One Last Time [Vauseman Fanfic]

7: One Way Ticket To Hell

I wonder if maybe, maybe I could be
All you ever dreamed

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Alex paced around her small cell. Pacing was not something she did before but with the absence of anything else she found it was all she could do. The only thing that would stop her from going crazy. She wasn't sure how long exactly she had been in SHU, time kept no meaning in here. The only measure of some kind of time were the three trays that came through the door each day. Using the trays as a measure of time, she had worked out that she'd spent almost a week already in the tiny box. During that week she had paced and done more push-ups and sit-ups than she had ever done before. The heavy workout regime was taking it's toll on her body though, especially with the lack of food in her system. Alex made a point to only eat every other day, she wasn't stupid enough to starve herself but she wasn't going to torture herself by eating the crap they served in SHU everyday either. As a result of this, Alex spent all the time that she wasn't pacing or working out trying to regain her strength so she could move onto her next set. Alex was sure that she was going to be ripped by the time they let her out of here. As she lay on her bed, staring up at the bright light on the roof of her cell she thought about her life. Every singular choice she had made and what she would have done differently. By the time she had regained enough energy to being her workout again she had about 5 different scenarios for every major event in her life. As much as Alex had made a point not to dwell on her past before, she couldn't help but think about the past as she lay in here. She knew it was destructive and she ended up hating herself by the time she was able to stand again. Completely isolated from the rest of the world, the isolation she had felt in the main prison was nothing compared to in here. Her dorm was like Times Square compared to SHU.

The guards allowed Alex to have a book, she was surprised that her request had been listened too, she managed to replace some of her thinking time with reading. That did her mind wonders, at least until she finished it that is. There are only so many times you can read through the same book that you only finished the food tray before. Another 21 trays came and went before the guard came to her cell to take her back to the main prison. She had been in there for two weeks, surrounded by crazy. Alex knew by the way her clothes hung from her figure that she had lost weight. However, she also knew that she had gained some real muscle so she didn't feel too bad. The fresh air felt strange as she stepped out of the building and started to walk towards the van, she hadn't remembered it to feel so pure before. She greeted Morello with a warm yet tired smile as she sat down. The woman didn't talk to her as she drove her back, obviously sensing that Alex just wanted some peace away from the constant scream and endless noise of SHU.

Alex was relived to find that they hadn't moved her bunk and she was allowed to return to her normal prison life straight away, she was thankful that they had taken off that god-awful cast the day after she was put into SHU. The prospect of washing and folding clothes all day had never sounded more appealing to her. Morello informed Alex that she had ten minutes to settle back in before lunch and then left her to do her own thing. Alex sat down on her bunk and welcomed the sight of the open space around her, she had never been so glad to see the walls around her.

"I heard you were back." Piper's voice said gently, carefully.

"Yup." Alex replied simply, not really sure where she currently stood with Piper.

"I missed you."

"Missed you too, kid." Piper smiled at that and told her she would see her at lunch. Alex just nodded.

Thinking about eating made Alex feel nauseous after experiencing the food in SHU, she hadn't eaten for almost two days now and she thought she should probably at least try to eat. She sauntered into the room five minutes later, eyes scanning the room. She saw Pennsatucky first, her face still held the purple bruise that Alex had blessed her with. Her eyes landed on Nicky next and she headed toward the suburbs table to sit next to her bushy haired friend.
"Oh hey Vause, you ain't getting any food?" Nicky asked, mouth full of her own.