The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 187

Margot’s POV

Noise.

Sharp, clattering noise.

It dragged me out of the heavy fog of sleep like someone yanking a curtain open too quickly.

Metal against metal.

A tray.

Something being set down far harder than necessary.

My eyelids fluttered weakly, the effort alone making my head throb. For a moment everything was nothing but blurry shapes and white light. I scrunched my face, squinting hard as a dull groan slipped from my lips.

Sunlight poured through the tall window beside the bed, stabbing directly into my eyes.

God…

My whole body felt like it had been tossed down a flight of stairs.

Every inch of me hurt.

My jaw throbbed.

My ribs ached.

Even my fingers felt bruised when I tried to flex them.

I blinked slowly again, trying to focus.

A nurse moved around the small medical room with brisk, irritated movements, shuffling things around on the counter beside the sink. Bottles clinked. A clipboard snapped shut.

She wasn’t even trying to be quiet.

In fact… it almost felt deliberate?

“Miss Belle,” the nurse said flatly without turning around. “There’s water on the table.”

Her tone was strange.

Cold.

Not the kind of voice you expected from someone whose job was supposed to help people.

Still groggy, I pushed myself slightly upright.

Big mistake.

Pain exploded through my ribs and back the moment I moved, making me gasp as my muscles protested violently. My stomach lurched and the room tilted slightly before finally settling again.

Carefully… I reached for the plastic cup sitting on the tray beside my bed.

My throat felt like sandpaper.

The water was warm but I didn’t care. I swallowed it down greedily, my body practically begging for it. The cup emptied within seconds.

Still not enough.

Not even close.

I licked my dry lips and glanced toward the nurse.

“Could I… have some more water please?” I croaked, my voice sounding scratchy and pathetic even to my own ears.

The nurse finally turned around, and the look on her face made something uncomfortable twist in my stomach.

She looked… annoyed.

Actually no.

More than annoyed.

Her eyes were sharp.

Judging.

She was young, maybe mid to late twenties. Her blonde hair was pulled high into a tight ponytail and her makeup was heavier than what you’d usually see in a place like this.

For a second she just stared at me.

Then she clicked her tongue quietly.

“So needy…” she muttered under her breath.

I blinked.

Had I heard that right?

“W-What?” I asked, confused.

She grabbed the empty cup from the tray with a little more force than necessary, the plastic crinkling under her grip as she turned away again.

“You took a couple of hits in a hallway scuffle,” she said sharply while filling the cup at the sink. “There’s really no need to act like you have some terminal illness up here.”

My jaw nearly dropped.

Was this woman being serious?

“Is something… wrong?” I asked carefully.

The moment the words left my mouth she whipped around so fast her ponytail snapped behind her.

“Oh I don’t know,” she snapped. “Is there?”

My confusion only deepened.

What was happening right now?

Had I done something to her?

Groaning quietly, I shifted myself into a slightly more upright position in the bed, trying to ignore the waves of pain rolling through my ribs.

Something about her made my skin crawl and I suddenly hated the fact that I was alone in here with her…

But before I could say anything else, she spoke again…

And the words that came out of her mouth sent a shock straight through my chest…

The nurse suddenly stopped pacing, and then she stepped closer to my bed.

My pulse jumped instantly at the close proximity, as her voice dropped lower. “But I could just put an end to you right now, you know,” she said quietly. “Nobody would even question it…”

My stomach dropped.

She took another step forward.

My breathing quickened.

I was injured.

Weak!

Completely alone with a woman who suddenly looked like she might snap at any second now…

What the hell do I do?!

But suddenly-

The door handle turned.

The door swung open.

“Margot?!” Cara’s voice flooded the room.

And I swear I almost cried out with relief.

“You’re fully awake! Oh my god, you look so much better!” Cara stepped inside quickly, her eyes scanning over me in concern before she noticed the tension hanging in the air.

The nurse stiffened instantly.

“I’ll go get the doctor,” she huffed, as she spun around and stormed out of the room, brushing past Cara so roughly that Cara had to step aside to avoid being knocked over.

The door slammed behind her, as I watched Cara blink after her.

“…Woah,” she muttered. “What the fuck is her problem?”

I let out a slow breath that I hadn’t realised I’d been holding.

“It’s… a lot to unpack,” I said weakly.

Cara walked over to the bed, pulling a chair closer as she studied my face carefully.

“Well,” she said gently, “they’re hoping to get you on some stronger painkillers today. Then maybe we can go to the centre for a bit… try to relax.”

I blinked at her.

Confused.

“Wait.” I said slowly. “What day is it?”

“Saturday.” She began, “You pretty much slept an entire day away…”

Of course it was Saturday.

Of course…