Page 10 of Homebound
Later she’d heard stories on the women’s ward about a special “punishment” room he reserved for the prettiest girls…
“Good job.” OO’s gaze skimmed over the cleaning crew’s faces without bothering to personalize his attention. To him, they all composed one unimportant, indistinguishable mass, no doubt bearing traces of excrement they’d just cleaned off.
He motioned towards one of the guards. “Open the shower room for the help and see about fresh scrubs.”
Gemma followed her co-workers downstairs to return her bucket to the supply closet - and sign off for it too, for the prison property was guarded better than the prisoners - and went to the showers, grateful for OO’s permission to use the facility.
Women went first. The water was lukewarm but available. OO’s generosity extended to providing soap but not towels.
Gemma wrung her hair dry as best she could, and she and Ruby shared the corner of Gemma’s overcoat that appeared clean to wipe the water off their skin. Teeth chattering, they pulled their clothes back on and covered up with fresh overcoats.
Outside of the washroom, Ruby stopped. “Wait here. Let me go see if someone at the kitchens can spare us a warm drink.”
Gemma waited. The air in the basement was colder than on the upper floors and damp. Rubbing her arms, she started pacing, measuring her steps to walk approximately eight feet one way, stop, turn, and walk the eight feet back. This was all the space prisoners were allotted if they wanted to walk inside their cells - eight feet in length. Across, the cells were even smaller at only six feet. What must they feel like, cooped up in their cramped cages for days, months, years to end?
The horror of being stuck in a box measuring eight by six, cold, damp, dirty, with nothing to stimulate your brain, no interaction except the shouts of the guards and orders of the helpers - Gemma struggled to absorb it. She knew that people - and aliens - survived incarceration all the time, but even picturing herself in their place made her want to howl.
“Gemma!”
“I’m here, Ruby!” Gemma turned and hurried back down to where Ruby was waiting for her with a steaming mug.
“Look! Hot tea. Chamomile.” Ruby sipped from the mug and squeezed her eyes from the pleasure of the warm fragrant drink spreading through her. Her entire wrinkled face smoothed out in bliss. “Mmm, my daughter’s favorite.”
They slid down to sit on the floor, their backs to the wall. Ruby passed the steaming mug to Gemma.
“I didn’t know you had a daughter, Ruby,” Gemma accepted the mug and blew on the brew before taking a sip. It was delicious. She couldn't remember when she last had tea. “How old is she?”
“She’s eighteen.”
“I bet she’s beautiful.”
Ruby nodded, and her face shone with pride. “And smart as a whip. She got on with the docks just last week. Finally! I hope it lasts.”
“Oh, that’s great. What does she do?”
“She’s a delivery girl. She brings parts from the warehouse to the shops. They even gave her a small trolley to drive for the heavy stuff. Imagine that!”
“Well, why not? She’s a smart girl, she can do anything.” Gemma smiled at Ruby.
But instead of basking in the praise, Ruby suddenly looked crestfallen. “Yeah. I just hope it lasts,” she repeated.
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“She’s sickly, my baby is. Bad lungs. She gets them sick spells and starts missing work, and they end up letting her go. They always let her go.”
“Oh, no, Ruby, I’m so sorry.”
“But this time it may be different. The doctor says fresh air is what she needs, and with the docks being near the water, we think she can manage. We’ll see.”
“Can she be treated?”
Ruby slowly shook her head. “Nothing can be done. The doctor says the air’s too bad in the City for the likes of her. That she needs to go away from here. But where would we go? If only I could earn enough to send her to Meeus.”
Gemma remained silent. Ruby was paid as much as she, which was barely enough to keep her stomach full much less fly through the stars to another world. At least she, Gemma, had Zeke. Sooner or later he would send for her. She just needed to be patient.
They finished the tea before it had a chance to cool. Gemma pushed herself up and held her hand out to Ruby. “We have to go before someone starts looking for us.”
Reluctantly, Ruby grasped her outstretched hand and rose to her feet, and together they returned to the third floor to resume their work.
