Hello everyone! Hoped you all had a very nice Christmas and a happy New Year :D And now, no more talk from me. Here's chapter 13:

Chapter 13 – Rehearsal

Brutus was in love – and he hated himself, for have let it get this far. If it had been a deadly disease, he could have counted the days to his end.

Everytime she stepped into the room, his entire body felt glowing hot as if he had been working in the fields all day, under the burning sun. Eye contact made his heart skip and even the slightest touch raised his heartbeat until it felt like the beginning of an indisposition. And when she smiled at him, the air clutched in his throat and the floor seemed to vanish underneath his feet.

Way to often, he caught himself staring at her lips, wondering how it would be to kiss them. Or how her skin would feel underneath his fingertips. Or the curves of her body pressed up against him…

Brutus buried his face in both hands. Yup, if love was fatal, he was definitely a goner. Or driven to temporarily insanity at least.

"A bit early for a break, ain't it?" Harry asked dryly from the other side of the table. They were doing paperwork in Paul's office, waiting for something more exiting to do.

"It's to damn hot," Brutus mumbled. "I can't concentrate."

"It's not even ten o'clock yet." Harry shook his head. "Boy, are you in for a treat later, if you find this heat unbearable. We're gonna be stuck in the execution room all afternoon."

Brutus sighed. "We are?"

Harry raised his bushy eyebrows. "The rehearsal for the execution of Bitterbuck. We talked about it no more than an hour ago! Didn't we, Paul?"

Paul slammed a pile of files down on the desk between the two of them. "We did."

"Well, I must have forgotten," Brutus muttered.

He bent over the papers again, not knowing that Paul and Harry were exchanging worried looks.

"Brutal, what's going on?" Paul then asked softly.

Brutus raised his head. "What'd you mean?"

Paul shrugged. "You've been acting really strange lately: You're distant: Sometimes it's like you ain't even here. And Dean said, you had been snapping at him."

"I'm okay, really."

"Is that so?" Paul asked in a silent tone, that Brutus didn't liked on damn bit. "And you're sure it has nothing to do with her?"

"Yes," Brutus said quickly, staring down at the paper again, like a rigid, little boy. "It has nothing to do with Ellie."

Paul scoffed.

"You're a horrible liar, you know that?" he said. "It's written all over your face. Don't think I haven't seen how you look at her, when you think no one's watching."

This was a twist in the conversation that caught Harry's attention: He glared at Brutus with undisguised amusement. "He does?"

"Oh, you bet!" Paul said, before Brutus had a chance to defend himself. "Like a dog in heat."

"Like hell I do!"

Harry shook his head with great understanding. "Well, I don't blame you." He leaned closer. "I swear, if I wasn't married I would take her into the restrain room and do things to her, that's gonna make you…"

"Jesus Christ, Harry!" Brutus exclaimed. "Would you mind!"

The boys roared with laughter and Brutus felt his cheeks radiating.

"Look at him," Harry chortled. "Blushin' like a school boy. Hell, I think you're right, Paul! He is crazy 'bout her!"

Brutus chose not to answer, which was the worst possibly decision yet.

Paul chuckled. "Don't worry. I think she like you too."

"How could you possibly know that?" Brutus asked gloomily.

"Well, for at start: Have you noticed how you are the only one who is on first name terms with her. And her pet name, that is."

"She asked me too," Brutus averted, refusing to get his hopes high. "She was just being polite."

"Then how come she's still not on a first name basis with any of us?"

"I… don't know," Brutus admitted slowly, but inside his heart skipped a beat. Could it really be…?

Someone knocked on the door. Brutus blushed on advance, recognizing the small shadow outside Paul's office. So did the other.

"Yeah?" Paul called, kicking Harry underneath the table. The older guard was grinning like mad, but somehow managed to keep a straight face, when Ellie walked in.

"Mr. Edgecombe," she asked, "could I bother you for a moment?"

"Of course."

She looked slightly uncomfortable and for a horrible moment, Brutus feared she might have overheard their conversation.

"I just talked to Mr. Stanton," she said, carefully closing the door behind her. "He said, you were going to rehearse the execution of Mr. Bitterbuck today and since I don't know, whether I have to stay here until the end, I was wondering if I could attend the rehearsal. For… you know…" She bit her lip.

"Practice?" Paul suggested gently.

She smiled vaguely. "I was looking for a better word, but that probably covers it pretty well."

"Of course," Paul said, giving Brutus a significant look, that couldn't be misunderstood. "No problem. Why don't you join Brutal in the execution room? I'm sure he'll be more than happy to tell you everything."

Harry grunted loudly with laughter, but somehow managed to camouflage it with a violent coughing fit. Brutus blushed hard; luckily Ellie's worried attention was turned towards Harry.

