Endurance

Chapter 6 - Prisoner

Back at the BAU, the team was a mess.

"I can't believe he did that for me." Morgan tried to run his hands through his hair, but then remembered he didn't have any.

Everyone sat in the briefing room, stressed.

"We have to give it to him, that was a smart move, I mean his story matches well." Emily added.

"Okay well he didn't do it." Morgan took his anger out on Prentiss.

"Morgan, I never said he did. He could never." Emily assured him.

"Sorry." Morgan immediately apologized. "I'm just still processing what happened. I mean that's ten years. Ten Years." Morgan repeated but in more depth. "Ten years he's going to be in there suffering for me." Morgan didn't take his eyes off the floor.

"Morgan, you can't blame yourself for this. You didn't even commit the crime." JJ tried to make him feel better.

"All I know is that Reid is in there instead of this sonuvab*tch who murdered Ashley. And he's in there because I made him go to the bar. Now he's paying for my mistakes!" Morgan's voice rose the more he talked.

The others sighed and looked around at anything but each other.

~~~~~~

I've only been in prison for about 24 hours now and let's just say it's been a nightmare. I didn't get any sleep last night because those @$$clown officers left my handcuffs on. It wasn't until this morning the guards took them off. I can still see the marks on my wrists.

It's currently lunch time so everyone is in what they call a cafeteria. The food I'm looking down at on my plate makes me want to vomit. Having skipped breakfast and lunch now, I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. Let's just hope they serve something appetizing for dinner or I might just consider eating what they call food. I'm sitting alone at a round table. I'm about one of the only people not talking to someone. Being the new guy makes me the center of attention. Everyone is staring at me and talking. This is like high school all over again but minus people actually noticing me. Also people here are all guys and older. Well I guess it's actually nothing like high school then.

I gulp as a big dude with a huge tattoo walks past me with two other dangerous looking guys. He gives me the evil eye and continues walking.

I decide to get up and throw my food away. I'm not eating it anyway so I might as well. I stood up and walked over to the garbage but two guys are standing next to it. I avoided making eye contact with them and tossed out my food. They stared at me as I walked over to the table to put my tray back. Even though I was scared as h*ll here, I did my best not to show it.

Doors opened for our one hour of the day to go outside. The sun and fresh air swooshed around and it felt so refreshing. The electric fences blocked prisoners from leaving outside. There was a small and trashy basketball court and benches outside. But I didn't care, I just couldn't wait to go outside. It's all I've been looking forward to since I got here. As I started to walk out the doors a guard stopped me.

"Hey newbie, do the laundry." The guard said, holding a basket of jumpsuits.

"But it's our one hour of outdoor time." I said.

"I said do the laundry." The guard repeated, but this time more serious.

"Can't I just do it once I get back?" The guard wouldn't budge. "Please?" I tried.

That didn't seem to change his answer.

"Do the laundry or I'll send you to the hole
punk@$$." The guard took the laundry basket and shoved it into my stomach with a great force which caused my hands to go around the handles. Pain lingered through my stomach as I crouched over grunting.

The other prisoners watched me as I finally had the strength to stand back up. They laughed as they passed me to go outside. I could tell they were just doing it to rub it in my face. The big guy with the tattoo walked passed me with no emotion what so ever on his face. Based on his eyes, it looked like he wanted to kill me. Out of all the scary and intimidating people here, he definitely scares me the most.

"Go!" The guard pointed to my cell.

I glanced at him up and down, then turned around and headed back to my cell to fold.

All I could think about while folding is when I'll see my friends next. God I miss them. If I could only just see them once more it would remind me of why I'm still going on like this. They're probably just working on another case by now. They probably can't stop thinking about me but that will end soon. Eventually they'll just give up on the thought of me being here and just accept the fact that there's nothing they can do to save me now. It's all in a matter of time.