt to try to diffuse the situation, not caring anymore that the rest of the inmates would know. Forgetting about what that certain prisoner had said about her not being as innocent as she looks, I feared that the girl's safety, which was all that was on my mind at the moment was at risk. It angered me to see that this Kong woman just smirked at me before reaching out her hand to touch the younger one's face.
"You're pretty aren't you" she shouted out, wanting to see all the other inmates reactions to what she was doing to the girl half her size. Maybe she wanted to show them what she would do if anybody disobeyed her. "I'm going to enjoy fucking you"
Shit, I walked faster. Even though this at the moment was nothing violent, the threat of rape was there and it was clear to me that this would turn bad any second now, Kim clearly being the victim due to the size difference between the two. Oh and of course, being outnumbered. I watched as the hand reached out to cup the girl's face, I didn't know what to expect. Would she just sit there and let it happen like the innocent person she had portrayed before she had spoken to me this morning? Or was she going to stick up for herself?
It didn't take long to find out. The hand that had barely uncurled it's fingers to caress Kim's small face was slapped away, the force used was evident as the sound rang out, being heard by everybody.
Squinting, I could see Kong was slightly taken aback and shook her hand out once as if it stung before returning the smirk to her face. "Feisty too, I like that"
I saw Kim's lips move though I had no idea what she had said, the contrast between the volume of the two's voices was incredible. Well, whatever she said wiped that dirty look off of the larger one's face fast, replacing it with anger. I broke into a run when she grabbed Kim off the bench with ease, pulling her towards her face by the collar of her shirt, them now being only an inch or two apart. I was hoping by some miracle I could get there in time to stop Kim from being punched or even worse. She was an asshole but I wouldn't want to see her hurt, and it wouldn't look good on me either, unable to stop a fight when I was in charge.
As I ran approaching them quickly, I passed inmates sniggering and couldn't help but overhear what they were saying.
"Good luck to them"
"How embarrassing, she's going to get her ass kicked by a midget"
Another I saw was rubbing her hands together deviously "Where's the popcorn?"
With a frown I continued. I wasn't sure I had heard right, seriously how on earth could a tiny, petite girl like Kim take on fucking King Kong over there? It wasn't possible...
Just before I reached them, I stopped. Everybody stopped, gasps and sniggers flowed through the open space as what I was trying to stop was about to come true.
Kim was on the floor after being pushed off balance roughly. Her uniform, covered in dirt and dust while the large prisoner stood above her with a smirk. It was as if time had stopped as the other inmates around me gathered just behind myself watching intently as if something was about to go down. I didn't have to wait long to find out, with my jaw slacked and my eyes wide, I watched on as the fight commenced.
Kim, the smaller and obviously younger girl had gotten up, taken a second to brush off her uniform and then proceeded to kick the huge woman with what seemed to be barely any force...yet the latter had dropped to the ground wheezing and holding her injured stomach. She was on all fours like a dog and looked to her accomplices for help which they obeyed immediately, walking towards the girl who wasn't paying any attention but was still brushing off her uniform. She continued without even a glance in the direction of Kong who was groaning in pain.
"Watch...!" I shouted as they closed in on her, one on each side and one from behind but the next word died in my mouth as without even looking, Kim pushed one which put her off balance while she grabbed the other and twisted her hand behind her back. From the shrill screech that came from her mouth, it was painful but almost comedic when afterwards Kim kicked her ass...literally. She brought her foot up, and kicked the woman's ass so she went flying forward, her arm still in it's position behind her back.
It was just a split second after that the girl behind her attempted to jump on her back but Kim bent over so the girl toppled over her back and landed with a thud in front of her. A left hook from Kim left the other unconscious while she dealt with the last of the seemingly shitty bodyguards. Her attack was a little nicer than the others, Kim simply grabbed her, spun her round and performed a sweeping kick that took her feet from beneath her leaving the poor woman land on her back roughly, winding her and rendering her unable to move.
"Out..." The word that had refused to come from my mouth had finally escaped. Watch out. Watch out for what exactly? It seemed this Kim girl had been trained well in self-defence. I found myself looking on in awe as I studied both the calmness on her face and the pain and discomfort on the others. Finally remembering my job, I rushed over and proceeded to handcuff the three girls even though it wasn't necessary because at the moment, they clearly weren't going anywhere without help.
A movement from the corner of my eye caused me to open my mouth ready to warn her but then what happened next reminded me that it wasn't necessary. She had this totally under control so I pretended to be busy when in actual fact, I was watching on just as the other inmates were doing.
"Think you're tough huh?" Kong spluttered as she got to her feet, albeit with a wobble. Kim simply looked up with her eyebrows raised and then looked back down, trying to get the dirt from under her nails. I was unaware that the other inmates were watching me, I was also unaware that I was smiling, admiring the badass girl before me. This didn't help those rumours that the injured prisoner had told me about.
