(The other chapter was probably the most significant one. A few of you guys understood the title and what happened, but in general, it gave Jana something he never had. Normalcy. That gave him something to actually look forward to, even if it is just another simple phone conversation. Orion was someone who didn't show that he was affected by what Jana had done and instead, treated him like anyone else. Oh yeah, I totally pet the leopard kittens today... be jealous. Sorry, no pics. Not allowed to post them online.)
Jana-
Sitting down in front of a panel of four people who were completely in charge of determining his fate within the next two hours was taxing on his already-fragile temperament. Jana knew that getting angry or stressed wasn't going to help him nearly as much as it would hurt him, but he couldn't help but start to fidget seconds after he sat in the designated black plastic chair. It was uncomfortable, but that was the least of his worries.
He only briefly looked at each member of the panel. Christopher was wearing his lab coat and appeared slightly out of breath, almost like he'd had to run to catch the meeting time for the hearing.
"Alright Jana, I know you haven't been briefed on how these things go, but they're really quite simple." The little woman all the way on the left, so to Jana's right, said as she glanced down at several papers, then back up at him with a warm smile.
He knew that she was the head of something at the prison. Likely communications or inmate handling. Something like that. All he really knew about her was that she was a higher-up and was one of the nicer ones if you didn't get on her bad side.
Jana wasn't sure what side he was on with her, but considering she just kept smiling, he figured that he wasn't too bad off.
"Myself, Mr. Richards, Ms. Amberlane, and Mr. Caroy will ask you several questions based on your history both before and after your arrival here. You do have the option to decline answering any question you wish, though skipping some of the more important ones could dictate the outcome of this hearing. Do you have any questions about what I've just told you?" She asked, clearly wanting an answer.
Jana pursed his lips and gripped the edge of his chair with his left hand hard enough to feel the plastic begin to bend. "No." He ground out through clenched teeth.
He could tell that they didn't like the tone, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He was fucking stressed out of his mind, even though he had sworn not to take the stupid hearing seriously. His body refused to listen... or maybe it just knew that the questions were coming. The ones they finally expect him to answer now that he had something worth putting effort into. A chance to get out. Like hell I do. He thought sourly as the woman continued on with basic information about hearings in general. Jana just tuned her out and tried to force his mind to quiet enough so that he could think straight.
"Hello. Sorry I'm late, had to get more clearance than I thought. I'm here to help him."
Hearing Domino's voice put into perspective how badly he needed pain right then. As soon as Domino sat beside him, pulling up his own uncomfortable plastic chair, his hand moved to settle over Jana's. He almost immediately began to dig his nails into Jana's skin, but Jana tucked his hand slightly, trying to keep the action from the panel's attention.
"What is your status here?" The older woman asked.
Domino smiled and straightened in his chair. "I'm an inmate, Ma'am. In for battery. Jana is my cellmate and I understand him and think he might benefit from me sitting with him during this panel, if you would allow it."
It was clear to Jana that Domino was intentionally sucking up, but he wouldn't call him on it. The pain slowly crept through his body until he was comfortable enough to relax his shaking. He needed to be able to relax, so right then, he needed Domino to stay.
"We will allow you to stay as long as you don't disrupt." The woman said, nodding to Domino before returning her attention to Jana.
"Jana, how about you tell us what you have been doing since being incarcerated, first?"
That hadn't been the question he thought she would ask to begin things, which was a relief, but he knew it had to be coming.
"I've gotten my GED and practiced weightlifting. I've competed for several years in the weight competition here." He stated simply, then looked down at Tera where she rested against his right foot. "And I'm learning how to train my dog." He added, lifting his eyes back to the panel as he finished speaking.
The man, Mr. Richards, flipped through his papers and smiled down at one he selected, then looked at Tera, then Jana.
"Is that the dog that Mr. Caroy left for you? Tera?" He said, reading her name from the paper.
Jana licked his lips and felt Domino's fingers dig further into his skin, steadying him. He nodded, not feeling strong enough to answer as he swallowed down a nervous lump in his throat.
"She is a fine looking dog. Do you enjoy having her here?" The man continued.
"I... She let's me go outside more." He said, not wanting to lie. He was getting used to the dog, but he still knew that if she didn't offer him the extra time outside, he would likely leave her to Domino most of the time.
The man nodded, adding a small smile. "You enjoy being outside? Do you play any sports?"
"Yes. I enjoy tennis, though most times I'll just run with Tera."
Christopher leaned forward, silently telling Mr. Richard's to give him the chance to speak.
"Jana, how are you handling my brother's death?"
He immediately felt his face chill. No doubt the color was fading from it quickly, but Jana couldn't pull himself out of the aggression welling up in his chest. Christopher knew exactly how he took Emmet's death!
Pain suddenly surged through the left side of his neck, snapping Jana out of his daze with a hiss and wince. Domino removed his hand as soon as he sat back up straight, and Jana was thankful for that. He was on edge and being startled by the pain, while it helped him focus, also made him tense.
"I'm going to assume you do not wish to answer that question. We will skip it." Christopher said, his eyes watching Domino instead of Jana as he began his next question. "If you were given the opportunity to leave, do you have somewhere you can stay while getting on your feet?"
Jana flinched, knowing damn well that he never had anywhere to begin with. At least, not anywhere he had ever wanted to be. "I. No." He whispered right before Domino spoke. "Yes. With me, or at my place if he gets out first."
