Page 32 of Babalon

“Come on, let me help you to the nurse. Get you patched up instead of bleeding like a stuck pig.”

“Thank you,” he responds.

I feel for him. I am typically very quiet, unless I am dealing with Kace, but something about this kid makes my heart hurt.His life is over, in a way, and it shouldn’t be. After being here for years and seeing how the people in here are locked away, having to fight for their lives on a daily basis, I can’t help but recognize a little of myself in the younger ones.

The further away we got, the more the noise of the others fades into nothing. The corridors are long and cold, but the inmate’s body pressed against the side of mine is kind of warm and comforting, or maybe it was him— he doesn’t seem so bad.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Tell me about yourself, inmate. I’ve seen you around.”

Though I don’t truly care about his story, I need to keep him conscious, and talking usually helps. It also distracts me from the weight of him leaning into me.

“Name is Erik, I’m from Washington. Here on terrorism charges.” His voice is warm, but has a slight twang to it that let me know he is lying.

Fuck, I hate when they lie.

“Where are you really from?”

I feel him tense against me, as if I am the one that has beat on him. After several silent steps, I heard him mumble.

“Louisiana, north part.”

“Explains the accent, why did you lie?”

“Respectfully, Officer, giving away too much information puts you in danger. Doesn’t matter who you share it with, just looking out for myself.”

“I can understand that. That how you got charged?”

“No ma’am. Participated in an incursion that went south—cops caught on quickly. Guess that’s what happens when you’re working with a bunch of amateurs. Why?”

“Just keeping you awake; I don’t really give a damn about why you’re here. I just have to keep you alive.”

I caught his smile out of the corner of my eye. Teeth bloody but he was still smiling like a goon.

“You’re the guard the other inmates talk about, right, Pierce? Vicious yet a few of us get the nicer side of you.”

“Don’t talk out of your ass, inmate.”

The way he chuckles, I can’t help but smile. Maybe I am warming up to some of them, I can’t be angry forever, right? The rest of the walk is filled with an odd but comfortable silence, our steps falling in line with the others. He even gained a bit more strength and walked straighter, as if the daze from getting his ass handed to him was beginning to wear off. When we made it to the medical bay, I pass him off to another guard, but before I could step out, his words catch my attention.

“Thank you again, Officer Pierce. I know this place is going to be hard on me, but having an officer who cares makes some things a bit more bearable.”

The other guard looks at me with an arched brow to which I just shrug. All I did was break up the fight, at least that’s how I see it. Despite having a shitty morning, and the prisoners testing every bit of patience I have today, that made me feel good for the first time in a long time.

“Mind your business,” was all I was able to huff at the other guard; his arched brow quickly lowering like he hadn’t listened to that brief exchange.

On my way back to where I’m supposed to be working, my radio chirps. Beyond the usual guard chatter and communications, that weird feeling returned. Something is definitely off, like a spidey-sense, then the alarms began to blare.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Picking my pace up into a run, I race down the hallway, rounding the last few corners until I was back in gen pop. Chest heaving, I look around to take quick assessment of the prisoners, and to see what is happening while the radio continued to go off. I immediately started clearing out the area, yelling for theinmates to get back in their cells, before finally getting wind of what was going on.

“Fire, C Block. Lockdown the other wings. Fire suppression is active.”

With a growl, I stomp out of gen pop and rush to the entrance to C Block. Guards are rushing inmates out of the hallways while others barricad the doors to keep foot traffic from moving inward, all while the suppression system did its thing.

“Are we missing anyone? Where did this shit start?”

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