Number 501 (Needs Editing)

A Sharp Fork

I guess you could say it was an offer I could not refuse. Although I pretended to think about it for a while to give the impression I didn't want to do it or to show that I didn't see a good outcome that would come from it. Other than to get a better reputation around here, what else was a cell block guard to do? 

"Well?" Dynam encouraged me to answer quicker.

"I guess it's that or get killed for saying no. Right?" 

"Hey, it's not always like that. At first it is but once you show some initiative and get quite a reputation around here, you'll have a say just like everyone else. Just like Reckt does. Maybe even more if you befriend some of the prisoners. How many do you have on your side right now?" 

"Well that depends. It seems everyone was on my side during that riot."

"You're new here. I doubt you've talked with every prisoner in here. How many have you actually gotten to know? Personally." 

I thought for a second and realized the only friend I had in here was 304 and I doubt that would change very much. 

"Right now, I've only talked with 304. He's one of injured in the medical center. He's the only chance I have at surviving around here. He knows this place in and out it would seem. Without him, I'm no one."

"What are you suggesting?" Dynam questioned.

"I want 304 on the top of the medical list for medicines and surgeries, and I want free meals for him for a two weeks. He needs to start eating again if he's gonna buff up and be my right hand man. However, you say no to those requests and you may as well kill me right now."

"Done. That's nothing. For now, we're going to have to keep you in here for a day for security reasons. Is there anything I can do?" 

I thought long and hard and there was something I needed. I needed to see 304. The last time I saw him, he was shot on the ground bleeding out. I couldn't let that be my last memory of him if he didn't make it through. It relieved me that Dynam clearly understood and let me out for a brief moment to go visit him in the medical center. I saw the random tubes shoved up his arm and going into his nose, his heart rate was good and they were letting him out in a day or two. It was just simply amazing to know he was still okay.

I pulled up a chair next to his bed that he was strapped into and talked to him while Dynam stood right there watching me to make sure I wasn't going to do anything stupid.

"How you doing?" I asked him, patting him on the chest and then returning my hand to my lap.

"I can't believe this. You're here two days and you save my life, and then you get me shot."

I chuckled as did he and got up from the seat.

"Well, like you joked about earlier, it appears you'll be seeing me more often in the cafeteria. They got me running it now."

"Oh please, I'm they're last priority right now." 

"Not anymore." I explained to him. He thanked me a bunch of times for thinking of him in his time of need and that I didn't have to do that but he was wrong. I had to do that, I had to save him and put his name on the top of the list. He was my only friend in here and I was dead meat without him. 

I told him to get some rest and I headed back to my foam room they were still keeping me in for one more day. It was probably the most boring day of my life. I just walked back and forth for hours on end and here and there I dozed off. You would think the foam would be comfortable and easy to sleep on but it's not. Not when you know it's in a prison and the guards are watching you 24/7. However when a certain number of hours passed and I had no idea what time it was, I decided to just lay down in the corner and close my eyes for a little bit. At that point, the door swung open with Dynam standing there.