04. ♞ CELL NUMBER FORTY

     PHOEBE STRUGGLED TO WALK INTO the large prison, chains tied along her waist, wrists, and ankles. The clinking of the chains against the pavement irritated Phoebe and she was anxious to get inside already. After being checked in, cat-called by the inmates, and getting her blue jumpsuit and alternative outfit, Phoebe was finally pushed into a cell block. Luckily, all of the cells were secured shut. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the inmates from shouting out at her.

     "Damn! What. A. Treat!"

     "I call dibs on getting her first!"

     "Damn baby, wanna be my cellie?"

     The guard that was leading Phoebe stopped besides the concrete stairs that lead to the top cells, loudly smacking his baton against the metal rails.

     "Quiet down, you bastards!" He shouted angrily. Phoebe rolled her eyes, her head jolting back as she was harshly pushed up the stairs and down the catwalk. "Open up, forty!" The cell in front of them opened, a tall Hispanic man sat inside on the top bunk and he watched as Phoebe was un-cuffed and pushed inside. "Close, forty!" The guard smirked and stared into Phoebe's eyes.

       "Hope you enjoy your time in Fox River, sweetheart. I made your cell arrangement extra special for ya." The guard cackled and then walked away with a sickening laugh, leaving Phoebe confused. Phoebe shrugged to herself, turning back to face her new cellmate.

     "A woman? Wow, second one I've seen in here, so far. I'm Fernando Sucre, you can just call me Sucre, though." The man introduced himself. Phoebe smiled, slowly and carefully approaching the bottom bunk and looking up at the seemingly sweet and respectful man.

     "Nice to meet you, Sucre. I'm Phoebe, and you may call me whatever you like." Phoebe smiled. "Are you all alone in here?" She asked as she looked around and examined the cell. Sucre shook his head.

     "Nah, my cellie got a visitor, he'll be back soon. He's kind of quiet though, he keeps mostly to himself." Sucre said with a shrug. Phoebe nodded.

     "Reminds me of a friend." Phoebe said with a chuckle, fixing the pillows on the bottom bunk. Sucre smiled, hopping down from the bunk.

     "How long will you be in here for?" Sucre asked as he leaned against the bunks. Phoebe thought about her sentence for a moment. It felt strange to think about her sentence knowing she wouldn't actually be there that long. She'd be out before her first year was even close to completion.

     "Five years. What about you?" Phoebe asked as she turned back to fixing the bed. Sucre smiled, licking his lips.

     "I have a five year sentence, this is my last year." Sucre said, a large smile growing on his face. Phoebe smiled in return.

     "Wow, that's great! That's... good." Phoebe said somewhat awkwardly, to which Sucre shrugged with a small smile. Phoebe jumped back in surprise when she heard a loud male voice, the same from the guard who brought her up to the cell.

     "Open up, forty!" The cell door opened yet again and Phoebe stepped back, watching the person she least expected to see enter the cell. "Close, forty!" The cell closed, the inmate who had recently entered still not noticing her as he watched the guard and waited to be un-cuffed through the bars.

     "Have fun with your partner in crime, Scofield." The guard sneered with a humorless chuckle as he strut away. Phoebe crossed her arms and waited for Michael to turn around, a large smirk plastered on her face. Shock covered Michael's face once he turned around, but then he smirked, slowly approaching Phoebe with a chuckle as he slipped his hands into the pockets on his pants.

     "So, you finally got caught." Michael said softly. Phoebe nodded as if disappointed, smiling. His smile widened, he swirled his thumbs around in his pockets as he looked down at Phoebe.

     "Don't worry, I did everything I had to do beforehand. Couldn't let you be the only one arrested, could I?" Phoebe stated with a smirk. Sucre watched the strange interaction, completely and utterly confused. Michael wrapped Phoebe in a warm hug that made her feel safe, even in prison. She wrapped her arms around his torso tightly, her eyes closing comfortably as she soaked in the feeling of safety.

     "I'm so confused right now." Sucre carelessly admitted with a shake of his head. Michael and Phoebe laughed, looking over at Sucre after letting go of each other.

     "Sucre, this is Phoebe." Michael said, pointing at the much shorter girl. "My best friend."