In the dead of night, he jerked awake in bed, startled by the sudden intrusion of blinding light and voices. He eyed the arrivals warily, fearing his attackers returned for him. With a slow exhale, he realized it wasn't him they had come for. Two guards dragged in a bloodied, battered figure, his head dangling lifelessly, and tossed him onto an unoccupied bed like a sack of potatoes. As the man stirred from the rough handling, he let out painful sobs. One of the guards, younger and seemingly less hardened, winced at the sight.

"Pyotr, he's dying. We should give him some medicine."

"Marinka will attend to him in the morning," Pyotr interjected dispassionately. "Our job is to deliver, hers is to treat. Why do you want all this trouble, this ain't your hustle?" With that, he flicked off the light switch, casting the room in darkness. "Fuck, I'm so tired!"

The second guard signed, uncertain, and followed Pyotr with caution. The dark figure swayed within the bright rectangle of light, turned toward the bleeding man, then back again. In an instant, it vanished, leaving Daniel alone with the other patient, gasping incessantly. Daniel hesitated briefly, releasing a sigh of apprehension, then lay back down - no interference permitted. But the alarming, rhythmic wheezing of his neighbor stabbed through his senses with each painful breath, stirring up almost forgotten human instincts and eventually compelling him to rise. Daniel approached, leaned in, flinching at the sharp pain in his torn anus, and asked softly.

"Thirsty, buddy?"

The man twitched, his wheezing growing louder, and Daniel drew back, unsure of how to help. Water was the only option at hand, but it seemed insufficient to ease the suffering of a severely beaten man in need of urgent medical attention. He spoke to himself, mirroring the actions of the young, not yet corrupted guard, and returned to his spot to fetch a mug of water. His hand trembled as he raised the mug - the ingrained rule of not sharing his own belongings surfaced in his subconscious. Daniel smirked wryly - it was too late for fear now. Switching on the light, he shuddered - he hadn't gotten a good look at his neighbor, but now the harsh electric light revealed the brutal truth without mercy.

The man's face, swollen like a pillow and drenched in blood, was completely sealed shut by swollen eyes. His cheekbones protruded starkly beneath torn, discolored flesh, and his open, wheezing mouth, continually oozing blood, was littered with shattered teeth. Daniel couldn't recall how he had returned to his bed. Hovering over the gasping figure, even more emaciated and tormented than him, he poured water over him, casting a bewildered glance at his trembling hand - he had forgotten about the mug. And only then did he recognize Leska by his blond curls, mostly matted with blood. A memory from the train car flashed before his eyes, when Leska was still Alexei: robust, healthy, with a rosy complexion. Did he realize the risk of not disclosing his homosexuality? Perhaps he hoped he would be lucky, believing no one would report him. He had been cautious and meticulous, just like Daniel...

The realization burned within Daniel as he let the mug fall with a clatter, scrambling desperately to the wall, his body trembling with fear. Was this the fate that awaited him if he dared to disobey? A gruesome death far from friends or civilization? It was painfully evident that Leska was slipping away - swift medical intervention could have saved him, but in this place, hope was scarce. Daniel clenched his hand, fighting back the urge to scream, and covered his ears, consumed by an overwhelming sense of icy dread.

Leska passed away during the night.

After Daniel's frantic pleas to the guards for painkillers and water, he prepared a makeshift concoction of crushed paracetamol and water, gently coaxing it into Leska's bloodied mouth. Leska choked it down, but the wheezing continued, gradually fading. In the ensuing silence, Daniel retreated to his bed, overcome by silent sobs. He was surrounded by animals, both in uniform and without, all indifferent to human suffering. In that moment, he realized that he was alone, with no one to rely on but himself. It was a harrowing realization, mixed with frustration. But with the cold light of dawn and the return of the guards, led by Marina Lvovna, a glimmer of hope began to emerge.

Leska's body was carried away, and Marina Lvovna swiftly stripped the blood-stained sheets from the bed before exiting the room. Upon her return with breakfast, she wordlessly put the bowl on the bedside table, making no mention of the deceased man, as if nothing had occurred.

Daniel watched her grimly, his inflamed eyes blinking, pondering over Gennady's advice. Should he seek the protection of one of the shot callers? The decision was weighty, yet perhaps simpler than dealing with Alexander. Here, reality seemed distorted, a crude facsimile of the outside world, where humanity was stripped away, leaving only primal instincts. He resolved to treat everything as a temporary surrogate of the real world until his release. Do not think, do not reflect, just throw away all these trivial thoughts. In a place like this, survival meant sticking to the dominant figures, akin to acknowledging the authority of alpha males in a wolf pack. And if you don't - you'll end up lying on the ground, blood pouring from your ripped throat.

Having been unwillingly thrust into a female role, Daniel now faced the choice of serving the entire pack or submitting to one alpha male. Dismissing the first candidate, Stakhan, the aging thief-in-law who was losing his influence to the two younger and stronger criminals according to Zhora. Besides thieves-in-law were now not as powerful as twenty years ago in the criminal underworld. More modern thieves were now in vogue- those traversing easily between crime and business. Daniel focused on Bright and Sennoy. Both businessmen may not have done well to land here, but their connections outside ensured their safety here and the positions of shot callers in prison. Daniel didn't know them well because he was in Stakhan's barracks and didn't see them around much. At that point, the candidates seemed alike. 

