Adam wakes up early. This mattress was definitely gonna take some getting used to. He had tossed and turned all night. Besides the lumpy mattress, thoughts of Chance and Avi still clouded his mind.

He had heard no movement in the bunk below him. So he quietly climbs down out of his bunk.

He smiles down at Tim's sleeping form. He had gone to sleep while studying. His notebook had fallen to the floor. What looked like a math book, lays on his chest and he was still wearing his glasses.

Adam picks the notebook up from the floor. There were several problems that Tim had been working on but over to the side of the page, Tim had scribbled 'F*CK THIS SH*T!'

Adam chuckles quietly to himself and lays the notebook on the dresser. He reaches for the book that Tim had laying on his chest.

Tim jumps and grabs for the book. Startled from his sleep.

"Sorry." Adam giggles. "Didn't mean to scare you."

Tim looks around with a dazed look. He glances over at a small wind-up alarm clock that he had sitting on the dresser.

"Eight o'clock? Is that a.m. or p.m.?" He asks. His voice a lot deeper than usual, sending chills down Adam's spine.

"It's a.m., you must have dozed off studying last night." Adam says.

"I'm just about ready to give up." Tim huffs as he sits up on the side of his cot and tosses his glasses over on the dresser.

"What made you want to get your GED, anyways?" Adam asks, sitting down on the cot beside Tim.

"Old crazy-ass Jack." Tim groans as he rubs his tired eyes.

"Who?" Adam asks.

"Jack Dutton. An old man that was my cellmate when I first got here several years ago." Tim says through a yawn. "He spent the last forty years of his life here for killing his wife for a million dollar life insurance that he had taken out on her."

"Wow, so he was the one to persuaded you to get you GED?" Adam asks.

"Yeah, he made me promise. He said a high school diploma is one of the greatest accomplishments that you'll ever have." Tim says.

"What happened to him? Did he die of old age?" Adam asks.

"No, the son of a b*tch committed suicide. Hung himself from that pipe." Tim says pointing to a pipe on the ceiling, just above the bunk beds.

"Are you serious?" Adam says looking up at the pipe.

"Lundquist had come to get me to carry me to therapy. When we got back, we found him hanging from that pipe." Tim says.

"Man, that had to be terrible." Adam says, shaking his head.

"He just ... got tired, I guess." Tim says sadly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Adam thought it was a good time to asks about their neighbor and prison guard Chance.

"Uh, Tim? Can I ask you something?" Adam asks, lowering his voice so no one else could hear.

"Sure, I guess so." Tim shrugs.

"Uh, last night, I was having trouble falling to sleep. I begin hearing noises." Adam says, not really knowing how to bring up the subject.

"Noises echoes pretty bad in here. What kind of noises?" Tim asks.

"Whispers, moans and groans. You know, sexual type noises. It was so clear, first I thought it was you." Adam chuckles.

"Wait. You thought it was me?" Tim chuckles. "Making sexual noises. What kind of pervert do you think I am?"

"No." Adam laughs. "It was so clear, I just thought maybe you were, should I say, pleasuring yourself."

"Well, trust me, it wasn't me." Tim chuckles and shakes his head.

"I know, cause it was coming from next door. Avi's cell." Adam says, again in a quiet voice.

Tim's smile drops as he quickly turns his head. His eyes meeting the blue eyes of his cellmate.

"I got out of my bunk, just in time to see Chance leaving Avi's cell. He was buttoning his shirt. And earlier I saw them smiling at each other in the cafeteria." Adam says.

Tim sighs then turns his eyes to the cell door.

"Something is going on between those two, isn't it?" Adam asks.

"Adam, you can't tell a soul about what you saw, understand?" Tim whispers. "Chance could get in a lot of trouble."

"Alright, I won't. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining things." Adam says.

"No, you weren't imagining things. They've been "seeing each other" for several months now." Tim says quietly.

"Well, how did you find out?" Adam asks.

"You know how I told you to never go shower alone?" Tim asks. Adam nods. "Avi started going alone and at strange times. Well, one day he went to shower and was gone for a pretty long time. I got worried about him, thinking he might have gotten attacked. So, I went to check on him."

"Oh, no." Adam breaths, putting his hand over his mouth.

"I walked in the shower room, never in a million years, expecting to see what I saw. Chance and Avi having full blown sex in the shower." Tim says with a slight chuckle. "I couldn't move. It was like I was frozen in my tracks. I just stood there and stared. At one point, Avi opened his eyes and saw me. I promised them that their secret was safe with me but needless to say, I've been getting free packs of cigarettes ever since and even an occasional beer to drink after lights out."

"Well, I don't smoke but an occasional beer would be nice." Adam laughs.

"I'll see what I can do." Tim says with a smile and a wink.

~~~

After breakfast, they got ready for visitation. Adam was so excited to get to see his husband, Austin and his brother, Chris.

Tim never received any visitors but he always enjoyed just going out and getting some fresh air and the sunshine. He would sit on the ground over next to the fence and study while the others visited.

The gates were opened and the prisons were let out. Each searching for their loved ones.

A huge smile comes across Adam's face as he sees Austin and Chris sitting at a table.

"Have fun." Tim says before finding him a quiet spot to either read or study.

"Hey, Baby." Adam smiles as he grabs Austin into a hug.

"Hey." Austin says quietly.

Adam then turns to hug his brother.

"So, how have you been? I've missed you so much." Adam says, taking his husband's hand.

"I've been good." Austin says as he looks around, avoiding eye contact with Adam.

The conversation was very light. Austin only answering the questions Adam would ask. Adam couldn't help but notice that Austin acted as if he just didn't want to be there. He was acting really distant.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Adam asks.

"Uh, yeah. I just don't like the idea of being surrounded by a bunch of murderers." Austin snaps.

Adam hangs his head. Some of these men were good human beings that just went down a wrong path and put in a situation that they thought they had to kill to survive.

"Adam?" Chris whispers. "Who is the guy that's sitting next to the fence all by himself? Is he dangerous? He keeps watching us."

"They're all dangerous, Chris. For God sake, they're murderers." Austin whispers in a harsh tone.

Adam looks around to see who Chris was referring to. It was Tim. He was leaning against the wall with his legs crossed extended out in front of him. In his hands was a book that he had gotten from the prison library.

"That's Tim." Adam says with a smile. "He's my cellmate. He's an alright guy."

"You mean he hasn't made you his b*tch, yet?" Chris chuckles, which Adam didn't think was too funny.

"What!? What is it with you two? No, Tim is a good person. As a matter of fact, he's been teaching me things that could save me from getting hurt, raped or even killed." Adam says.

Adam looks around just as Tim glances up. He motions him to come over. Tim first shakes his head no but Adam insisted.

Tim picks up his book and slowly walks over to the table.

"Tim, I want you to meet my husband, Austin and my brother, Chris." Adam says. "Guys, this is my cellmate, Tim Foust."

Tim puts on a fake smile and nods at the two men.

"What are you in for? Shooting up a daycare?" Austin asks with attitude.

"Austin!" Adam scolds.

"No. As a matter of fact, I murdered my cheating ass husband and his lover. Oh, and two more people that walked by at the wrong time." Tim says calmly with a raised brow.

Austin and Chris glanced at each other nervously.

"It's been a real pleasure, now, if you'll excuse me. I'll get back to reading 'Tell Tale Heart'." Tim gives another fake smile along with a knowing wink and walks away.

*~*  SANDRA  *~*

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