Terrell walked back to his cell with his head held high and in total control over his emotions, but as soon as he made it to his room, he sat down under the bunk bed and cried some more. He wanted to see his mother and he wanted to see her alive. But the bars and the walls were caving in on him, suffocating him and it was all becoming too much. He picked up the book Read gave him and he put it back down. Nothing mattered anymore. Who ever was after him, who ever was trying to get back at him was winning. He had nothing. He had no one.
"Terrell," the Correctional Officer said, "You have a phone call."
Terrell hurried into place to be escorted back to the office. He was anxious to find out the latest news. He walked down the hallway so fast, you would have thought he was racing against time itself.
"Yes," he said, picking up the phone.
Ms. Diane sat in her seat watching him. So was the Warden and the Co that had brought him into one of the only air conditioned rooms in the entire complex.
"Yes. This is Terrell."
He took in a deep breath and blew it out. He glanced at Diane who looked on with worried eyes.
"NO!" Terrell yelled throwing the phone against the desk. "No! No! No! NO! Don't tell me that!"
The CO immediately grabbed him from behind, but Terrell yanked him off.
He turned in circles as if he'd lost his mind as the Warden formed an evil smirk.
"Calm down," Ms. Diane said. She turned toward the warden. "Sir, can I have a moment with him, please."
"Can I see my mom?" Terrell begged, tossing out his pride. Please."
The warden looked him straight in his eye, "No."
Terrell lunged at the Warden, punching his nose so hard it cracked and gushed with blood. The Warden fell back on the desk, holding his face, but before Terrell could land another punch, a sharp pinch shot through his chest and electricity spread across every muscle in his body.
He laid on the floor, convulsing and waiting for the electricity to end. He'd been tazed.
"You gonna act right?" the officer said, handcuffing him.
Terrell couldn't speak. Even after the electricity ran it's course, he felt exhausted.
The officer dragged him off the floor and onto his feet.
Terrell narrowed his eyes at the Warden. He nodded his head at him and then he cleared his throat of all the mucous he could and launched a big spit ball onto the man's lips.
The Warden looked back at him with conniving eyes. He wiped his face. "Put his punk ass back in solitaire."
****
All day, Ms. Diane couldn't get Terrell off of her mind. She'd tried keeping herself busy by writing up recommendations for other inmates, by going to the bathroom and splashing cold water upon her face, but nothing seemed to work. He was a man. A physically and mentally strong man who was being broken down right before her eyes. All for a drug case.
She thought about when her mother died. She felt that her entire world had crashed in front of her. Knowing she could never see her mother alive again was hurtful enough, but not being able to say a final goodbye would have killed her. She deeply cared for Terrell. She'd read his files. He became human to her. But no one else in the complex seemed to care that these were humans, not animals.
She picked up her office phone and she called her closest friend, her father.
"Dad," she said, with tears in her voice. "I don't think I can handle this job anymore," she told him. "I mean. They don't treat dogs this bad. Even dogs get a chance to get rehabilitated. They get human touch. They get attention, they get a freaking toy to flush out their aggression. I just can't take it."
She paused to cry, silently. "I know. But most of these men in here don't even have family anymore," she said. "I swear. This place is depressing."
"What have I told you since you were little?" her father said. "Do what's right. Follow. Your. heart."
She took in a deep breath listening to her father's words of encouragement and then finally, she cracked a smile. "You're right. I can't give up. I have to do what I can do to change this. I have to stand up for him," she said. "Thanks dad. You always come through for me."
She hung up the phone feeling more confident than ever. Her father always knew what to say to put a smile on her face.
She wiped the tears and stood tall. She tugged at her fitted skirt and then popped her collar. She did something she knew she wasn't supposed to do, but she didn't care. She needed to see Terrell. She needed to comfort him some how, someway. He's not a murderer like some of these hardened criminals, she reasoned as she walked down the long hallway. She buzzed herself into the unit and then she walked down the hallway. It was secure, but it was still a scary place to be.
All she could hear were noises and clatter and the smell of piss and shit made her eyes water. There wasn't any air. There was barely any light coming through and the cries of men, tugged at her heart. Her heels clacked as she drew closer to Terrell's cell. What am I going to say to him? What am I going to do to help? She made it to Terrell's cell and then paused. Hold it together Diane, she said to herself. She straightened herself up again and then peeked inside.
Her clipboard hit the floor. She screamed from the top of her lungs. Her knees buckled and fell down to the dirty floor.
"Terrell!" She yelled.
"Not you!" she cried.
There before her was Terrell. His body hung from the top of his bunk bed. His body faltered down almost to the ground. His eyes were bloodshot, bulging out of his eye sockets. He was dead.
