Hard Time (Part Seven)

Scott and Elisabeth just stood there stunned. 1

"Well? You two gonna tell me what's going on?" Rodgers asked again.2

"Uhm, well....uhm..." Scott tried and failed.3

"What Scott means to say," Elisabeth began, "is that, well, we have been seeing each other for awhile now."4

"You mean to tell me that you have been seeing an inmate? How long has this been going on?" It was Rodgers' turn to be stunned.5

"Shortly after the whole Rembolt incident." Scott said.6

"Get out of the cell, Lyons." Rodgers sighed with annoyance. "You realize I'm going to have to talk to the Warden about this?"7

Elisabeth opened the cell. "What's the rules on this? Do you even know?"8

"No, I don't. It's never been an issue before. But I really don't think Warden Daniels will be too happy to hear this."9

..........10

"Officer, what the HECK were you thinking? Were you even thinking at all? Did you consider what this could mean? You realize you could have been killed?" Warden Daniels interrogated her as if she was on trial.11

"With all due respect, sir, do you really think the man who saved my life would try to kill me?" Elisabeth asked calmly.12

"Don't tell me that's what this is about," the Warden shook his head. "You are only doing this to repay a debt? Or you fell in love with him because he saved your life?"13

"No, actually I was attracted to him the first day on the job. Nothing happened until after the attack."14

"Lyons, he is a prisoner! He murdered someone! How can you even think that he would be a decent guy worth dating?" The Warden was dumbfounded.15

"People change, sir. Scott was high when he did that. Of course his judgement would be impaired. He is sincerly sorry for what he did, sir. He's seeing the Chaplain almost daily, and sir he saved my life! I love him!" Elisabeth raised her voice more than she meant to. "I, I'm sorry."16

Warden Daniels faced her evenly. "There are no rules stating that you can't have a relationship with Scott Kendrick. However, I am moving you to day shift 2 for that block, and when you visit him for any reason it must be on your own time. I'll make sure that Valdez keeps an eye on you both. You know the rules about conjugal visits. One more slip up, and you're suspended. Am I clear?"17

"Yes sir, thank you sir. Something like this won't happen again, I promise."18

"Nothing better happen on watch again, Elisabeth. Consider this a warning. It won't go on your record, and I do hope you come to your senses."19

.............20

"Rodgers caught you two? What did the warden say?" an excited Keenyah Smithson asked the next day.21

"Daniels wasn't too happy," Elisabeth confessed. "But he did say that I could still see Scott although it has to be on my own time. He is moving me to Daywatch 2 so that Valdez can keep an eye on us."22

"Why not Sanger?"23

"He might be too lenient!" Elisabeth laughed. "Daniels thinks it's some hero worship phase I am going through. He doesn't get it, I really do love Scott."24

"Anyone who has seen you together can tell." Keenyah said matter of factly.25

"What? I thought we were hiding it pretty well."26

"Yeah right, the love eyes you make at each other all the time!" Keenyah laughed. "Benton knew this whole time, but didn't do anything, couldn't bring himself to do anything. He's happy that Remington did it."27

Elisabeth laughed as well. "I guess I'm not that great of an actress. Well it's almost time to end shift, what do you say we finish checking these cells?"28

.............29

Lyons arrived on cell block J for Daywatch 2 the next day. She was met by Sanger, Valdez and the others. Valdez gave her a cold stare as if to say "I've got my eyes on you." Elisabeth just smiled back, then turned to Sanger.30

"How are you today?" she asked.31

"I am doing pretty good. Heard you had a run in with Warden Daniels about the whole Scott situation." 32

"Yeah. Valdez has to watch my every move." Elisabeth laughed. "One more screw up and I get suspended. I'm even working the other side of the block on the downstairs instead of the upstairs."33

"Sounds like the Warden wasn't too pleased." Sanger chuckled.34

"Haha, not exactly." Elisabeth prepared to release the inmates who wanted to go outside. It was a chilly day, and not many people wanted to go outside. Elisabeth noticed a new prisoner in the last cell. He looked pretty rough and tumble.35

"Hey, I'm Officer Lyons. How are you?"36

She was met by the cold stare of the hispanic prisoner. "I'm Diablo Mireles."37

"I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Diablo." Elisabeth smiled. "Do you want to go outside with some of the others?"38

"Come get me when a real Officer comes. I'd break you in half, woman." Elisabeth did not like his tone.39

"Excuse me, Mr. Mireles. I have had to punish several guys on more than one occasion. Just ask Swede over there." Swede had heard the conversation and nodded.40

"You probably used that sissy-ass taser."41

"Actually, no. I had him against the wall no weapons needed." Again Swede nodded waiting to go outside. "Do you want to go outside or not?"42

"F*** off, woman." Diablo gave her the finger.43

"Fine. Have it your way, tough guy." Elisabeth walked to the line of prisoners. The line of prisoners was short today, and Scott was not among them. She should have known as much. Valdez would either have Scott stay in, or her stay in. She looked back at Diablo. He was colder than the others. She would have to find someway to get through to him.44

...........45

Diablo even refused supper that night. Elisabeth sat with the usual crowd of Swede, Fly, Jonah Davis, and Speedy. Scott wisely chose another table so as not to attract the attention of Officer Valdez. 46

"So what's with the new guy?" Elisabeth asked the guys she was eating with.47

Fly spoke up first. "Yo, he be trippin somethin fierce. Some krunk-ass boy busted a cap in his boo's head. He wasn't too happy bout that."48

"So was he a gangster?" Elisabeth asked.49

"Yeah, he be rollin wit the Bloods. I been in a rumble wit him befo." Fly was a Crip.50

Elisabeth swallowed a bit of her turkey sandwich. "I see."51

"So why don't you work our side of the block anymore?" asked Jonah.52

"Well, I guess most of you know what is going on between me and Scott." Elisabeth looked over her shoulder at Scott sitting three tables down. "Well, we got caught, and Warden Daniels was not very happy about that."53

"I knew something like this was going to happen." commented Swede. "I'm glad he didn't fire you though. Lot's of people here would be pissed."54

"Yeah." agreed Fly. "We got yo back."55

Elisabeth smiled. She really was making a difference in these guys' lives. There was no better feeling. "Thanks guys, I really mean that."56

...............57

After her shift was done, she went to Scott's cell to talk to him before going home. Scott was already waiting at the front of his cell and smiled as he saw Elisabeth make her way up the stairs. He took her hand when she was finally standing in front of his cell. 58

"Missed you," he said, "How was working the other side today?"59

"It was.....different." she finished. "That Diablo Mireles really seems to have a chip on his shoulder. But it's one I can identify with."60

Scott noticed the slightly misted appearance of Elisabeth's eyes. "You still miss your fiancee a lot, don't you?" Scott brought his hand up to wipe a tear from her face.61

"Yeah. It's just that we are getting so close to Thanksgiving....and well, he proposed to me on Thanksgiving day." Elisabeth bit her lip but the tears fell anyway. "Scott, that doesn't mean that I don't love you, but it's just..."62

"I understand. I'll never be able be who Callum was to you. But I'll be the best Scott you ever had." He laughed at the cheesiness of what he just said.63

Elisabeth smiled too. "You already are what he was to me. You are my best friend, my lover, I can tell you anything. I thank God everyday I found you otherwise this might be harder to endure this right now."64

Scott smiled as he kissed his girl. In the back of his mind he was thinking that maybe it was time for Elisabeth to put the ring back on her finger.....