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"What the hell--" There was a brief, satisfying pause. A rightly predicted pause. "Oh my God. Oh my God, no. No, no, no!"
Kaitlynn wrenched Ariana's torso up off the floor. Ariana's head
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lolled back over Kaitlynn's forearm. Her neck stretched painfully. Swallowing became impossible. Her body was heavy. So, so heavy. She felt her arms and legs go limp.
"Ariana, wake up!" Kaitlynn battered Ariana's face with a quick succession of stinging slaps. "Wake up, Ari. Please!"
Ariana opened her mouth and let it hang that way. That did the trick. Told Kaitlynn she was not about to rouse. Ariana's friend dropped her unceremoniously. Her spine cracked against the hard floor.
That's going to leave a mark, Ariana thought."Guard!"
Kaitlynn slammed both hands flat against the door and beat the surface.
"Guard! Guard! I need help! It's Ariana! She's sick! Help! Help me please!"
Kaitlynn started to cry. Choke and cry and wail. All the desperation was affecting her voice. In a minute she was going to be so overcome she wouldn't be able to shout anymore.
Hold it together, Kaitlynn, Ariana silently pleaded.
"Please! Please help!" Kaitlynn croaked.
Then it started. First in Donna's room across the hall, then moving slowly from room to room on down. Everyone started to wake up. Started to grow restless from the commotion, wondering what was going on. Donna pounded on her door. Then Crazy Cathy got into the mix. Soon there was a whole chorus of shouting for the guards. Someone was singing. Another inmate slammed her own door with something much harder than her hands.
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"Help! Help us! Please!"
Soon, the telltale sound of heavy, running footsteps. Jangling keys. Shouted directions. All protocol, all predicted.
"Stay on either side of the door," Tracy's voice told whichever guards were with her. "Hey! Shut up! Back to bed!" she shouted to the general population. "It's lights-out!"
The inmates only grew more raucous.
"Get back! Get back from the door!" Tracy shouted at Kaitlynn, sounding more in command than ever before. "Put your hands behind your head and face the wall on your knees!"
"Okay! Just hurry up! Please!" Kaitlynn's accent was as thick as peanut butter as she followed Tracy's orders.
The door was shoved open so hard it slammed back against the wall.
"Holy shit," Tracy said.
"Fuck. What did she take?" Miriam asked in the background. Apparently she was pulling a double shift today.
"Looks like Ativan," Tracy said, dropping down n
ext to Ariana. "Get the doctor!"
Ariana's left eye was pried open. The eyeball rolled right into the back of her head.
"Shit. How much did she take?" Tracy shouted to Kaitlynn. She leaned over Ariana's body, placing her ear to Ariana's mouth. Short, weak breaths tickled her earlobe.
"I don't know! She fell out of bed and woke me up," Kaitlynn cried. "Is she going to be okay?"
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Ariana's arm was dropped and it smacked against the floor. Luckily, her delicate wrist didn't crack. Tracy stood up and spoke into the walkie-talkie attached to her shoulder strap.
