"We need to talk."

I stop walking, looking as I saw an officer of higher command walk towards me. That was confusing considering my shift was about to start. I needed to be in there so that the girl and I can switch shifts.

"Yes? My shift is about to start though." I let him know, but he didn't seem to care.

I see him hand me an envelope and I saw that it had Worth's name on it. Looking up at him in disbelief, he didn't even look fazed.

"What...what is this?"

"What does it look like?" He frowns, causing me to look back at it worriedly. There can't be corruption this high up...is there? "Just give it to him. He needs to read it. It pertains to his case."

That still seemed suspicious to me. I didn't argue though as I nod, seeing him grin.

"Okay, thank you. You may go-."

"What is Worth's case? If...I may ask." I found myself asking quickly.

He looked at me in shock like I should've known this stuff. I wanted to look into it the first day I got here, but I know at this point, Worth will not show me his wristband himself.

I don't recall actually...him wearing one, now that I think about it.

"You don't know?"

"No...?" I chuckle awkwardly. "That's why I'm asking."

"How about you ask him?" He just says instead, walking away from me.

Watching his retreating back, I felt kind of disrespected. Not fully...but it was getting there. Why would I ask him?

Isn't his case already in the system? I could just look myself! Except I don't know his real name.

"So fucking useless." I hiss under my breath as I get to my cell block. "Open the worst cell block."

I speak over to the cell tower. Beginning to see the doors slide open, I walk in to see-.

"Why is he out?!" I shout at my subordinate as he was talking to her at the counter. She looked surprised to see me, but Worth didn't. "Your shift is up. I told you early this morning that he is to be locked in. Why is he out?"

"He said you locked him in for petty reasons. There was no legitimate reason for you to lock him in-."

"You're going to believe a prisoner over your own coworker? Are you fucking insane?" I snap harshly, causing Worth to snicker. "What is so fucking funny?"

Worth continued to just chuckle in my face and I saw my subordinate grinning up at him.

...oh my fucking-.

"Get out, your shift is over." I snap, and I go past her. Taking up all the things, I see her and Worth speak like he was walking her out.

That pissed me off because I already knew he had her by the clit.

When she left, he walked back over to the desk. He rested his arms on the counter as he looked down at me. I could see that condescending and mocking expression all over his face.

It pissed me off...

"You are like a child. Refusing to listen to the damn rules."

"Who's rules am I supposed to be following? I know it's not yours."

"Of course they're mine! I run this pod!" I shout at him, and I suddenly heard laughter erupt everywhere.

The echoing of the laughter was just all over as they laughed at me even though they're not in this fucking conversation. I saw Worth just look at me blankly with no expression, and he didn't seem to have anything to say.

He irritated me to my core.

"Your bitch ass don't run shit up in here!" I heard some man shout, and I roll my eyes.

"Call me a bitch again and I'll lock your ass down!" I shout back, and I see Worth look over at the guy.

"Bitch ass!" The guy shouts again, and I saw his friends hyping up for more. "It better when your ass ain't here 'cause you be doin' the most! You think you the shit because you a officer? You're just a professional snitch!"

"Yes the fuck I am, what are you gonna do about it? Nothin'." I sneer, seeing them laugh more at me as Worth suddenly stepped back from the counter. "If you're wise, you'll go back in your cell to lockdown."

Worth ignored me though, almost like he was thinking about something else.

"Did you hear-?"

I see him walking away, and that irritated me. I already knew he wasn't going to his cell.

"That bitch before at least let us do shit and respects the politics run in here. She got our respect 'cause-."

"She's a pushover, and don't call women bitches. I don't pushover to you bitches though." I snap up at him, and I saw his group and then rush down the steps.

My taser was already ready as they started to come closer.

"When you call someone a bitch in here, that's fighting words! You call us 'bitch' one too many times. Fight then! I want you to swing at me, do it!" He started to try and make himself look bigger than me.

His friends were right there looking like they were ready to fight. More like get involved in something they shouldn't be involved in.

"I won't swing, more like tase." I smile, and I saw two of them look concerned.

"Tasers don't work on me anymore. I wanna bash your face in so bad, my fist is itchin'!" He started balling up his hands and I wasn't afraid. More like pissed if anything because it goes to what Efren said yesterday.

No one will have my back if it comes down to this. I already can tell my subordinates won't be helpful. Especially that one woman who I just switched shifts with. So...what the hell am I going to do?

'...sympathize...'

How and why the fuck would I sympathize with them? They're inmates, criminals! What's to sympathize with someone like that?

