Dead Ringer *Watty 2016*

Prison

Once Larkin was out of the hospital and back at Coraleigh's apartment she was constantly swarmed with visitors but her mind was fixated on Briar and what would be done with her after the attack.  However, Larkin didn't dare to ask for fear of seeming too involved in the pleb's lives and raising suspicion and she couldn't find time alone to ask Arch.

Harlow proved to be an especially difficult obstacle to get passed as she camped out on Larkin's living room floor, trying to cater to her every whim.  It became obvious that she felt guilty because it was her pleb who attacked her.  "You know I could go out?"  Larkin offered, trying to get Harlow to get excited about something other than taking care of her.

"Are you sure you are feeling up to it," Harlow said sounding concerned instead of excited.

"Yeah," Larkin said trying to sound as if she wanted to party when all she really wanted was to be left alone, "they wouldn't have let me out of the hospital if I wasn't ok to go back to my life."

"I suppose," Harlow said still sounding skeptical and Larkin couldn't help but wonder when Harlow had last squealed or giggled.

"Harlow please," Larkin said, "I'm fine and I don't blame you."

Tears began to well up in Harlow's eyes, "I was just so worried about you Cora.  I've been so worried about you."  She said as she began to let out three large sobs and threw her arms around her friend.

"Don't worry about me," Larkin whispered to her as she stroked her hair.  The small phrase made her feel sick, knowing that the friend that Harlow was trying to cling to, the friend that the innocent seeming girl could not stop worrying about, wasn't her.  She was just a lying imposter and that Harlow had every right to worry.

Harlow pulled away "Ok, I'm going to go get ready then I will meet you back here and we will go out.  I will message Oakley on the way."  Her excitement for a night out seemed to return as she gleefully collected her stuff and skipped out the door to find a car.

Within seconds of her leaving Larkin had sent Arch a message asking him to come to the apartment and letting him know that Harlow had left.  He didn't even bother to message back and she didn't have to wait long for him to show up.  The door swung open and Arch walked right in.

"How is she?  What are they doing here?"  Larkin asked feeling all the panic of the accident day returning to her as she allowed herself to think about Briar.

"Harlow?  I thought you said she just left."  Arch's confusion was evident.

"No, Briar," Larkin answered annoyed that he wasn't providing her with information quicker.

"Your pleb friend?"  Arch asked, "the one that attacked you."  He sounded disgusted at the idea that she would want to hear about her childhood friend.

"She didn't attack me she attacked Coraleigh or at least she thought she did," Larkin said immediately prepared to defend Briar at all costs.

"Yeah that makes me feel a whole lot better."  Arch said sarcastically.

"She thought I had stolen my organs what did you expect her to do?"  Larkin answered angrily.

"Even if you were Coraleigh you wouldn't have stolen anything.  That's what plebs are for they are walking organ donations, its their job, that's all."  Arch was growing angry as well.

"I'm a pleb," Larkin shouted, "but glad to know where we stand, all I am is spare parts."

"You were a pleb now you are a cian you need to let the past go," he was not even attempting to quiet her too trapped by his own anger and sadness to think logically.

"Can you even say that?"  Larkin asked incredulously, "You haven't let anything go you just want me to be her and I'm not.  You need to let Coraleigh go."

Before Archer knew what he was doing his hand had swung out and slapped Larkin hard, directly across the face.  He instantly regretted it.  "Larkin," he said before she turned away from him.  "I'm sorry," he whispered but she acted like she hadn't heard him, trying to recover.

Without turning back to face him she sucked in a breath of air and steadied her voice, "Just tell me Archer.  What did they do with Briar?"

"She is being held in a prison until Harlow needs her organs."  He answered sheepishly backing away from her, wanting out of the situation.

"No," Larkin said furiously.  Plans were already unfolding in her mind about how to find Briar and what she would do when she did.  "Do you know where the prison is?"

"Yes," he answered, "but you can't go find her you can't stray from the plan."

She finally turned and looked at him.  "That's not your call," she said, "I know you miss Coraleigh but I'm not her.  I can't sit here and be her while everyone dies."

"You can't save her without sentencing Harlow to death is that what you want?"  Archer asked and Larkin immediately felt sick to her stomach.  She thought about the giggly sweet girl who was so worried about her friend she camped out on a living room floor for nearly a week, no Larkin didn't want her to die.  Then she thought about the spunky girl who was willing to risk everything to avenge her friend, who thought too deeply about the world, and who was never given a chance to be anything other than a bag of spare parts.  She couldn't let her die either.

"I can't worry about that now," Larkin said making her decision, "I have to go with them now but come back tonight and tell me where the prison is, answer my questions, you owe me that much."

Archer looked like he was in pain when he answered.  "I had hoped you wouldn't be like her, Cora was always much braver than I.  I wanted you to just go with the flow, be simple."  Larkin wasn't sure if he was talking to her then he sighed and looked her right in the eyes, "If you are going to save your friend I'm going with you."

"You don't have to do that."  Larkin said seeing the fear in his eyes.

"I already let one sister die by the hand of my cowardice I won't loose another the same way."