(no subject)

"I want out."

John's cellmate, Stone, looks at him, and sniggers nastily.
"No way out now, Johnny boy. You'd never be able to quit anyhow."

"I mean it." John says. "I won't tell nobody nothin' about you, but I want to get off the drugs.

"Damn right you won't tell nobody nothin'." Stone's smile fades in a flash. "You really think yer gonna just sit here and watch me get high?"

John stares straight ahead. He wants a fix already, let alone later tonight. Stone leans closer.

"Tryin' ter make yer Mommy proud? Saw you couldn't face her again today."

"Mom's dead." John says.

"Who's the redhead then?" Stone asks. "Too old and ugly to be yer girl."

"That's just a crazy lady I used to know." John says, his tone level. "She got nothin' better to do."

"Really." Stone sniggers again. "Whatever. You don't keep yer trap shut, we'll pay her a little visit. And the fat chick, and the little preacher. Same fer those debts you been rackin' up."

"I'll pay the debts." John says. "I just need to get off the gear."

"Yeah, well you can start by swiping me some needles and syringes from the infirmary." Stone says. "And I'll take a bit off your debt."


***

When Bonnie gets back from school, Lucy isn't in. She isn't sure whether to be concerned, since Lucy is normally so reclusive, or encouraged by this. She finds herself wishing mobile phones had been invented.

After about half an hour, the phone rings. The hallway, which until recently was full of stuff, has become systematically tidier since Lucy moved in. With not leaving the house much, and being at least slightly tidier than Bonnie by nature, Lucy has been organising some of the Stuff, and Bonnie has to admit it's a great improvement.

"Bonnie?" It's Lucy on the phone, as it happens. "I don't want you to panic but you need to come down to the hospital."

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asks, trying not to be alarmed.

"I'm fine, it's John. He overdosed, but he's going to be okay, physically..."

"And non-physically?"

"He needs your help, I'll tell you when you get here - don't rush and come safely."

Bonnie gets straight on her bike and heads down to the hospital. It doesn't take long to find John, with his prison escort, handcuffed to the bed. Lucy is sitting with him, and the prison guard gives them a bit of distance to talk.

"I'm in trouble." John says.

"Well surely now they got to put you in a different cell." Bonnie says, sitting on the end of his bed.

"No, it's worse than that. My cellmate's dead." John says, shakily. "We used the same batch and it must have been stronger and..." he puts his head in his hands.

"Oh John..." Bonnie puts her arms around him. "Were you close?"

"No, he was threatening me about the debt, said he'd go after you two and Alvin and... Bonnie, they're saying my fingerprints are all over that syringe."

"You injected him?" Lucy asks.

"I don't remember. But before, we've injected each other." John says. "I think I'm going to need a lawyer."

"Hm. We'll have to see what we can do." Bonnie says, sighing and kissing him gently on the head. "But it's out in the open now."

And she's just glad for the moment he's not the one that's dead.