That Pivotal Moment

Chapter 25

It's been a week since I got locked up. My arraignment was tomorrow, and I couldn't fucking wait. It was chow time, and I was pushing my tray down the metal rails, following the line of inmates. The food was disgusting, the inmates were dicks, and I was now bunking with a tall man named Ivan, who liked to sleep never.

It always felt like his eyes were on me. Watching me. I couldn't sleep with that feeling. I also stopped looking in the mirror, knowing I looked like shit. I just...needed to get out of here. Gabby's been coming to see me every day, Alex, too. Seeing her was all I had to look forward too. Every time the guard called visitation over, it got harder and harder. I couldn't touch her, I couldn't kiss her. I was able to sometimes sneak a hand graze on the table, but that was it.

Lost in thought, I didn't notice the guy stop in front of me. I bumped into him and he turned to me with a angry expression. Fuck. "I'm sorry, man. That's my bad."

He scoffed at me. "Pretty Boy is sorry, huh? I'll give you something to be sorry about."

He slugged me in the face, knocking me to the floor. He started kicking me in my stomach then. I tried to cover myself with my arms as much as I could. It felt like forever before someone pulled him off me.

"Let's go, Myers. It's solitary for you." The guard cuffed him and took him away.

I laid there for a few minutes, feeling like a fucking truck ran over me, trying to steady my breathing.

"Yeah, we need a medic over here." I heard another guard say.

I couldn't even open my eyes. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe.

***

I was laying in the infirmary as the doctor reviewed my x-rays. He gave me some pain meds in an IV and wanted me to stay in here overnight. Thank God. Small victories. I may hurt like hell, but at least I didn't have to share a cell with Ivan-Fucking-No-Sleep.

"Well," the doctor said while walking to my bed, "Looks like you got two fractured ribs. I'm going to give you a few breathing exercises to do to help fight the risk of pneumonia. Try to take deep breaths as much as you can. And try not to be to active for a while."

"Thanks, Doc." The doctor left the room, even though I was cuffed to the bed, I haven't felt this free since before all this happened. I shut my eyes, hoping to finally get some sleep. My mind seemed to wander to a brunette with green eyes...

***

I was in the back of a squad car again, being transported to court for my arraignment. Even though I knew Gabby was going to be there, in this instance, I wish she wasn't. I looked like hell. I had a black eye, and I could barely walk thanks to my fractured ribs.

What would I say to her? She going to take one look at me, see what happened, and be all...Gabby.

I just hoped the bail wasn't too high so I could get out of here. If I was granted bail and it was paid, I would have to go back to jail so they could process my release. The sooner the better honestly. Brad said his lawyer's investigator was still working on trying to dig up dirt on Roy. I still was on the fence about that, but Brad kept saying it was handled.

The car slowed when we got to the courthouse. We were at a separate entrance from the public. The door read INMATES ONLY. Great. I waited while the officer came to my door. It took me a few minutes to get out of the car, my injuries making me groan.

Due to my ribs, they cuffed my wrists in front of me, attached to the ankle cuffs. God, I felt like a serial killer right now. It was all so surreal. We were walking to the courtroom, going through a side door that opened next to the podium.