23. ♞ TRUST

      PHOEBE COULDN'T SIT STILL no matter how hard she tried. She was nervous, she couldn't help it. She couldn't help but fear that Sucre was going to blow the whistle on their escape plan and they'd be done for. It was a dumb idea. A stupid idea. Why did I agree to this? Phoebe shook her head to get rid of the negative thoughts.

No. I did the right thing. She nodded to herself. Michael is smart. The smartest man I know. We'll be okay. He'll find a way. He always finds a way.

"Something bothering you?" Sara asked as she looked over Phoebe's file, her eyes flicking back and forth between the papers in hand and the woman sitting in front of her on the examination table. She watched as Phoebe fidgeted with her fingers and swung her legs back and forth repeatedly. Phoebe faked a smile and shook her head.

"Nothing at all." She said. "Just cramps and body aches." She lied. Sara tilted her head and nodded.

"Well, I was asked to grab a blood sample from you. I'm going to have to run some tests, hope you aren't afraid of needles." She said as she stood up and walked to a small table beside her, her back facing Phoebe. Phoebe cocked a brow.

"Tests?" She questioned. Sara nodded.

"You aren't sexually active with any of your cell mates, are you?" Sara asked, her tone changing ever so slightly. Phoebe quickly caught onto the change in her tone, her brows furrowing as she tried to put a finger on why there was a change in her tone. Phoebe tilted her head. Was it... jealousy? No, it couldn't be. Sara had no reason to be jealous... but then again...

Phoebe thought back to their plan, how Michael was supposed to seduce the doctor. Phoebe gulped, her jaw clenched. It was working. She should be happy right? So why did she feel so...

"Of course not." Phoebe responded. Sara's body visibly relaxed at Phoebe's answer, and Phoebe couldn't help but clench her jaw again. It was fine. It was part of the plan anyways. "Why do you ask?" Sara turned around, approaching Phoebe.

"Well, we can never be too sure, we need to make sure there will be no mini-Phoebes running around prison anytime soon. It was a very bad decision to put you in here with all these men before the women's side was completed." She shook her head. "You're lucky you're not in solitary confinement, like—" she paused, looking up at Phoebe and then shaking her head. Phoebe cocked a brow as Sara wrapped a tourniquet around Phoebe's forearm.

"Like Lincoln?" Phoebe asked in distaste. Sara shook her head.

"No. Like Lynch." Sara replied quietly, realizing she'd made a mistake with her wording. Phoebe furrowed her brows together. Where had she heard that name before?

"Lynch?" She asked. Sara nodded. Phoebe tried to remember where she'd heard the name, but was having no luck. Sara sighed.

"The only other female inmate in this place." Sara murmured as she drew blood from Phoebe's arm. Phoebe's eyes widened as she realized where she'd heard the name from. Sucre had briefly mentioned her when Phoebe had recently arrived. Her heart raced as she remembered Sucre and the problem at hand again.

"Oh... why is she..." Sara cocked a brow at her. "Never mind." Phoebe said as she shook her head. Sara sighed, placing a cotton ball and bandage around Phoebe's arm as she put the plastic vial of blood away in a small metal box.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss her with you, but I'm sure the inmates know a thing or two about her." She said with a small smile as she handed Phoebe a small paper cup with some pills inside. "For your cramps and body aches." She said. Phoebe sighed and threw her head back as she tilted the cup up to her lips and the pills slid down her throat, her face scrunching slightly as she swallowed the pills dry.

"You should really have a water dispenser in here," Phoebe joked as she handed Sara the paper cup. Sara smiled.

"I'll do my best to get one." She said with a chuckle. "You're free to go." Phoebe nodded and hopped off the examination bed, walking out of the infirmary. She sighed, trudging down the hall as she spotted Michael sitting in a chair by the end of the hall.

"Hey, you." Phoebe said quietly. Michael looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey." He responded. "What happened to your arm?" He said as he motioned to her bandaged arm. Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"They're gonna check to see if I'm not pregnant, since I'm the only woman here in between all these men and they don't want any mini-mes in here." She said. Michael cocked a brow.

"Why would they think you're pregnant?" He asked. Phoebe blushed and shrugged.

"Probably because my cell mates are two guys. And this prison is full of guys. And I'm the only woman." She deadpanned. Michael smiled and cocked a brow.

"You're not the only woman." He pointed out. Phoebe cocked a brow. "In the cell block you are, but not in the penitentiary."

"How do you know that?" She asked. Michael tilted his head at her.

"I guess I forgot to mention her to you earlier. She's been in solitary confinement for almost two years." He said. Phoebe gasped softly, sitting next to him. "Not sure why she's here yet. I haven't gotten that information yet." He said quietly. Phoebe saw a sparkle in Michael's eye as he spoke, and she knew well what that meant. She furrowed her brows.

"You want to include her in the plan?" She asked in a low whisper. Michael snapped his head to look at Phoebe, simply staring at her in silence. Phoebe cocked her head aside with a frown. "Are you crazy? What if she ends up doing what Sucre did? Or worse?"

"Sucre didn't do anything." Michael said. Phoebe glared at Michael.

"Yet." She snarled. "What if he talks? What if she talks? We don't know these people, Michael." Michael noticed just how paranoid Phoebe was. He sighed, reaching over and grabbing her hand in his, running his thumb in circles on the back of her hand gently.

"He won't. She won't." Michael reassured quietly. Phoebe and Michael stared at each other, Phoebe's eyes glossy as they stared. Michael's heart ached. How could he have brought her into this? It was his fault she was constantly in danger and losing herself. But it was too late now. There was no going back. They were here. The only thing left to do was take care of her as best as he could. Phoebe sighed.

"How are you so sure Michael? You can't plan what people will feel or how they will react." She said. Michael smiled at her.

"Just trust me on this, okay?" He asked quietly. Phoebe sighed and nodded.

"Okay." She whispered as they stared at each other. Michael smiled at her softly as Phoebe only stared at him, the two leaning in ever so slightly as Michael continued to caress her hand. Phoebe's heart raced as she felt herself being pulled into Michael like a magnet. She gulped, her eyes flicking down to Michael's lips as his smile slightly fell, leaning into her as well.

"Michael Scofield," Sara called out from the infirmary, staring at Phoebe and Michael at the end of the hall. Phoebe jumped away from Michael, pulling her hand away as she turned to look at Sara so fast she almost got whiplash. Michael cleared his throat as he stood up.

"I'll see you later, alright? Trust me on this." He whispered as he walked towards Sara. As Michael entered the infirmary, Sara still stood at the door, staring at Phoebe before giving her a forced smile and shutting the door as she walked in after Michael. Phoebe sighed and stood up, heading outside to the courtyard. She kicked at pebbles on the sidewalk as she made her way to a bench far from everyone else, sitting by herself as she stared at everyone.

"Mind if I join you?" A voice said behind her.