"Mr. Terwilliger, are you…?"

"Oh, he'll be fine," Paul said firmly, kicking Harry again. "Trust me."

oOo

It was stifling in the execution room, when they walked in after lunch.

"Hell, let's get some draft in here, before we'll be cooked alive," Paul told them and they opened every door in the small room. Not that it helped much. The air outside smelled like a desert.

"Is he gone?" Brutus asked Paul silently.

Paul nodded; Arlen Bitterbuck had been moved to the visitor's room in C-block, where his daughter and family were waiting for him. They would use the time to rehearse his execution, so no one would screw it up on the big day. They had Toot, a crazy old trusty, waiting in Bitterbuck's cell to play the part of the inmate.

"Okay, guys – listen up," Paul called to them. "We'll get started as soon as Percy and Van Hay are here. Does anyone know what do to?"

There was a murmur of reassurance all the way around.

"Fine," Paul said. "Now let's move. I want at least two rehearsals, before Bitterbuck gets back. Dean, Harry…" He made a hand gesture towards to door, as a sign for them to follow him. "Let's get Toot ready."

Harry walked closely past Brutus on his way out.

"All alone in here with the young nurse," he muttered under his breath. "Sure you can handle that?"

"Get lost, will'ya?" Brutus growled at him, but the truth was he could already feel the sweat trickling down his forehead – and it had nothing to do with the heat.

Harry chuckled, but finally left with the others, leaving Brutus very much alone with Ellie and the awkward silence.

She smiled tentatively at him and he smiled back, trying to ignore the fact that his heart made what felt like a backward jump in his chest.

"How is your dad?" she asked softly.

"My…?" he began, before remembering his lie. "Oh! He's – uh… He's better. Not all well, but it looks like it going in the right direction."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said sincerely.

They felt silenced again and Brutus could fell his throat dry out, like a puddle under the burning sun. He fumbled with the leather strap across his chest that held his belt in place. Why did it have to be so hard? What was he afraid of: It could all be put down to a very simple question: What are you doing tonight…? Are you free this weekend…? Would you like to go out with me someday…?

He cleared his throat, but all he managed to get out was: "So, have you been settled in New Roads?"

"Oh, indeed. I live in a small apartment just above the old couple I have rented it from. They are very kind." She smiled. "I feel like I'm living with my grandparents."

"Sound comfy."

"It is," she responded, moving closer to him – it was just a couple of steps, but it made his stomach lurch. She chuckled, as though a thought she had just remembered something. "They even have this cat, Nansen, who breaks in to my room, when I forget to close the window. He occupies my bed and refuses to leave, until I have petted him for a good half an hour."

"Crazy cat," Brutus responded absently, staring at her delicate lips, while she was talking.

She nodded and raised her head, to look at him. "Last night he fell asleep in my lap during supper and I sat there for nearly two hours, because I didn't had the heart to wake him up."

"Well, who can blame 'im…" Brutus muttered and found himself lost in her smiling, blue eyes…

"Knock-knock!" Van Hay's cheerfully outburst from the doorway was like a dream breaking punch to his stomach. "Paul said you were already in here… Oh, hello."

Van Hay entered the execution room, removing his cap as he approached Ellie.

"And you must be Miss Brent," the guard said, offering his hand to her. "Jack Van Hay. I'm in charge of the switch room and the generator."

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Van Hay," Ellie responded gently.

"The pleasure is all mine," Van Hay said smoothly. He was still holding on to her hand and Brutus could feel the jealousy rise in him, like a venomous snake heaving in the grass. "So tell me something: Are you going to be my pretty assistant for the day?"

She smiled. "Well, actually…"

"Miss Brent is just here to attend the rehearsal," Brutus interfered chilly and stepped in between them. "And you're late."

Van Hay retreated. "Five minutes tops. I was eating lunch."

"Well, you're not anymore, so get in there and do you're job," Brutus said, pointing towards the generator room. Van Hay shot him a puzzled look, but Brutus ignored him. He turned around to find Percy standing in the doorway.

"They're ready," the young guard declaimed.

"Good," Brutus growled and pulled out his gun. He could hear the distant voice of the other guards from Pauls office and Toot pretending to be praying. Then there was a moment of silence, before the distinguished drawl of the old trusty could be heard down the hall: "… walking the Mile… walking the Mile… walking the Green Mile…"

They appeared in the door: Paul and Harry frog-marching Toot, Dean at their heels, like they would do with Bitterbuck on the night of the execution. They led him to the chair.

"Sittin' down," Toot continued. "Sittin' down now… Taking a seat in Old Sparky."

"Wha'do I do?" Percy asked, when Toot plopped into the seat.

"Watch and learn," Paul responded and nodded towards to switch room.

