GB96 s2 - The Fellowship Part 4

The list of things you have never done includes being arrested, booked, fingerprinted, having your mugshot taken, and being thrown in a jail cell without even a hint of an explanation for why. None of that comes close to the trauma of the body cavity search. That part is so bad that you’re almost grateful to land in a cell.

Gurlberg’s holding area for women is divided into three compartments, and you’re each put into a different one. You can see each other, but mixed in with the drunks and the other people being temporarily detained, it’s not as though you can interact.

Stef gets no help with her nose, although some of the women in Ellen’s cell try to comfort her when she won’t stop sobbing uncontrollably.

Numb, you sit with your back against a cold, cement wall, unsure of what to think. It’s hard to keep track of time and impossible to make sense of your situation. All you know is that your hand hurts from hitting Stef, and it’s safe to assume that her broken nose hurts even more.

Ellen is the first to be released.

Carla isn’t sure what to think or feel after what feels like an eternity. A cop taps the bars with a baton and beckons to her. Nervously, she leaves the cage and follows.

Stef sits in the third section, seated in a corner with her knees drawn up and her face buried in her arms. It’s just as well that she’s not looking. Carla swallows and walks out. In a few minutes, she’s with her mother on the front steps of Gurlberg’s police station, a building that she never intended to enter.

“I don’t know, exactly. They’re talking about property damage and ****,” your mom is trying to say.

“Mom, they hit Stef. Like just hit her.”

“They said you were fighting.”

“Jesus Christ,” you say, putting your face in your hands.

“I don’t think they’re going to charge you,” your mom says worriedly, looking up at the station.

Property damage? You’re starting to get it. No. They aren’t going to charge you. This wasn’t about sticking you with a crime, it was about sending a message.

“Carla?”

“Nothing. Yeah. Yeah.” You swallow. “Me and Stef were fighting. That’s why they did this.”

“Oh my god, baby. Why? What happened?”

You sigh. “We just were. I’m sorry.”

“OK. Let’s get you home. We’ll figure this out later. Are you OK?”

No, but you aren’t about to tell her that. She doesn’t need to know about cavity searches or the real truth, which is that what happened last night didn’t really come from the police. It came from the Free Bois.

It looks like someone did see what Stef did to those bikes.