You—”
“You shittin’ me, Darrow?” Lucia, or Lucifer as they call her, laughs as she continues her struggle. “Casper the friendly ghost a Blood? And, dude, when the hell you gonna take enough cracker-ass nerd classes on street gangs to realize that was Crip?”
“Get her out of here!”
While the guards pull her up, her knees pull to her chest as she starts laughing hysterically and yells, “I’m back, bitches!”
A loud buzzer sounds, and the guards, one on each side of her, carry her through what appears to be a very heavy, steel door.
Darrow turns to Seanna and me, pointing to the doorway. “That is not acceptable here, but as you can see, we deal with what we have to.” His eyes sharpen as he looks at me. “You, Miss Asher, better thank your lucky stars that I am feeling generous today. Consider this your one and only warning. Gang activity holds severe consequences here. Next time you flash a gang sign, it extends you forty-five days.” He look away toward the guard, Red. “Since Lucia is back, you two will have to do intakes.” Then he turns and walks away.
Her sigh is exaggerated, “Let’s go, ladies.”
Seanna and I follow Keller through the same door they took Lucia through, into a wide hall. The floor is grey, black, and white speckled, and the walls white—well, what I can see of them with my eyes focused down on the large, black boots YDA Keller wears in front of me.
My anxiety is rising, and I wish someone would tell me something as we walk through what I assume is the cafeteria and turn down another hallway.
“Three new residents today, Margaret.”
“All right, one stays with me; one goes with you,” Margaret responds.
“I’m gonna take the feisty one first. She’s suicide watch. Make sure she doesn’t forget to tell you that. Let’s go, Hadley.”
I follow Keller down a narrow hall that is lit with florescent bulbs and has no natural light coming in. It reminds me of the police station, and I start to feel dizzy again. Regardless, I breathe deeply and will myself to move forward.
Keller stops at the door and turns around, “Gonna take off the restraints. You good?” he asks.
I nod.
“Okay, turn around, please.”
I do as I am asked, and Red squats down, then removes the shackles on my ankles. When she stands, Keller removes the wrist restraints.
“All right, time for the search and delouse,” Red says, waving her hand toward the door Keller is opening.
I stand in the middle of a locker-room-style bathroom that is stark white.
“Clothes off and in the bag,” she says as she hands me a garbage bag. When I don’t take it right away, she shakes her head. “No extra staff today. If you fight me, we will get you stripped, deloused, showered, and in your uniform, so I suggest you do as you’re told, ‘cause in here, we can do it the hard way or the easy way.”
I swallow hard and look up at her, “I don’t have lice.”
“It’s policy and procedure. Rules are to be followed. We’ll drill that into your head.”
“Do you think it’s okay to treat people like that? Do you think—”
“Keller,” she yells to the door, “looks like I’m gonna need your help in here.”
“No, no, you don’t. I want a lawyer. I have rights! I—”
Keller walks in, looking angry. “Clothes in the bag, now.”
“I will not. I will—
He pushes a button on his radio.
Over the PA, I hear, “Response team red to Medical Center Intake. Response team red to Medical Center Intake.”
In seconds, Keller has my arms linked behind my back, and I struggle to pull away.
“The more you fight, the worse it’s gonna be. This did not have to go down like this,” he hisses, “Could have done this yourself, dammit.”
My sandals are yanked from my feet, and then I kick at Red while she reaches for the buttons on my pants. Keller’s leg hooks around me from behind, capturing my legs as I continue to fight. He is too strong, but I don’t care. Never in my life have I
“You shittin’ me, Darrow?” Lucia, or Lucifer as they call her, laughs as she continues her struggle. “Casper the friendly ghost a Blood? And, dude, when the hell you gonna take enough cracker-ass nerd classes on street gangs to realize that was Crip?”
“Get her out of here!”
While the guards pull her up, her knees pull to her chest as she starts laughing hysterically and yells, “I’m back, bitches!”
A loud buzzer sounds, and the guards, one on each side of her, carry her through what appears to be a very heavy, steel door.
Darrow turns to Seanna and me, pointing to the doorway. “That is not acceptable here, but as you can see, we deal with what we have to.” His eyes sharpen as he looks at me. “You, Miss Asher, better thank your lucky stars that I am feeling generous today. Consider this your one and only warning. Gang activity holds severe consequences here. Next time you flash a gang sign, it extends you forty-five days.” He look away toward the guard, Red. “Since Lucia is back, you two will have to do intakes.” Then he turns and walks away.
Her sigh is exaggerated, “Let’s go, ladies.”
Seanna and I follow Keller through the same door they took Lucia through, into a wide hall. The floor is grey, black, and white speckled, and the walls white—well, what I can see of them with my eyes focused down on the large, black boots YDA Keller wears in front of me.
My anxiety is rising, and I wish someone would tell me something as we walk through what I assume is the cafeteria and turn down another hallway.
“Three new residents today, Margaret.”
“All right, one stays with me; one goes with you,” Margaret responds.
“I’m gonna take the feisty one first. She’s suicide watch. Make sure she doesn’t forget to tell you that. Let’s go, Hadley.”
I follow Keller down a narrow hall that is lit with florescent bulbs and has no natural light coming in. It reminds me of the police station, and I start to feel dizzy again. Regardless, I breathe deeply and will myself to move forward.
Keller stops at the door and turns around, “Gonna take off the restraints. You good?” he asks.
I nod.
“Okay, turn around, please.”
I do as I am asked, and Red squats down, then removes the shackles on my ankles. When she stands, Keller removes the wrist restraints.
“All right, time for the search and delouse,” Red says, waving her hand toward the door Keller is opening.
I stand in the middle of a locker-room-style bathroom that is stark white.
“Clothes off and in the bag,” she says as she hands me a garbage bag. When I don’t take it right away, she shakes her head. “No extra staff today. If you fight me, we will get you stripped, deloused, showered, and in your uniform, so I suggest you do as you’re told, ‘cause in here, we can do it the hard way or the easy way.”
I swallow hard and look up at her, “I don’t have lice.”
“It’s policy and procedure. Rules are to be followed. We’ll drill that into your head.”
“Do you think it’s okay to treat people like that? Do you think—”
“Keller,” she yells to the door, “looks like I’m gonna need your help in here.”
“No, no, you don’t. I want a lawyer. I have rights! I—”
Keller walks in, looking angry. “Clothes in the bag, now.”
“I will not. I will—
He pushes a button on his radio.
Over the PA, I hear, “Response team red to Medical Center Intake. Response team red to Medical Center Intake.”
In seconds, Keller has my arms linked behind my back, and I struggle to pull away.
“The more you fight, the worse it’s gonna be. This did not have to go down like this,” he hisses, “Could have done this yourself, dammit.”
My sandals are yanked from my feet, and then I kick at Red while she reaches for the buttons on my pants. Keller’s leg hooks around me from behind, capturing my legs as I continue to fight. He is too strong, but I don’t care. Never in my life have I
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