Nyx Eris

Chapter 12: Lynwood

Trouble had made a habit of latching onto her family.

In most cases, it had clung to her husband. In some, it had clung to her brother.

Her sister-in-law. Her best friend. Her various other siblings, all of whom had been born from other parents.

She had not been immune to trouble herself, though never anything of the magnitude that had led her to a lengthy separation from her children, with no end in sight.

"I've been calling every day," he told her as she played with the cord of the community phone. "They said you couldn't talk."

"I had my phone privileges revoked," she said.

"Visiting privileges too, from what I hear," said Dylan. "Reason?"

"Some of the ladies around here thought my entrance required a warm welcome," said Brenda.

As she had expected, Dylan released a string of curses.

"How's Gina doing?" asked Brenda.

"They didn't tell us you were in Lynwood," Dylan avoided the question. "We had to track you down. How, uh, how was the transfer?"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Brenda.

She didn't want to think about the transfer to Lynwood, either.

"Bren, they've got you locked up in a dilapidating jail, one I hear is absolute shit and one of the worst women's jails in the whole fucking country," said Dylan. "How've they been treating you?"

Dylan didn't need to tell her about the hellhole that was the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood; Brenda had been living through the atrocities every day.

"I'm sure there are worse places to be in," she said diplomatically.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," said Dylan.

"Probably not the best thing for you to say."

"I didn't expect gourmet meals, but you could at least get some decent ones and a bit of humane treatment like Jack did."

"Jack didn't kill anyone."

"Neither did you. If you need us to break you out, say something Shakespeare. No, actually, say something Balzac."

Brenda did not quote anything written by Honoré de Balzac, as she did not want Dylan to get into trouble with the law himself if he did go ahead with breaking her out.

He had been in hot water with the law far too many times to get into it on her behalf. One time more and he, too, would be given accommodation in jail.

"How's Gina?" she asked again.

"I didn't call to talk about Gina," said Dylan. "I wanted to check in on my wife."

"I will keep pestering you about Gina if you don't answer."

"Good news is she loathes my very presence, so I don't think you'll have to worry about her throwing herself at me," said Dylan.

"Really?" asked Brenda. "She was quite adamant about your future together."

"We don't have a future together. I doubt she thinks that now when she blames me for the early delivery just as much as she blames you."

"God, she must be a wreck right now," said Brenda. "Losing her child like that; I can't even imagine...and you; fuck, Dylan, I know you and Gina aren't on the best of terms, but he was your child and you must feel something about that –"