"Back the fuck up." I sneer at him now, and they began to get closer.

Right when I was about to flip the switch for assistance, I saw a basketball slam hard against the wall centimeters from that guy's head.

It ricocheted off back into the direction it came and I look, seeing Worth looking at us. He held another basketball as he was making it known, it was him who threw it.

"Worth what...what the hell man?" This man went from 'itchin' to punch my face, to fearful so fast. I saw Worth head towards us now.

Once he was before them and looked down, I could just see how much fear he had struck within them so fast. It was honestly startling because what has he done for them to be this shook up?

He's not an OG either, so what is he? Who is he?

"Go out to rec," Worth answers finally, and I see them look at him hesitantly, "Now."

They nodded as they rushed past him, and they were going to the rec area. That's when I look at him and saw Worth already looking at me.

Neither of us said anything though for once. It was just silence as he looked me in the eyes for a mere moment, only to turn away. Going out to rec, I remembered that I said he couldn't go to rec today... I don't even care anymore at this point.

I'm getting this odd feeling he...protected me.

It's Worth though...I doubt it.

If we're talking about who I should 'sympathize' with...wouldn't I try with him if anyone? Because he clearly has the most power after seeing how he just made that guy become a coward before him. Though he did almost knock his head off with a basketball.

It just doesn't interest me...trying to sympathize with the inmates. Except I can already tell that if I want to hold some form of power at least...I'll have to start somewhere. The inmate I spoke to the most, is him.

Pursing my lips, I noticed an inmate sticking to himself and I considered speaking to him. I don't really want to speak to others unless they give me a reason.

And unfortunately...it's more preferred to speak to him compared to others. He doesn't seem like he does drugs, I haven't seen him strung off yet. I haven't seen any marks on his body, but I haven't really been looking either; so I don't think I can say that.

It almost - now that I think about it, does he really do anything? Besides get his dick sucked and have people obsessed with him? Afraid of him as well, that is a major plus too, in jail it is.

It's irritating because I don't want to be a part of the corruption. I know there is because someone of a higher authority wanted me to give him-.

Oh!

I look, seeing the letter set with my stuff. I grab it, going to the rec area as I was going to give it to him. Only to stop in shock at what I saw.

They weren't playing basketball, at all. I saw Worth talking with that group and that one guy who called me a bitch had a black eye and swollen lips. I already knew it was him as when they looked in my direction they looked back fast at him.

Worth got the hint as he looked over at me, snorting.

"What is it? Came to put me in seg over something you didn't see? Nothing happened." He lies, if you can even call what he said a lie.

Kinda underhandedly admitted it, but didn't somehow.

"No, I was told to give you this letter by a higher official. If it was up to me I wouldn't have come over-."

He snatched the letter from me, and he was quick to walk away from us. I could see him ripping the envelope apart to get to what was inside, leaving behind pieces of paper.

I didn't pay mind to these people despite someone having obviously been pummeled in the face. I followed Worth as I see him going upstairs, this angry look on his face. He read over the letter and even went into his cell, surprisingly closing it. So that means he locked himself in.

Why?

As I look away I saw someone already looking at me. My eyes narrow on him as he nods up at Worth's cell.

"Have you taken an interest in him already?" He questions me, and I glared now.

"Interest in what sense? I don't even know why he's in here and he isn't wearing and wristband like the rest of you, so that means he hasn't been charged with anything yet. With how he acted with that letter, there's definitely something else going on..." I found myself saying, realizing I was talking to an inmate as I scoff. "Why am I telling this to you? You're a criminal too."

"Whatever. We all are in here on different things for different reasons. Not every inmate or criminal, how you want to put it, is a bad guy. It's people like you who dehumanize us and make us all out to be these monsters. Why not try and sympathize?" He just says, causing me to snort.

There was that word again, sympathize.

I just look at him, sighing as I nod over at my counter for him to follow.

He ends up following, and when I get there I sit down. The guy just rests his elbow on the counter as he grins.

"My name is Matthew, but lots in here tend to just call me Mat."

"I'm not calling you that." I found myself saying fast, causing him to snicker. "I'm just...saying."

"Okay, anyway, I'm in on a government hold. Stole from the government," He confesses, causing me to not even want to waste my time sympathizing since he stole, "Is what they say, but I've always been working with the government. I find out some peculiar things, and suddenly they're making these claims. I have never once stole...but I'm fighting against higher officials so..."

I just look at him, wondering if I should believe that shit. Sounded highly sketchy to me. Not believable at all in the slightest!

