For Better And For Worse
Chapter 28

Fountain bar.

During their mission this evening, Lieutenant John notices two guys exchanging something among the dancing crowd.

John: Kevin, I saw something, I’m going to take a closer look.

Kevin: ok, be careful.

John: Don’t worry.

John walks up to the guy and touches him on the shoulder.

Him: Hey, what is it?

John: Can we talk for a moment?

Him: do we know each other?

John: not yet but it will be possible if you give me a moment to chat.

Him: ok, let’s go out.

So they leave the bar, a little further from the noise to talk. Kevin follows them discreetly and hides to see and listen.

John: I’m Clément.

Him: Call me Jeff.

John: ok Jeff, you need to help me.

Jeff: help you, but in what way?

Prison.

Giscard chats with his group.

Giscard: Friends, I want us to teach Krist a good lesson. I asked him to join our group but he refused.

Caleb: Do you want us to make him understand that he can’t survive here alone?

Giscard: exactly.

Val: what do you want us to do to him?

Giscard: go to room Z, I’ll ask my favorite guard to bring him to you. Start directly by attacking him without asking questions.

Marcus: It works, let’s go.

Five of his men will hide in the room in question while Giscard goes to see a guard with money.

Giscard: hello buddy, I need you to do me a little favor.

Guard: What do you want me to do for you?

Giscard: I need you to take one of the inmates from cell M named Krist to room Z and then close the door. Here is your reward.

He gives him a large sum of money.

Guard: It will be done.

Giscard: better to wait until the lights go out.

Guard: ok, it works.

Giscard returns to his cell and the guard waits for the lights to go out to accomplish his mission.

Near the fountain bar.

John and Jeff continue their discussion.

John: I need the white powder.

Jeff: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

John: of course I do, I really need that brother, sorry.

Jeff: and I repeat that I don’t know what you’re talking about.

John: Please don’t act ignorant. I’ve been looking for this for months and I saw you giving it to someone earlier.

Jeff: ok but don’t tell anyone.

John: I promise, though, I can bring you a client, a friend of mine.

Jeff: ok, whenever you want.

John: cool.

Jeff: come on, hold your thing.

John: thank you my friend. Here is your counterpart.

Jeff: cool.

John takes the drugs and puts them in his pocket, giving Jeff some money. The latter returns inside. Kevin joins John.

Kevin: Is it really cocaine?

John: apparently yes.

Kevin: ok, we go back and inform the commander so that he can talk to Commander Léon.

John: I hope he can convince him because I told Jeff that I would bring him a client.

Kevin: let’s keep hope. Come on, let’s go back.

This is how they each return home.

Prison.

The lights go out and a few moments later, the corrupt guard comes to open Krist’s cell and asks him to follow him. Krist gets up and joins him. He pushes him ahead and follows him to room Z. He lets him in then closes the door behind him. Krist therefore replaces himself alone in this dark room. Suddenly, he receives a punch to the right cheek, another to the left cheek, a blow to the back. He stumbles to fall in front but receives two blows to the shoulders from his shoes. He was about to fall on his back but he received two blows to the side from his shoes and he fell with pain all over. While he is still on the ground, they all come upon him to slaughter him. They beat him until he lost consciousness. Then they go out. Meanwhile, at home, Isabelle receives a big blow to her heart, it beats wildly.

Isabelle: that’s it, it’s starting again, no, no my love, something happened to my husband. My God, protect him!

Stella hears her and joins her.

Stella: Isabelle, is something wrong?

Isabelle: something happened to my husband, I can no longer feel his heart beating. He is dead, he is dead Stella.

Stella: no, stop saying that, he’s not dead. Maybe he just passed out.

In prison, the guard enters after their release and replaces Krist unconscious. What should we do, the nurse is not on duty during the night even though her condition is quite serious. But hey, too bad, he said! He carries Krist on his shoulders and takes him back to the cell. He places it inside and comes out, closing the cell door. Aristide approaches him.

Aristide: oh my God! What did they do to you? Krist, Krist can you hear me? Please react, oh no, don’t leave me alone! Hold on, please.

He begins to give him a cardiac massage but to no avail, he still does not react. So he grabs his hand and starts saying prayers until he reacts. It is at this moment that Isabelle’s heart begins to calm down.

Stella: Are you okay, do you feel better?

Isabelle: yes.

Stella: you see, he’s not dead yet, he won’t die without seeing his first child anyway.

Isabelle: I really hope so. But why do they refuse to let me see him?

Stella: I don’t know but on Monday we will go back to see.

In prison, Aristide thanks God and takes care of him.

Aristide: Krist, Krist can you hear me?

Krist: Ary, is that you?

He lets out a sigh.

Aristide: yes it’s me, thank God you’re alive! What happened ?

Krist: five men beat me up, it was dark, I couldn’t see anyone.

Aristide: the important thing now is that you are alive. Even if you knew them, nothing would have happened to them anyway.

He wets his clothes and cleans the b***d from his face and the rest of his body.

Aristide: You have to lie down on the bed, make an effort.

He helps her get up and lie down on the bed.

Aristide: You really need emergency care.

Krist: you know it’s impossible now.

Aristide: yes I know, God will not let you down.

Krist: please stop with that, I need to sleep.

Aristide: ok, I’ll let you rest.

So he leaves him to sleep and he prays over him. Early in the morning, Aristide warns the guards but they refuse to take Krist to the infirmary because the nurse is not there yet. Everyone else was at the sports field. Aristide alone remained with him. Leonard does not see Krist on the ground and returns to look in the cells. That’s where he replaces them.

Leo: Oh my God, what happened to him?

Aristide: a guard came to bring him that night after the lights went out and he brought him back in this state.

Leo: oh shit! Do you think it was Bayoko who did this to him?

Aristide: I don’t know.

Leo: in any case, I’m going to settle his score at the tournament.

Aristide: we need to take him to the infirmary, Claire must have already arrived.

Leo: let’s go!

So they carry him together to take him to the infirmary.

Claire: Oh my God! What happened to him ?

Aristide: he was beaten up.

Claire: why do we want him so much?

Leo: no idea.

Claire: lay him down here, I’ll take care of him.

So they lay him down on the bed and wait.

Claire: Belle can leave, he’s not likely to leave here anytime soon.

Aristide and Léo leave. So she begins to treat her patient. She gives him a painkiller and dresses his wounds and bandages them. Krist remains unconscious. She stays close to him to talk to him, tell him about her life and everything. If we bring an injured person from the sports field, she takes care of them. After sports, the inmates take showers and all go to eat. Claire saves her meal to wait for Krist. He finally regains consciousness.

Claire: you’re finally back among humans!

Krist: Claire, hi!

Claire: hi, how are you feeling?

Krist: better thanks to you.

Claire: I only did my job. Can you tell me who did this to you?

Krist: I don’t know them, it was dark. It was after lights out, a guard took me and left me in the hands of five prisoners who did this to me.

Claire: oh my God, you mean you’ve been like this since yesterday?

Krist: yes, thank God I have a friend who helped me.

Claire: I won’t let it happen, this guard won’t make it.

Krist: there is nothing you can do, don’t risk your life for me, I’m a prisoner.

Claire: but you are a man above all, a handsome man to boot, and that’s all that matters to me.

Krist: What do you mean by that?

Claire: You need to eat a little to recover faster.

Krist didn’t want it but she insisted until he agreed. She puts the food in his mouth for him to eat and she does so with pleasure.