Hot Dog Day

Meanwhile...

Breakfast in D-Block

On this day especially, we must unite. Alas, the sun shone too bright on Sunshine State...

"Urgh," Flaca lamented. "This show was so much better when I ran it."

"...sure," Nicky conceded.

Cathie's voice droned on, and breakfast continued too.

So I'm gonna tell you once again, prepare to welcome our pink ladies as sisters!

Groans could be heard from many a table.

"As if we weren't already crammed up here."

"M-mh," Nicky hummed noncommittally, equal parts hopeful and concerned at the idea of possibly seeing Red and Lorna some more than usual.

"Well it's visiting day, we won't all be always here," Maria considered. The three women were all working in the kitchen at ICE and had become used to spending time together. "Pepa is coming with Maria 2."

"And Yadriel?"

"He's working today."

"Aww, that sucks," Flaca said, sincerely sorry.

"Doesn't matter," Maria gave a small smile. "I'm just happy to see my daughter."

The other two nodded.

"What about you? Got any visits?"

"Oh, no one could come," Flaca shrugged evasive.

"Mh. Well my father is just too busy on this oh-doubly-holy Sabbath, as always," Nicky paused, and then, as an afterthought, added "And I'm sure Marka will have something better to do, or will come up with something anyway. She can be very creative."

Maria looked between the two of them and then smoothly started talking about Scott's latest diet.

They were still mid-breakfast when a CO approached their table and told them to "Nichols, Gonzales, wrap it up and come with me." Their glorious past in Electrical had been discovered and they'd been deemed the next best thing to the maintenance crew.

But that was just unfair, Flaca thought. They had to work twice as hard the previous afternoon to leave things ready for today, and now this... Why'd it have to happen on their free day?

_________________________

"Fuckin' hot," she grumbled, looking up.

A glance from above the ladder. "Sorry Nicky, we're better off as friends." Left arm stretched, Flaca grabbed the wrench that was being passed to her.

"Ouch. You wound me, Flaca!" she took the screwdriver in exchange.

"M-mh."

"After all our bonding over the expired beef yesterday."

"Yeah, yeah."

Clear, narrow eyes studied them closely for another moment, traveling from the short to the tall one, and back. Mh... Naa. She crossed something off her little notebook.

The Latina went on tinkering a bit, and Nicky sat on a bench, fanning herself with a half-torn instructions leaflet.

Solitude is the place of purification and transformation, the place...

"...wha-"

"Gimme the smaller one."

"Aye, captain," Nicky searched for the tool in the box, retrieved it, passed it on, and dropped back on her seat. Then she dried her forehead with a tissue.

"Pff."

Flaca turned to the panel again.

...For freedom is the open window which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.

"Hear, hear," said Nicky.

Click.

"Ssh!"

"You said anything, Nichols?" a voice boomed from the glass office.

"Me? Er, no, CO Ging... Copeland. I was just reflecting upon this last inspiring remark."

Sunk in her chair with a milkshake, Ginger nodded wisely. "Take note. It could really change your life. You too, Gonzales!"

"Yessir, madam," Flaca assented.

"Mh." The guard pressed a button on her iPod and restarted the podcast.

Happiness is a choice, not a result.

"Oh, fuck me," Flaca muttered.

"Changed your mind, have you?"

A glare.

"Oook..." Nicky stood up again. "So, how's it goin'?"

"No idea."

The other approached the ladder. "I can try to have a look."

"Sure," she shrugged, and climbed down. "Enjoy."

Patience is a fruit of the spirit that grows only under trial.

"There. You heard it." Nicky climbed up, and Flaca grabbed their makeshift fan, trying to loosen the tight collar of her shirt with the other hand.

"I'm sticky in places I forgot existed," she complained, blowing inside her own cleavage.

"M-mh."

..."What's up? That was highly riffable."

Nicky looked down. "Right. I was considering a classy approach."

Go out and walk. That is the glory of life.

A snort. "...OK, really?"

"We're lucky we didn't get Alvarez," Nicky mused, probing at a random wire.

"Yeah, but..."

"What is it, inmates?" Ginger asked, looking out at them from her cozy retreat.

"Just contemplating the glory of life, CO Copeland!"

"Mh." Slurp. "Any success so far?"

"Not yet, but we're keeping a positive mindset," Nicky assured.

"Good, good. That's the spirit." Slurppp. And even if it took them another hour, who cared. It was cool in there, and watching two low-risk inmates at work was almost like having a break. Beat being in one of the other now overcrowded blocks. Also, the quiet gave her time to study her strategies for the new, improved-upon edition of Fantasy Inmate. Another idea struck, and she scribbled it down straight away, balancing her writing ware and glass.

Seize the moment! Make of each day your masterpiece.

Slurpppppp.

"Oh, for..." Flaca sighed, and went back to fanning furiously. "Why didn't we get Blake or Mac?"