7. Chapter 7 (2/2)

leo groaned slowly opening his tired eyes. his side throbbed horribly and he tried to sit up, grunting and falling back onto the pillow, unable to deal with this sharp pain. he looked at what he could from his position on the bunk, and groaned, discouraged to learn that his situation wasn't a horrible dream, and that he was far from his home, and his family. 'w-what's going on.' he thought, with his thought's even sounding groggy and tired.

"jeez, you are a heavy sleeper!" a voice sent his gaze to the edge of the bunk above him, where a familiar feminine face stared down at him, "but you talk in your sleep! by the way, you're welcome for stitching up your side!" her face was blinded out by the blinding ceiling light directly behind her head, leaving leo to only see the outline of her head, her glowing, two colored eyes, and hear her cold, low and slick voice.

he looked down at his side, shocked to see orange prison jumpsuit fa

ic wrapped tightly, and neatly around his torso as a makeshift bandage. 'oh, that's why it hurts...' he was tempted to check on his own wound, but the pain was quickly telling him to keep his hands off.

"you gave me a scare, stupid!" she jumped down from her bunk, "you didn't wake up after you went to sleep, you had a real bad fever, and then an infection. i had to clean out your gash like four times! you've been out for..." she paused and thought, "four...five days..." she rolled her eyes, turning to a metal table sticking out of the opposite wall, where a faucet and too empty, big, rusty, metal, prison cups were. she grabbed a cup and filled it with water, "you're high maintenance...shell-head..." she growled, but secretly found amusement in her statement.

"five days!" he was horrified, "what happened?!"

"i told you..." she harshly sat him up and shoved the cup in his face, "drink..." she demanded, almost forcing the rim of the cup to his face, but he jerked back.

he looked at her angrily, and suspiciously, "what, did you poison it or something?!" he bluntly knocked the cups out of her surprised hands, refusing the hostile help she was offering contemptuously, "you tried to kill me! maybe you did something to me! why do you think i should accept help from you...bitch!" she recoiled as if he has struck her, staring at him in shock.

he took her frozen, shocked stance as a invitation to look her over quickly and noticed the top half of her jumpsuit was gone, and was instead was replaced by a black, cropped tank top. the shirt was extremely provocative, with a low v-neck and held up by one inch straps hanging loosely to her shoulders. he sneakily looked down as her exposed stomach and to his surprise, laid eyes on a prominent, three clawed, long, deep scar that ran through from her upper right belly to her left hip, decorating her stomach in a messy diagonal. 'what the hell?!'

the hurt in her eyes was quickly transformed into rage and hate, "if i wanted you dead, i would've left you alone while the infection ran rancid." she looked him over with contempt, "don't get me wrong...i'm not helping you...i'm helping myself." she bent over and picked up the cup, which had spilled it liquid contents along the floor. she straightened her posture and shoved the now half full cup into his hands

ashly, "i'd get in serious trouble if something happened to another one of my cell mates." she then returned his previous action and then looked him over, "look at you...you're a mess."

leo looked at himself in the cup of water and what little reflection he could see. he gasped, she was right. he looked like he was a step away from death's doorstep, with death's welcoming kisses leaving behind ashy, grey skin, baggy, dull eyes, and a drained look. he realized he had probably lost at least fifteen pounds, and his lips were dry, parched from the lack of water. he was quick to look away from the reflection and he drink the water, eying the cat-girl with suspicion as he gulped the water hesitantly.

she scowled at him as he drank the water, and waited until he finished drinking to finally speak, "who the hell do you think you are?!" she asked without reserve, seeing his disapproving stare locking on her. "someone saves your life and you call her a bitch?!" her eyes narrowed to slits, "you think you're too good to be here, don't you?! well listen up, drama queen-"

"damn right!" leo stood to his feet, feeling dizzy, though he didn't show it, "i'm not supposed to be here! i'm a hero...no a criminal!"

"i'm not a criminal!" she screeched, getting back in his face without fear, "i never committed a crime! i was born here!"

"then you're mom is a criminal..and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" he retorted with a smirk, somewhat proud of his second grader-like response.

a loud thwapping sound echoed through the cell, leaving behind stunned silence. leo stood frozen, his cheek stinging like fire from where she had

utally slapped him. he then turned his head to look at her, feeling the anger from the argument stall from the over all shock that she had slapped him. her eyes were possessed with animosity, and vexation. "my mother is dead!" she said lowly, "and she was taken hostage, she was not a criminal!" she spoke quickly to avoid the evidence of hurt in her voice. "you can go to hell!"

leo stood there blankly, not feeling angry, nor feeling regret for what he had said. he didn't feel bad, he felt amused by how much of what he said hurt her. he couldn't explain what it was he hated about her, but it was enough to despise her, and it was enough to make him feel triumphant that he had hurt her feelings. he was so deep in his own thoughts that he had missed her turn a

uptly and walk away to the metal desk in between the bunk beds and the walk next to it.

"let's get some things straight!" she snapped, sitting down on the metal stool next to the desk, "i despise you, and you can't stand me...so don't expect any more help from me!" she shot her head around to glance at him then snootily turned her gaze away, "because if you piss me off...i will rip you to shreds!"