Kindred Spirits

Part 18

The nurse took one look at Stevie and made her sit.

"You are dehydrated, young lady." The nurse informed her after getting a urine sample.

"I don't want to stay here tonight." Stevie said fearfully, gripping Joan's hand.

"You shouldn't have to. We'll get you an IV bag and something for your stomach and you'll be sleeping in your own bed tonight." The nurse said kindly with a smile.

Stevie wanted to say she wouldn't sleep in her own bed for a while, but she stayed silent. If she could be close to Joan, she felt better about everything. The shadows of the prison didn't seem so long, and her nightmares seemed to fade. The nurse got her into bed and an IV started and left to get the bag. Stevie grasped Joan's hand to her chest as she sat by the bed.

"I really did miss you." Stevie said, her voice soft as her light skin looked even more pale in the bright lights of the room.

"Ha." Joan said, trying to shrug it off.

"I mean it." Stevie said, a catch in her voice.

"Why did they let you out early?" Joan asked, getting to the curious subject at hand.

"I would have expected Vera to keep you longer."

"Mr. Jackson let me out. I told you they weren't my drugs, Joan." Stevie glanced away nervously.

"Did you believe me?"

Joan's face visibly paled. Had Stevie worried the entire time what she had thought about the drugs?

"I-"

"Here we go." The nurse said cheerfully, interrupting their moment and making Joan move so she could hook up the IV bag.

"Okay, now take this for the nausea. It won't make you drowsy so as soon as the fluids are done, we'll get you out of here. Don't let her get too excited now." The nurse charged Joan.

"She needs to rest."

Joan nodded in acknowledgement before the nurse walked off and assumed her other duties.

"She is way too cheerful to be working in this place." Stevie said as she rolled her eyes at the woman's back as she stepped out the door.

"She's better than the last." Joan said with a chuckle.

"Total slut."

"Oh? Know from experience?" Stevie asked, a slight grin appearing on her lips.

"Hardly." Joan said as she crossed her legs and sat back in the chair.

"Information is power, my dear, and I always have my ways."

"I bet you do." Stevie said, her eyes widening suggestively.

"Enough of that now. You heard the nurse. You should be resting." Joan reminded her.

"I can rest later. We were talking." Stevie countered, bringing the conversation back around to previous matters.

"You were answering my question."

The lightness of the moment disappeared as the weight of reality settled onto Joan's shoulders.

"I did. I'll admit I had questions at first, but it didn't take long to unravel the mystery of how the drugs ended up in your cell. The day before they searched our cell, Mr. Stewart was leaving our unit. It was puzzling at the time, but it came back to me after they'd taken you to the slot. Vera must have promised him time with Grace or something. He always was easily swayed and weak."

"Who is Grace?" Stevie asked, and the freedom Joan had felt to speak freely vanished into thin air. The subject of Grace was an interesting and deep subject to Joan. In some ways she felt responsible for the parentage of the child. Of course, she hadn't planned that Vera would become pregnant. One would assume the woman would have taken more care with her own fertility.