Wentworth

Love and Hate Chapter 1

Faint whimpers echoed throughout the unit. The warm light coming from outside bathing the dull walls of the cells. It bathed her face as she twisted and turned in her sleep. Joan was laying on her back, her face twisting in pain, sweat on her skin, the fitful breathing being the only sound coming from her cell. She couldn't stop thinking about it. What happened in the showers. She could still see their faces, still feel their insistent touches. A nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Here to haunt her even when her mind should be at rest, safer in the confines of her cell. But was she?
The pain in her lower abdomen seemed to make everything worse, as it was a painful reminder of what had happened and it didn't seem to want to leave her be. She just couldn't stop thinking about it. The fear, the laughing, the gripping, the pain, the insults, the forcefulness.
She woke with a gasp, her eyes wide, her breathing coming in short irregular breaths and barely turned her head as Kaz made her way to her, kneeling next to her bunk, a gentle hand brushing her hair away from her face as Allie made her way to her cell door, resting against the frame.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay. Just tell me, Joan. Just tell me who did this to you."

The older woman stared at the blonde, she couldn't tell her, she had to think, to plan. But the pain made it harder, she couldn't think. Couldn't tell what she should tell her newfound ally. Pain rushed through her and she turned to her side, Kaz keeping on gently moving her hair aside, holding onto her.

"Shh, it's okay."

Allie left the cell to get a pill while Kaz stayed by Joan's side, waiting for the younger woman to walk back into the room. The barely waited as footsteps could be heard and Kaz faced the younger woman, before glancing at Joan, taking the pill from Allie.

"Okay, here they are."

Lifting Joan's head from the pillow, Kaz placed the pill on her tongue before taking the glass of water from Allie, bringing it to Joan's lips, slowly allowing her to drink some of the liquid to help taking the pill. The blonde walked back at the entrance of the cell, staring at the scene before her. She would have never believed it had someone told her that would be how her evening and night would be going. She watched as Kaz took hold of Joan's hand and how the older woman laid back onto her pillow, her face twisting with effort.

"Was it Bea Smith?"
"It wasn't Bea Smith."

Kaz sighed, defeated. Who could have done such a barbaric act? Replacing the covers on top of Joan, she brushed strands of hair away from her face and neck before standing, walking towards the sink, her eyes inevitably falling on the bloody towel. She could feel her eyes tearing up at the sight and swallowed thickly as she started rinsing the towel with clean water. It was ruined, she knew it. But it was the best she could do in the meantime. The blood coating her hands, slipping under her fingernails. Kaz would have never believed when she first set foot here that would be how her evening would go. And it went on for hours. Changing the towel, cleaning it as best as she could, readjusting the covers on top of the older woman, placing a cold towel on her forehead to try and cool her down, sitting down next to her, keeping watch over her as she whimpered and twisted at what she was sure was intense pain. She didn't want to imagine. No one deserved what Joan was going through.
Hours passed until the dark-haired woman finally fell asleep, Kaz sat next to her bulk, their hands linked together in an attempt at showing comfort. Allie peeked through the opening, her eyes falling on Kaz, and she whispered loud enough for her friend to hear her without waking the injured woman next to her.

"Kaz. Kaz. Got to bed. You've done all you can for her. Come on."

Kaz stared at her friend before looking down. She already knew that fact, but she wished she could do more. Kneeling next to Joan, Kaz gently took her hand off hers and placed it on the bed in a comfortable angle before leaving the cell, leaving the door open as her and Allie sat on of the armchairs in the unit. Allie wrapped an arm around Kaz's shoulders, looking at her friend who stared in the void in front of her, her expression laced with sadness.