"Watch 'n learn," Toot repeated, grinning like a naughty parrot, as Percy sulked and joined Van Hay behind the wall. "Watch 'n learn…"

Brutus held Toot in place with his upper arm in a firm grip, just as he would do with Bitterbuck tomorrow, while the guards strapped Toot to the chair. Toot, who had tried this so many times, stayed surprisingly calm.

"Gettin' strapped," he announced, as they tightened the leather straps around his wrists, chest and legs and applied the ankle clamps. "Gettin' clamped. Gettin' wired…"

Brutus stole a glance at Ellie, as they connected the wires to the chair. She watched the whole scenario with a slight frown. It must be a quite bizarre sight to witness it for the first time and Brutus was relieved, that this would be the closest she came to a real execution for now.

A tiny nod from Paul was his signal and Brutus holstered his gun and took two steps back, so he was facing the chair.

"Roll on one," he called to Van Hay.

"Tomorrow 'roll on one' means that Jack turns the generator up full," Brutus heard Paul whisper to Ellie. "The lights will go brighter on the Mile too."

"Arlen Bitterbuck," Brutus continued. "You have been condemned to die by a jury of your peers, sentence imposed by a judge in good standing in this state. You have anything to say, before the sentence is carried out."

"Yeah," Toot responded and Brutus could tell from the gleeful shine in his eyes, that his crazy little mind had come up with something priceless this time, even before he had said a word: He had an audience today and he wasn't going to waste that opportunity. "I wanna fried chicken dinner with gravy on the 'taters. I wanna shit in your hat and I gotta have Mae West sit on my face, 'cos I'm one horny motherfucker!"

He cackled and Brutus snorted with laughter, even though he tried not to. To his right both Dean and Harry fell apart, howling like hyenas and even Ellie turned her head away, fighting hard not to laugh as she covered her mouth with her hand.

Only Paul didn't take part of it.

"Quiet!" he said, sounding pissed. "Everyone, shut up!"

"Sorry, boss," Van Hay chuckled behind his partition.

Paul shot Toot a killing glare: "One more word like that from you, Toot, and I've Van Hay roll on two for real. For Christ sake, we have a lady in here."

"Aw, looks like she found it pretty funny, too," Toot noticed with a careful smirk.

Ellie bit her lip with a guilty expression. "Sorry, Mr. Edgecomb."

"Come on, now, Paul," Brutus said softly. "It was pretty funny."

"That's why I don't like it," Paul responded sharply. "We're doing this for real tomorrow night. I don't want anyone to remember a stupid joke like that and get going again." He looked at them all very carefully. "Ever tried not to laugh in church, when something funny gets stuck in your head? It's the same goddamn thing."

His words painted the picture very well and Brutus nodded.

"I'm sorry, Paul," he said. "You're right. Let's get going. Harry…"

He stepped forward and squatted by the bucket, so he could take up the yellow sponge. It was dry now, but tomorrow the bucket would be full of saltwater. He got to his feet, as Harry snugged the black hut down over Toot's unshaved face, leaving just his nose free and a crown of greasy hair exposed at the top, where the sponge fitted nicely. Harry lowered the metal cap and Brutus secured the straps, before stepping back again.

"Arlen Bitterbuck. Electricity shall now… shut up, Toot." He said, as Toot made a choking sound behind the mask and cackled. Brutus continued: "Electricity shall now be passed through your body, until you're dead, in accordance with the state law. God have mercy on your soul." He hesitated; even during rehearsal, this was the hardest part to say: "Roll on two."

Toot was truly in high spirits today: As though Van Hay had flipped the switch for real, he started to flail and yank himself against the straps, howling: "Aaaargh! I'm fryin'! I'm fryyyyyyin'! This is a shocking experience! I'm a done tom turkey!"

He laughed. Paul shook his head, rolling his eyes and Brutus was about to tell Toot to shut up again, when he suddenly noticed a tiny movement behind Paul's left shoulder. He frowned.

It was the mouse. Peaking in through air holes just below the roof, it was watching them with shining black eyes. He had to admire the nerves it had.

Paul, detecting his gaze, gave him a look: What?

"Looks like one of the witnesses showed up a day earlier," Brutus whispered to him and nodded. Both Paul and Ellie turned around by his words and the young nurse gave an involuntarily smile by the sight of the tiny rodent. The mouse, now sensing that he was being watched, turned around and disappeared back into the hole with a flick of its tail.

Ellie seemed almost relieved to see, that Percy hadn't scared it off for good, but Paul just looked vexed. This would mean a mousehunt again tomorrow….

"Okay," he said, sighting and forcing his eyes away from where the mouse had disappeared. "Let's do it again – and do it right this time! Get that idiot out of the chair…"