"For Worth though...he's not wearing a wristband, you saw. So that means he's not being held on a hold and he hasn't been charged for anything. Except that kid has been in here since he was seventeen-."

"How old is he?" I ask fast, wanting to see if my assumption was right.

"Nineteen."

I was right! Of course I was.

"He's a different kind of inmate. Because he has gotten all the officers and high officials invested in him for something."

"For what?"

"I'm...I'm not sure." Matthew chuckles awkwardly, and I look at him like he's an idiot. "But, I can say that just from observation, Worth comes from something bigger than us all. I'm just saying."

Now I was a little more curious.

Looking back up at his cell, I still wondered why he'd lock in. I know it was to read the letter, but people usually read their letters in front of everybody. They've got nothing to hide, they want people to see someone cares enough to send them things.

He just hid away.

"Worth is a good person in my eyes, you know," Matthew starts out of nowhere, "He clearly isn't supposed to be here, but yet jail suits him to well. People already knew of him when he arrived. Maybe...gang affiliations are involved, I don't know."

I don't say anything on the matter. That's probably the case since people eat that up around here. I just...don't know what he has possibly done.

I want to know.

"Okay...I'll try and sympathize with a little bit of you." I tell Matthew, and he nods proudly. "Not the murderers or those who assault or burglarize or abuse animals or sexually assault or rape or-."

"I get it." He interrupts, and I nod with much certainty.

That's when I look up at Worth's cell and saw his light inside was off now.

I really want to know what he's in for and what he's just hiding in general. I want to be respected here and I want them to see me as the boss in here, not Worth.

Maybe if they see me get along with him, they'll come to respect me too. Except it's so hard...being able to respect him when he talks the way talks and acts the way he acts.

I mean...now that Efren is gone I shouldn't come upon anything like I did last night.

It's what I could get out of being friends or...acquaintances with him. Try to talk with him...talk about what?

"Chow time!"

I hear the cell block doors open, and I saw trays come in. That's when I allow myself to go up to his room and look inside.

He was sitting on his bed, staring down at the letter despite it being dark in there.

"Hey," I say, and he glances up at me, "It's chow. Your food is here."

"I'm not hungry." He interrupts me, and I frown. "That stuff is shit anyway. I don't eat that mess, I have commissary."

"Well, this is your chance to heat up whatever commissary you have, like if you have ramen." I state, but he shook his head.

"I'm not hungry right now, okay?" He folds the letter up with this look of hatred down towards it. "Why are you trying to act like you give a fuck if I eat or not?"

I glare at him, finding his attitude irritating.

"Just because you don't like what you got in that letter doesn't mean you can take your anger out on me. You're lucky I was nice enough to say anything to your ass!" I snap at him, and he scoffs. "Oh, that's funny to you?"

"Yeah, it is. You think that since you talk to me like a normal person once I should do you the same curtesy? No way, I can tell just by that look on your face you still see me as a criminal. I'm not human to you, but subhuman."

"I never once said-!"

"And lower your voice when you're talking to me." He interrupts, standing up as he stood before his door now. The both of us separated by this rectangle-shaped glass panel. "Don't waste your time trying to sympathize with me. You'll be wasting your damn time. You're not sympathizing because you really want to understand, you're doing it for selfish reasons. Besides, how can a cop sympathize with us? You all put us in prison! Sympathizing is far from being in your natures."

I just look at him, seeing him show me that folded letter.

"You ruined my day giving this to me," Worth tells me, and I see him throw it behind him, "But that seems to be what you want to do anyway. To piss me off constantly."

"You're making it very hard to be nice to you." I hiss at him and he grins.

"Then leave." He sneers harshly.

I just look at him through his cell window and he didn't budge. That's when I sigh, nodding down at my counter.

"I will say this before I go, thanks for defending me when that dude was pushing up." I thank him, and his expression doesn't change. "For throwing the basketball. Though I will say if it had hit him I would've had to write you up."

Worth rolls his eyes at my last comment, "Who says I was aiming for his head? I could've been aiming for yours."

"But you weren't." I state quite positively.

I see him not say anything countering that, his eyes staying locked on mine.

Now I look away, clearing my throat.

"I'll go." Is all I say.

Walking back to my counter, it was interesting because... I felt a tiny bit guilty.

I didn't do anything to the guy...so why did I feel like I did?

___________________🌝

uh, because you kinda did? 🌚

silly goose. 🦆

what do you think was on that letter? 😲

i can only imAgine. 🫣

at least Nate feels some sympathy. 🤨🫵

...i think. 🫠

- yolo 🫶