He couldn't help himself, Jana jerked his attention to Domino, mouth open, shocked. He wants me near him even after we leave here? If. He corrected himself, knowing that his own chances of getting out were much more slim.
Domino grinned at him, then turned his attention to Christopher. "I apologize for interrupting, but he is welcome at my home. It is a two bedroom apartment, so he would have his own space and they do allow pets, so Tera would be no problem."
Jana thought for a moment that he didn't really want to take Tera with him if he got his freedom, but then decided that it would be something he could think about once he actually stepped foot outside. She was a good dog, perhaps he could learn to like her for her, and not just her ability to get him outside while locked up or because she had been Emmet's.
"Okay. If Domino were to remain behind bars and you were offered his apartment to stay at, do you have anyone outside of this prison that you can contact to help you?" Ms. Amberlane said.
At first, Jana was shaking his head, but then he remembered the man he had spoken to on the phone earlier that morning. A smile immediately found its way onto his face as he felt something slight lift away from his heavy heart.
"Yes. I think. I spoke with someone this morning that might be willing to help me learn how to... be outside?" He ended, not sure how he really should have phrased that.
The man nodded anyways, moving another set of papers in front of the one he had been looking at.
"These questions are going to get a lot deeper, but we have to ask them. If you need a moment between any or choose not to answer, please let us know." He said, making Jana nod slowly.
"Okay. First question. Do you regret doing what you did to your parents?"
He thought that type of question would be hard to answer, but Jana just leaned back in his chair and replied with a calm, "No."
"Why is that?" He continued.
"My father abused me and my mother didn't give a damn." He stated, unable to go further into detail.
They already knew that information and probably more, considering they had several detectives working the murder scene while he was being indicted.
"Is that all of your thoughts on that matter?" The man said, not pushing like Christopher normally did.
Jana nodded. "Yes. You know more than that but I'm not going to offer anything else."
"Fair enough." The man answered, then leaned back in his chair as Christopher began to speak again.
"If this person you had contact with agrees to help you, what are some things you would be interested in trying to get a job as?"
The question seemed almost too normal. It made Jana smile as he thought about all the ways he could answer it. What he would say was soon as clear as day, however, and he quickly leaned forward, eager to speak.
"I want to be a chemistry teacher."
Christopher's eyes widened, his lips parting slightly in clear surprise before his hand rose to cover it in a thinking gesture. After a moment of silence, he spoke through his hand, the words muffled slightly. "You enjoy chemistry, Jana? What aspects interest you?"
Without needing a second, Jana hurried to tell Christopher everything he remembered about his favorite subject. He hadn't studied it in a very long time, ever since he'd gotten kicked out of the prison's library, but he evidently remembered more than he thought as he easily took up twenty minutes telling the panel about how he actually enjoyed the structure of the periodic table and how chemistry lab had been his favorite class in high school because of all of the different possibilities you could make occur with only a few simple chemicals. Hell, you could change a reaction just by adding the solute or the solvent to the solution first!
"That, is what I wanted to hear." Christopher said as he let a small smile slip onto his lips.
Jana hesitated, then let his lips mirror the man's.
"Alright, I believe we are finished here. If you wouldn't mind stepping into the other room while we discuss what we've heard and come to a decision. This must be a unanimous vote, so all of us must say Yes to grant you parole."
Nodding, Jana slowly stood, feeling his muscles ache as he unfolded from the chair. Domino followed behind him as Tommy led them into a holding cell, then shut the door.
"That was amazing, Jana! I never knew you liked chemistry so much!" Tommy said. "You're more enthusiastic than all of the teachers I've seen. You'd make a great teacher!"
The man's words made Jana chuckle as he sat down and stretched out on the floor. His eyes looked up at the ceiling, but were blurred, showing that he clearly wasn't seeing anything. His mind was so far gone, needing the time he was given to calm himself. There was a lot that pain could do for him, but after the hearing, he needed a chance to just breathe without being touched.
Thankfully, both men remained quiet until there was a knock on the door, bringing Jana back to his feet. He felt a little better, but as he was led back into the room and sat in the uncomfortable folding chair again, he could feel his nerves bubbling beneath his warm skin.
"We have discussed the pros and cons of granting you parole and will each tell you our decision personally." The older woman said, making Jana nod stiffly as Domino stood to his left and slightly behind him.
"I would like to grant you parole." The woman said, then looked to her right.
Mr. Richards nodded to the woman, then turned his attention to Jana. "I, too, agree to allow you parole."
Shocked, Jana could only nod. He had no idea what had gotten into their heads to consider allowing him to walk the streets of the outside world.
Ms. Amberlane replied with a similar answer and an affectionate smile, before all eyes turned to Christopher. He watched Jana for several moments, their eyes meeting, before giving a quiet sigh and pursing his lips.
"I decline you parole."
For some reason, Jana felt his body relax immediately and actually let out his own sigh, relieved.
"I am willing to hear your case again in one month, but I want to see you begin working toward your teaching certificate in the program provided by the prison. It will give you a much better chance to find a job in the field you enjoy. Because of your age when your crimes happened, in this state, and because of the circumstances surrounding it, whoever hires you will not have access to the information. They will, however, have access to your prison records. That is something we cannot expunge. One month, Jana. I want to see you build yourself up. You're going to start at the bottom, but I know my brother saw something in you. I find it much harder than he did to see the good in people after being around so many terrible ones." Christopher said as he stood and moved to the door. He then turned, offering Jana a small smile.
"Prove me wrong. Show me that you have exactly what he saw."