His steps quickened as he approached the cell, not because he was about to talk to Cox but because once he was finished enduring his contact with the demon priest, he would get to see Marcy and enjoy a half hour or so of not feeling worthless.One more day without shooting himself.
He reached the windowless cell and looked at the screen.He scoffed and shook his head.Sitting cross-legged on his bunk, hands on his knees, eyes staring straight ahead.As usual.Tyler was about seventy percent sure that the moment Cox heard the door to the ward open, he ran to the bed and positioned himself like that just to fuck with him.Apparently, the guy actually thought being a creepy villain from a movie was scary.
He pressed the intercom button.“Dinner time, Cox.Assume the position.”
Cox slowly got to his feet.He carefully brushed the front of his orange shirt and pants and moved to the back.He took a deep breath, then lifted one hand at a time and placed them against the wall before slowly shuffling his feet apart.
Tyler rolled his eyes.That was another thing he liked to do.Move slowly.Like Elise every time she had to go see the doctor.
Well, at least he ate fast now.Tyler pressed another button, and the dinner table whirred out of its housing.He placed the tray on the table then pressed the button again.Halfway in, he cursed, pressed it another time, then waited.He fished yesterday's newspaper out of the left leg of his pants, set it next to the tray, and pressed the button again.
The tray entered the cell.When it finished its journey, Cox turned around, brushed his uniform again, and proceeded slowly to the table.As always, he carefully examined the paper to ensure no pages were missing.Tyler rolled his eyes again and waited.
When Cox was satisfied, he nodded and set the paper next to his chair, then sat and began to eat.He didn’t scarf the meal down, but he didn’t drag it out the way he did up until trading Tyler a normal person’s eating speed for the daily newspaper.
Tyler's thoughts drifted to Marcy.His mouth watered as he pictured her smile and the coy little look in her eyes.Just like a junkie looking at a needle, seeing that smile and knowing what was going to follow drove all logic from his mind.He just needed her.Needed that validation.Needed to know there was something, one thing worth getting through the day.
Cox nearly finished but stopped with half of his muffin unconsumed.He tilted his head, and Tyler sighed.“Jesus Christ, not again.”
Cox’s head snapped level.In a deep, resonant voice with a trace of a Southern accent, he thundered, “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain!”
Tyler was grateful that Cox could only hear and not see him, so he didn’t see Tyler jump.“What do you—” He bit his lip, leaned closer to the intercom, and said in a lowered voice, “What do you want, Cox?”
“I’d like a candle.”
Tyler laughed.“Not a chance.No way I can get you something that can start a fire.”
“I hardly think a candle is a threat to a facility this secure.”
“Well, it’s a threat to you, and until the world finally realizes it’s easier to just shoot people like you outside the courtroom, we have to keep you alive.”
“Unscented, if you would.I prefer tallow, but I understand that can be difficult to come by.Beeswax is an acceptable substitute.”
Tyler laughed again.“Cox.I can’t get you a fucking candle.The pen was bad enough.You could have stabbed yourself in the eye, and then I’d be out on my ass.”
“Hmm.”
Cox leaned back and looked at his muffin, examining it, contemplating it, not eating it.
Tyler’s lips thinned.“Cox, I can’t do it.I can get you any… well, almost anything else.You want a book?A Bible, maybe?I can get you a Bible.”
Cox said nothing.Ate nothing.
Cold seeped up Tyler’s spine.“Damn it, Cox…” He pressed his lips together, screwed up his courage, then said, “You know what?Fuck you.It’s not worth it.”
He knew he’d feel differently an hour from now when he missed his meeting with Marcy, but there had to be a limit.He couldn’t let a serial killer manipulate him like this.He needed to preserve some shred of dignity.
He settled in to wait.“If you don’t eat that, Cox, I’m going to call for help, and we’re going to shove it down your throat.Or take you to the mental health ward and hook you up to an IV.I just came from there.Trust me, that’s not where you want to be.”
“Will you wish Elise a happy birthday for me?”
The world rippled and swelled underneath Tyler.He swayed on his feet, frightened so badly he nearly lost his balance.
He caught it by leaning forward, hands on either side of the intercom, and bending low until his lips brushed against the speaker as he rasped, “What did you say?”
“She’s turning four, yes?A wonderful age.She’ll be staring preschool next year.Won’t that be lovely.”
Tyler slammed his hands against the door.“You stay away from her, motherfucker.You hear me?You or any of your asshole minions hurt her, and I’ll go in there myself and rip you apart with mybare hands!”