"When will I be transferred back? " Daniel licked his dry lips, watching her tidy up.

"Can be today, there are no serious injuries any more," she scoffed, shaking the pillowcase. Daniel flinched - he had to make a decision today, and if his chosen pakhan refused, then... life would be a nightmare. She turned to him, her tone softening slightly. "I'll release you tomorrow, can't keep you longer since you're already doing better. Luckily you went through all that while you were out, or you'd be in a world of pain. Seems like something's off with your head. First time I've seen someone out cold for that long. Ain't you ever been out this long before?"

"No. Sorry I was rude," Daniel said, attempting a smile, easing in slowly, hoping to get her talking. "I was just in shock, my bad."

"Why wouldn't you be?" Marina Lvovna fluffed a pillow on the bed and straightened up, rubbing her lower back. "Bet you never smelled such crap in your America, but now you're knee-deep in it. Never thought I'd meet an American in the zone, but here you are, holding up surprisingly well," she said, approaching him. "Handsome and a foreigner, wouldn't have put money on you, truth be told. They could've shoved your head in a john or pressed your face in someone's junk in the shower, there are many ways to downgrade. It's a miracle you lasted two weeks."

"I was cautious," Daniel admitted with some reluctance. He wasn't keen on discussing it, and he couldn't figure out why he hadn't been downgraded earlier. The main thing now was to get her to reveal everything she knew. Daniel was pretty sure she was well-informed – it was practically written on her forehead that she was a gossipmonger.

"How long have you been working here?" he asked.

"Eleven years," Marina Lvovna replied, quick as a whip. "I came here young, not even thirty. Figured I'd work here a bit, then move somewhere normal. But look at me now – stuck here for ages. Seen it all, I have. My nerves are tough as nails now, but back then, I used to bawl my eyes out into my pillow every night. Couldn't sleep a wink. You don't belong here, little Prince. It's plain as day. You ain't no thief, no hardened criminal. Why not take the hand that's offered? Others would've jumped at the chance to get outta here, no questions asked."

"Because that man put me in here," Daniel replied honestly, watching as Marina widened her eyes in surprise. "It's a long story, Marina Lvovna, I'll give you the short version. I got involved with a businessman, turned him down, and in retaliation, he framed me with drugs."

"Just like in the movies," Marina said dreamily, and Daniel clenched his lips tightly to stop himself from swearing. Romanticizing his terrible situation, ugh!

"Life often sucks with the beautiful," she added, trying to console him when she saw his frustration. "But when life puts you up against the wall, it's better to accept it. Why are you shaking your head?"

"I can't do this. I'd rather... I'd rather stay here, wait for a successful appeal, and move on, forget it all eventually," Daniel whispered intensely, shaking his head in denial. "Even the thought of agreeing to... after what he did to me, even if it was someone else who raped me! Do you understand?"

"I understand," Marina Lvovna replied quietly, somehow showing a more human side, and let out a heavy sigh.

"And now, to avoid ending up with the general population, as you said, I better get connected with... with a shot caller," Daniel continued, making an effort to speak more calmly. "Who do you think would be more accepting: Sennoy or Bright?"

"Sennoy," she declared with confidence, settling onto the creaky stool as if she prepared for a long conversation. "It ain't about who's willing to take you, both can - you're a real looker, ain't never been one like you 'round here, especially fresh, untouched by other hands. Anyone would be glad to have you. But Bright, he's a brute. It was him," Marina Lvovna shuddered. "who beat up Rakov. The one who kicked the bucket today. After dealing with him, sometimes they'd bring 'em to me in awful shape, worse than after gang bangs. Sennoy, he's calm and hardly ever deals with roosters. He's got standards, from what I gather. Thing is, he's got a year and a half, and already served a few months, while you're in for three. He'll be out, you'll either end up in the gen pop or have to find a new boss."

"Or I'll be out by then," Daniel concluded. "I have to get out, my lawyer mentioned the consulate's talking about lighter sentences for their citizens, and I'll be filing an appeal soon."

"Well, do as you see fit. I gave you the heads up, it's your call," Marina squinted with curiosity. "And tell me about that jerk who landed you in here."

He had to tell her, skirting around the project details and all that work stuff - it was clear she expected a quid pro quo for her own openness. Her nosy, eager-to-know-everything attitude was making his head spin. Daniel pushed himself to tell his story, giving her the condensed version of what happened and avoiding looking at her overly animated face.

"What a jerk, a real piece of work," she mused when he finished. "Or maybe you're just born under a bad sign, caught up in all this mess," she slapped her ample thighs, which wobbled like jelly, and then continued firmly. "Go to Sennoy, he won't fuck with you for no reason, and he won't touch you too often either."

Daniel forced a smile - the idea of him taking it in the ass or sucking a dick was unthinkable. But the other options were even worse - Bright, with his sadistic streak, would likely kill him before the appeal, just like the gen pop would. If only there was a way to postpone this heavy decision, to give himself some time to wrap his head around the unthinkable, maybe it'd be easier.

"Could you let me stay a bit longer? Please, Marina Lvovna, I'm begging you," Daniel pleaded, hoping she'd show some mercy. She let out a deep sigh.

"Alright, I could say you're still knocked out. Who would release an unconscious man from the infirmary? But in two days, the warden will be making rounds, so I can't keep you any longer."

"Two days will be fine, thank you," Daniel attempted to smile, though judging by her expression, it didn't quite work.