The Prison Project (by Bethany Donaghy) novel Chapter 188

Margot’s POV

The ride to the relaxation centre felt both too long and not long enough at the same time.

I sat stiffly in the back seat of the black vehicle, my body carefully angled so that the worst of the pressure wasn’t pressing against my ribs.

Thick bandages wrapped tightly around my side beneath the oversized grey sweatshirt they’d given me from medical, and every little bump in the road reminded me exactly why the doctors had recommended I stay in bed for another day…

The painkillers helped, but not enough.

A dull ache still pulsed through my body like a slow drumbeat, spreading from my ribs into my back and jaw. Even my tongue still felt swollen from where I’d bitten it during the riot…

At least the hospital smell was gone…

That sterile, suffocating scent had clung to the back of my throat for hours.

Now the air in the car smelled faintly of leather and cold morning air drifting through the cracked window.

I leaned my head gently against the glass, watching the prison buildings roll past as we drove toward the far side of the island.

Freedom.

Well… the closest thing to it that we were allowed.

Beside me, Cara sat with her hands folded in her lap, her fingers twisting together absentmindedly. Every now and then she glanced at me, her brows pulling together in quiet concern.

I knew what she was checking for.

Signs that I was about to pass out again.

The doctors had warned her about it.

But I was determined to stay upright and in control.

I needed out of that hospital wing regardless of how I felt.

I needed distance from that room…

And from that damn nurse!

Just thinking about her made my stomach twist uncomfortably…

Coban’s girlfriend.

The words echoed in my head like an annoying, persistent mosquito.

Dating…

I pressed my lips together, forcing the thought away before it could sink its claws deeper into my chest.

Not now.

Not when we had company in the front seats…

The two guards sat in the front and were falling deep in to their own conversations, thankfully paying us no attention whatsoever on the drive.

Something about work rotations from what I could hear currently over the hum of the engine.

“I’m telling you, the schedule this month is bullshit,” one of them complained, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

“The night shift again? That’s rough,” the other one replied.

Perfect…

They were fully distracted.

Cara leaned slightly closer to me, lowering her voice.

“I managed to visit Sarah while you were in the hospital,” she whispered carefully.

My head turned toward her instantly.

“You did?” I asked quietly, surprised and also relieved to hear those words.

Cara nodded.

“Leo practically begged them to let me see her. I think he cornered one of the suits and wouldn’t stop talking until they agreed.” She giggled a little, as a small smile tugged at my lips.

That sounded exactly like Leo…

“Well, how is she?” I asked hopeful.

Cara’s expression softened. “Honestly… she’s way better than I expected, after the last time we saw her…”

A wave of relief washed through me so suddenly that my shoulders sagged against the seat.

“She’s healing.” Cara continued quietly. “Physically and mentally. They’re keeping her in the medical wing for another week or so just to make sure that she’s stable.”

“That’s good,” I murmured.

It really was.

After everything Sarah had been through… she deserved peace and to return to some form of normality.

But Cara wasn’t finished…

“They’re planning to give her the option to return to the project after that.” My brows immediately pulled together.

“Return?” I repeated, unsure of what exactly that meant.

Cara shrugged slightly. “She wasn’t completely sure how it would work either. But we both think that maybe they might have some kind of reserve list of inmates…”

I still hadn’t told Cara about that little revelation.

Didn’t even know where to start…

…Hey Cara, by the way, the nurse in medical says she’s Coban’s girlfriend and threatened to kill me…

That would be far from a casual conversation!

“You good?” Cara asked suddenly agin.

I blinked, realising she had been watching me closely.

I forced a small shrug.

“Yeah,” I said quietly.

Lie.

“I’ll… fill you in once we get inside,” I added after a moment.

Cara studied my face for another second.

But she didn’t push on it.

But the uncertainty in her eyes told me she knew something was wrong.

The car slowed then.

Both of us shifted slightly as the vehicle rolled up toward the large glass-front building that served as the relaxation centre.

The gates opened automatically.

The tires crunched softly against gravel as we pulled up toward the entrance.

The car finally came to a stop.

One of the guards turned around slightly.

“Alright ladies,” he said. “We’re here.”

Cara reached for the door handle.

I took a slow breath.

Pain throbbed in my ribs again as I carefully pushed myself upright.

Time to face the world again…