Page 29 of Babalon

“Is it my birthday?” I force out.

“Smart-ass,” Nurse Cindy huffs. “I’m going to give you some pain medication, then get you cleaned up and look over your wounds. Looks like you got your ass handed to you today.”

“Mhm,” was all I was able to murmur.

I hate this place.

It took her a while to find the man under all the blood but she eventually did. The pain starts to dull, but it is still giving me one hell of a headache, to the point she keeps the lights off. I have a concussion, a broken eye socket, and the bridge of my nose looks like it is about to break through the skin.

Don dished me a good one this time.

A bit ago, Nurse Cindy left me alone while she went to hand out medications to the inmates who were on strict regimens. I am more awake now than I was, so when I look at myself in the warped metal of a paper towel dispenser, I can clearly see how shitty I look.

Both eyes are black around the sockets, the sclera themselves are blood red—go figure—and my nose is swollen. Man, I almost look like a Muppet from Sesame Street.

“You know, you should probably stop getting into fights. You really don’t seem like the winning type,” Cindy spoke as she came back into my observation area.

“Sorry, the good times just find me.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Kace.”

“Oh, come on, you know it’s true. Get drunk, kill the governor’s daughter, end up in prison, get my ass beat, and now, I’m in your care. It’s almost likeYOUare my good time, Nurse Cindy.”

The laugh that comes out of her makes my heart warm. I detest ending up in here, but she really does make things better. She has the perfect bedside manner, meaning you are not coddled but you aren’t treated like garbage either. I’ve heard of a few past prison nurses that ended up getting hurt because they treated the inmates poorly. I hate to say this, but they may have deserved it. There’s no reason to treat people like shit, from any stand point, but especially if you’re an innocent, like Nurse Cindy.

Unable to contain myself, I awarded the woman a lopsided grin. I may look like I was just put through a meat grinder, but I am still going to turn the flirtation up a few notches.

“Put that smile away, Kace.”

“What smile? I’m just trying to stretch through the abuse my face endured today. Need to make sure I don’t end up like inmate Keller.”

Now there’s a man that was truly put through the grinder. A few weeks before I was delivered to Darkwater, he was assaulted by an Asian inmate while working in the kitchen. The inmate carved him up real good with a pair of dull knives.

“You leave him be, he didn’t deserve that.”

“You think I deserve getting my pretty face smashed in?”

“Of course not, honey. I swear you get beat up just so you can come see me.”

I chuckle at her.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve said this but guilty as charged.”

She let out another warm laugh before helping me to my feet, her shorter frame barely coming up to my shoulders—she’s such a kind woman. I won’t lie though; I’m a little jealous that there are people outside of these walls that get to enjoy her infectious laugh at any time of the day.

Man, to be free again.

“You’re bad, Kace. Now get out of here, my shift is coming to an end, and I don’t think the night nurse likes you as much as I do.”

“This mean I have a chance, Nurse Cindy?”

“No way in hell,” she said, cracking a smile.

It took a good week or two for the swelling in my eyes to go down, but I managed to get from my cell to the cafeteria, and to the showers without needing much help. I probably looked like a little bitch having a guard escort me to the rec yard, but I needed the help. I’ve spent a couple days soaking up the warmth outside, dodging the questions and assumptions about my beat down. It wasn’t until I felt the bulky presence of someone near me that I finally gave anyone any attention.

Without looking up from where I am staring at the ground, I grunt out my bitter words. I am angry for several reasons, and it all just continued to pile up. My workouts aren’t doing shit, not that I can fight anyway. My lawyer tucked tail and ran. My mom is annoyed with having to take off all her jewelry when she comes to visits, such a stupid reason to be mad atme. The list goes on and on and on.

“The fuck do you want?”

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