King Kong wasn't too happy about being ignored so she did what she thought was best even though I was right there. She threw her fist that was literally bigger than Kim's whole face and everything slowed down around me. It was in slow-motion that I saw the power beneath that punch, her veins were bulging, both her bicep and tricep were fully tensed, muscles evident...If Kim had been hit by that, she would have been in trouble. But of course, she wasn't. All that punch hit was air, the latter had simply ducked with speed and then landed a solid punch to Kong's already sensitive and aching stomach causing her to double over in pain and let out a scream that sounded more like a man or even a bear than a woman.
If you thought that was it, you'd be wrong. While the woman fell to her knees, Kim took her own knee and brought it right up to the woman's face with force, making Kong go down again, only this time she wouldn't be getting back up without assistance.
I was still watching on in awe, unaware that I had been squeezing one of the victims' arms tightly as I watched the final blow. She was complaining but was completely out of it so I pulled her up just as two officers decided to finally turn up. They grabbed one smaller girl and also Kong who conveniently wasn't unconscious. I thanked Kim inwardly for that because Kong needed to help us with getting her mammoth body off the ground, it was impossible to do so with just two officers due to her weight. Thankfully though, another officer came and then the three men led the gang off to go to the nurse presumably, as all four were moaning in pain and limping as they walked. I was left alone with the attacker who had now sat down with a sigh as if she had done something only mildly strenuous.
"You" I called out, making her raise her head to look at me. "Come" I summoned her with my hand and she rolled her eyes before getting up and holding her arms behind her back, already knowing what I'd ask her to do. I took another pair of handcuffs which had been left for me by the other officers and clicked them over her wrists.
I was pretty confident that she had the skills to get out of them anyway but it was procedure. As we walked, I heard the whispering about how what they had just seen was why nobody messed with Kim. I finally understood why they avoided her.
Once we were inside, I pulled her along with me whilst trying to ignore how cool her hands were every time they brushed against mine seeing as I was holding the chain between the cuffs.
"Well well" I said out of nowhere, still trying to get over what had just happened. It was playing through my head like a movie. I then saw from my peripheral vision that she was looking at me. "That was quite a show" She said nothing but I saw the smallest tugging action from her lips, she wanted to smile or smirk but the urge soon disappeared.
She thought we were on our way to Nichkhun's office but once we passed it, she turned to me and frowned. "Where are we going?"
I smiled but didn't reply, feeling her movement as she tested the strength of the cuffs around her wrists.
We continued walking until we reached the double doors with the words 'infirmary' etched onto each one. The large white tiled room was pretty much empty, except for a few patients wandering in wheelchairs and then the gang that Kim had beaten up. The four women were further back in the room in beds and obviously on sedatives. Upon seeing me enter, the nurse who seemed surprised I was here for the second time today headed over to us.
"What seems to be the problem?" She asked, glancing from Kim to myself.
"Hey" I smiled while un-cuffing the girl's wrists. "Can you take a look at her hand for me?" Kim looked down and seemed genuinely surprised that her knuckles were sporting blood, maybe she hadn't had to hit as hard before as she had done today.
"Sure"
As soon as the nurse reached out, the girl took a step back. "I'm fine" she replied
I rolled my eyes at her stubbornness and retorted. "You're bleeding. Just let the nurse take a look. It won't take long, I promise"
She studied my expression for a while suspiciously as if I had something up my sleeve but after seeing nothing but kindness on my face, she reluctantly held out her hand. It was a little swollen and was bleeding only slightly but then the nurse looked at it more closely, a concentrated frown on her face
"This isn't really that bad..." She said while looking at me as if to say 'why is she here?' I shook my head and motioned for her to carry on. "Come with me." She smiled, finally leading Kim inside.
I watched from a distance as the nurse tended to her hand, cleaning it with what looked like saline then covering it up. She was right, the nurse I mean. Why was Kim here? All the girl probably had to do was run her hand under some cold water and it'd be fine. Bloody knuckles was not a severe injury, yet here I was making sure Kim's hand was bandaged.
Moments later, the nurse returned with her patient. "Good as new."
"Thanks" I smiled gratefully.
"Next time give me something more challenging. At least a busted nose" she joked while slightly pushing the inmate towards me, ready for me to handcuff her again.
With a chuckle I replied "I'll see what I can do."
As the nurse walked away, back into the infirmary, I gently handcuffed Kim's wrists but this time in front so she would be a bit comfortable. I had to say, the girl looked a bit confused by this entire thing. I bet she was wondering why this certain correctional officer was being so kind to her...in truth, even I didn't know.