One Last Time [Vauseman Fanfic]

15: Stuck

Please don't stand so close to me.
I'm having trouble breathing,
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now.

Piper was standing in front of Alex's cube again sooner than she thought she would be. Alex glanced at her girlfriends face, the only acknowledgment she would give the blonde, before returning her gaze to the ceiling again. Alex didn't have the energy to discuss whatever Piper had found in that box and she didn't have the energy to try and sort through the emotions that coursed through her. She wished for the numbness again.

"Alex please say something." Piper begged, walking towards the bunk.

Alex's only response was to close her eyes, as if by closing the sight of Piper out she wouldn't have to deal with it all. Alex felt something press down on her bed and figured Piper must have sat down, she shifted away and closer to the wall. She heard Piper sigh.

"Alex don't be a child. What's wrong with you? Why are you being like this?"

Alex's temper flared, anger, hurt and betrayal flaring up through the mess of her head and her eyes snapped open to glare at Piper, "Fuck off Piper. You have no fucking right." Her tone matched her icy glare and from the reaction on Piper's face, Alex knew that she knew what she meant.

"Al..I..I was-" Piper stammered.

"Piper. Fuck. Off."

Piper nodded slowly, biting down on her lip in a clear sign to show she was holding back tears. Alex didn't break though, she closed her eyes and tried to block out Piper's irregular breathing as she started to cry. Alex kept her eyes closed until she felt Piper leave again. Then she felt guilty, she was pissed yes but that didn't mean she had to act like that with Piper, surely? She sighed and got up, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get out of work and maybe forcibly being separated from everyone that actually cared about her for a while today would do her some good. She had missed both breakfast and her shower time so she got dressed quickly and stumbled down towards the laundry room, she worked in silence, slowly folding each sheet and uniform with more precision than ever. She was doing everything possible to keep herself neutral and numb for just a while longer knowing that with each passing minute she grew closer to the unavoidable conversation Piper was going to force her to have. Alex briefly wondered just how long she could postpone that conversation. Eventually lunch rolled around and Alex decided it would be in her best intentions to skip it, her appetite hadn't quite returned yet. It was to her utmost surprise when Bennett walked into the laundry room and told her to take the rest of the day off and that working whilst she was ill was going to help no one. She had arched a brow but said nothing about it as she walked back to her cube. This had to have something to do with Nicky and Piper, Alex was sure of it. She lay down on her bunk, briefly using a hand to feel that her box still hadn't been returned.

"Ah, Miss Vause. Finally."

Alex froze, that voice. That was the last voice she had expected and wanted to hear right now. She closed her eyes as she turned to face the offending sound before she opened them in a cold, hateful glare. "Healy."

"I thought it best to give you the day off, considering the awful state you were in yesterday at dinner." The man mused, "You look tired. Is your little girlfriend keeping you up at night?" He sneered.

Alex's defences turned on, "She is, and what a wonderful distraction she is." Alex retorted, smirking.

Healy strode over to her, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and slamming her into the wall of her cube - knocking the air out of her lungs. Alex knew better than to fight him, he had the power to get her sent down to max and she wanted to avoid that at all costs.