Innocent Criminal

Chapter 6

Ever since Haru woke up that day, body aching and barely able to drag himself off the bed, he'd been in a state of confusion. He'd woken up expecting himself to be bloody and swollen, but to his shock he realised his face and hands had been wiped of blood and cleaned. There was an oat bar and apple sitting on the small stool pushed up against his bed too. Kane, Haru immediately knew.

Now, almost an entire week later Haru had almost completely healed. Physically. Mentally, he felt he was doing worse than normal. His ever constant anxiety shot through the roof even in his cell, where he wanted a safe place. It was the confusion the effected him the most, with all the evident kindness his cell mate was showing him, he didnt know what to make of it. Not many people, if anyone at all, had been this passively nice to him, caring almost, and Haru simple didn't know ow to respond to it.

There was a thought present constantly in the back of his mind that Kane was only being nice because he liked Haru in that way. Because he wanted to use Haru like everyone else had, he wanted Harus trust only to shatter it violently in a single painful moment. It terrified Haru. He honestly didn't think he could handle another person who dose what King dose to his body. He'd die for sure. He'd die or his mind would finally break and he'd go insane.

It didn't help that Haru had overheard more conversations 'by accident' between his cell mate and the two other men he'd come to find out where Thomas and Rodrick, and had pieced together that they had something to do with King, but they where not on Kings side. As well as the fact that two days before he found a scrap piece of paper tucked in between the steel of the bed frame and mattress of his cell mate with names and what looked like coded information. A rival gang perhaps? Trying to get information from King from the inside. Or.......no, that's impossible and way too crazy. Haru shut down the idea.

So Haru was on edge and terrified every second, and it was exhausting him.

The inmates of the prison where outside, just as they normally where at this allocated time, and even though it was late February the cold in England was still bitting away at Harus skin in the harsh winds. Some inmates played basketball on the court side of the courtyard, some lifted weights, most lounged around in groups. Haru sat at a lone bench as far a possible from everyone else, curling his petite form to himself to try and conserve as much heat as his underweight body and thin excuse for a jacket could provide.

Haru rubbed his hands together vigorously, trying his best to ease the pain. The cold and his scarred hands never mixed well. Haru had to keep massaging his hands generally to keep the tissue from contracting inwards, and keep his mobility of his fingers. But in the cold, with the limited blood flow his hands would contract painfully, become stiff and rigged and It always scarred him he'd never be able to open them again.

He looked around the courtyard at all the other inmates, trying his hardest to distract himself from the now searing pain of his hands both feeling like they were on fire and about to get frostbite.

He saw one of Kanes friends - Thomas - getting close to King, talking to Kings closest member and smiling at something Haru couldn't hear. Haru tried to focus on how it was hilarious to him how obvious Thomas was being in his attempt to get close to King, how King and his member seemed to be falling for it, but eventually the pain was too harsh for him to take. So with held back tears and all the will power he could muster he went over to a guard standing by the entrance to the prison cell block. As he walked up, the prison guard looked more dominating, intimidating, threatening. Haru didn't think he'd be able to muster up a voice to even ask to go inside, but the pain was starting to make him struggle holding back tears so he pushed forward, hands cuddled to his chest trembling. 'E-excuse me.' His meek voice forced out.

The guard looked down at the prisoner, unbothered with a raised questioning eyebrow.

'My hands,' Haru barely managed to whisper 'th-the cold makes the h-hurt. I wanna go in.' The guard still did nothing but stare at Haru like a rat on the side of the road. Irrelevant and disgusting. At this point the pain felt like it was ripping his hands apart from the bone and he was trying so hard to keep the tears at bay. 'P-please' still nothing.

All of a sudden Like felt the warmth of a large body, much larger than his own, behind him. 'The kids obviously in a lot of pain, stop pretending you can't hear him and do your job' Haru flinched harshly at Kanes domineering voice behind, and at the point was terrified for the both of them for the way his cell mate just spoke to a guard!.

The guard sneered back ' the hell you think you are?!, back the fuck up!' Further scaring the shit out of Haru, whose fear and anxiety threatened to consume him at that point. His legs were barely holding him up.

'Need I remind you of the law officer? I could get you reported for neglectful abuse by denying medical attention of you inmates, my cell mate. I could get your badge taken away, I could take your job, scar your record. Don't for a second think I won't do what I have to.' Kanes voice was low, calm and calculated. He knew what he was talking about and both Haru and the guard realised this as Kanes cold stare never left the man, not backing down.

'Fine, take him in to your cell and stay there till the rest of the inmates come in for lunch. Don't try anything I'm send a guard with you' he eventually, and extremely reluctantly said.

Kane gave a hum of agreement before walking off to the entrance. He held the door open and turned back to the still stunned Haru expectantly, till Haru snapped out what even daze he was in and followed suite. A guard from the other end of the courtyard soon followed after.

Still weary of his cell mate, but in far too much pain for that fear to take effect, Haru allowed Kane to lead to way back to their cell.