Page 10 of The Freshman

“You do,Freshman.”

Alfie forced himself to swallow.“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

Nate tilted his head back and groanedin ecstasy. The sudden noise made Alfie jump and shuffle along therailing.

“You tease me with yourwords, Freshman.”

Alfie had freed himself from thecrushing bubble and regained his voice. “I’m prison officer Alfie.Now get in your cell.”

Henry wheezed into view, his handpressed to his chest as he stumbled along. He stopped and pantedfor breath then cleared his phlegmy throat into atissue.

“There goes any notion ofhard,” Nate muttered.

Henry shoved the tissue back into hispocket. “Pat down.”

Nate raised his eyebrow and turned toAlfie with a coy smile. “Got to pat me down.”

Alfie cocked his jaw. “Show me howit’s done, Henry.”

Nate’s smile vanished, and the eyebrowdropped back into position. “You what?”

Let’s get it over with,” Henrymuttered. “You know the drill. Turn around and put your hands onthe wall.”

Nate breathed heavily through his nosethen did as he was told.

Henry creaked and groaned as he leanedto pat both of Nate’s legs. He ran his frail hands up Nate’s sides,then nodded to himself. “Done.”

Alfie unlocked Nate’s cell and movedaside for him to go inside. Henry followed him and unlocked thecuffs from his wrists. Once Henry locked the door, Alfie rushedpast him, desperate to get away.

Henry was surprisingly fast comingdown the stairs compared to going up them. He kept close to Alfiethe whole way back to the lobby and only spoke in the office out ofthe earshot of the prisoners. “You handled yourself well. ThoughtI’d get up there and you’d be a fish laid out to dry.”

Alfie scratched the back of his head.“Why was he out his cell anyway?”

“He has a skype call withhis nana Doris once a month. She lives in Canada, so the timing canbe erratic. Did Ryan not tell you?”

“No, hedidn’t.”

“And have you still notread Nate’s file?”

Alfie shook his head. “I haven’t gotaround to it.”

“Well you should. Not onlydoes it tell you what he did, but it says about family and visitorstoo. The only family he’s got is his nana Doris who barelyremembers her own name and his sister who thinks he’s evil like weall do.”

“She doesn’t visit himthem?”

“No. No actual visitors inthe ten years he’s been here, but don’t start feeling sorry forhim. He doesn’t deserve a molecule of sympathy.”

Henry settled into his chair and slidhis glasses over his eyes. There was no clearer gesture for ‘don’ttalk to me’.

Alfie sighed and turned back to thecomputer. Nate’s face flashed on screen, and he quickly closed thefile.

Roll call arrived and Alfie refused towalk the top corridor.

Marie rubbed his shoulder in sympathy,and it took all his determination not to shrug the handaway.

Glen moved sheepishly up the stairs,darting worried looks back at Marie.

Alfie rolled his eyes and went alongthe bottom cells, ticking off names. He glanced up to catch Glen atthe farthest end, outside of Nate’s cell. The door thumped, andGlen jumped back in fright. Then every cell began drumming inunison. The sound reverberated deep in Alfie’s chest, and he lookedto Marie who was backing away from the cells fast.

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