Chapter 8
The door to Lana's cell opened with a creak, rudely startling her out of her own head.
"That, Miss Lana Banana," Jude began, "is the look of a sinner. What have you been up to? Hm?"
Lana hadn't been prepared for the old nun to be tormenting her so early this morning. In retrospect, she should have been. She was in Hell, after all.
"S-sister Jude, I just- I- nothing, I haven't been up to anything, I- " she stammered, flailing for a coherent response as she pulled her knees to her chest and struggled to breathe.
Jude smirked at the woman in the corner. The once-intimidating, arrogant Lana Winters, reduced to a cowering, quivering mess.
ah, how the mighty have fallen.
"Stop your lies," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "You're boring. I've witnessed enough sin to know it when I see it. Who were you thinking about? Hm? Your little school teacher? Shelley, perhaps?"
"No, I wasn't thinking about anyone, Sister," Lana replied, tone steadier now as she gained control of her panic. "I was recalling the last time I felt the sun on my face, before you unjustly locked me away in this ratty Hellhole of yours."
Jude smirked.
"Feisty today, are we? I know what'll fix ya right up."
She summoned the orderlies.
"Get her into hydrotherapy immediately. Then to Thredson's office." She cracked a wide grin at Lana as she noted the dread infiltrating her defiant facade. "You've got an early appointment with the good doctor."
With that, she was gone, and Lana, with no other recourse, allowed herself to be led to from her cell to the waiting torture chamber.
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Mary Eunice hadn't seen Lana since she'd left her room early that morning. Now, it was approaching noon and, still, her favorite inmate (friend? lover?) was nowhere to be found. Her fretting was interrupted by Pepper insistantly tugging on her sleeve.
"Play with me!" the microcephalic implored.
The nun smiled apologetically, returning her attention to the checker board.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm paying attention, I promise."
Pepper giggled in response, gleefully resuming their game.
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An eternity passed before sweet little Pepper finally grew bored with checkers and ambled off to otherwise occupy herself.
Still no Lana.
In a painfully obvious attempt to appear casual, Mary Eunice slowly rose to her feet and left the day room. Never had she more grateful for Jude not being present. Or for the rest of the staff's profound obliviousness. Once out in the hall, the nun walked quickly to the inmate's cell, shoes clacking sharply on the floor as she went.
Empty.
Brow furrowed, she spun on her heel, making her way to the bakery in hurried strides.
Not there either.
where are you, Lana Banana?
Nerves fluttering more with each passing minute, she checked Jude's office, the hydrotherapy room, the infirmary, everywhere Lana could possibly be. Leaning against the wall, she caught her breath and calmed her mind, searching it for anywhere she could have missed. Suddenly, a thought occured to her, and she set off once more down the cold, dark corridor.
When Mary reached Dr. Thredson's office, she paused for a moment to collect herself in order to not look like she'd just been frantically scouring the entire damned asylum in search of the resident lesbian. Drawing a deep breath, she knocked twice and opened the door.
"Dr. Thred- what in the name of St. Peter is going on in here??"
Lana was sitting with a bucket between her feet and an IV hooked into her arm. One hand was under her dress, the other awkwardly running over a handsome young man's bare skin. The hard, determined mask on her sallow, tear stained face crumbled with relief when her red eyes met those of her fallen angel.
"Sister, you are interrupting Lana's therapy," the doctor said, scowling at her as he pushed dark rimmed glass back up the bridge of his nose.
"Therapy?? This is what you call 'therapy'?!" she said, her voice rising with each word.
Thredson gave a long-suffering sigh.
"Behavior modification is the current standard for reforming homosexuals. Aversion therapy is cutting edge treatment."
"This is- they- you're practically forcing them to- to- to FORNICATE!! What in God's name have you done, she looks half dead?? LOOK AT HER!!" Mary Eunice was outright shouting now, the deep, booming sound of her wrath echoing off the walls.
Lana, taken aback by her lover's unprecedented outrage, watched in impressed (though still nauseous) silence.
"Sister, with all due respect," Thredson said in a tone that conveyed quite the opposite, "you don't have any understanding of how the human mind works."
Mary Eunice closed her eyes, muscles flexing in her jaw as she gritted her teeth.
bite your tongue, you're not helping her
Three pairs of eyes where trained on her when she finally opened her own.
"You're right, Doctor," she said, voice soft and meek again. "I don't know anything about science. Forgive me, but you must understand what a... startling sight this is." She gestured toward the naked boy and Lana with her IV and vomit bucket.
"Lana is making excellent progress. She already has a better response to appropriate stimuli, while rejecting inappropriate images of other females. Isn't that right, Lana?"
The brunette nodded weakly, stifling the urge to retch.
"That's- that's wonderful," Mary stammered with a forced smile. "I'm thrilled for you."
that can't possibly be true. can it?
"In any case, I do believe L- Miss Winters has had quite enough for today. She doesn't look at all well."
With that, she strode purposefully to Lana's side, ignoring Thredson's protests and carefully averting her eyes from where the poor, confused young fellow still stood, before unhooking the woman's IV and helping her to her feet.
"I'll schedule your next appointment with Sister Jude, Lana," Thredson said as they slowly made their way out the door.
"Over my dead body," Mary muttered under her breath.
When they finally rounded the corner and were out of earshot, Lana let out a sob and threw herself into Mary's arms. The nun pressed a series of almost desperate kisses into chestnut hair.
"Lana, oh Lana, I'm so sorry," she whispered, voice thick with unshed tears as she gently rocked her trembling lover. "Shh, darling, I'm here, I've got you. I'll take care of you."
Bit by bit, they made their way back to Mary Eunice's quarters.
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"How are you feeling?"
Lana cracked one eye open and smiled.
"Much better," she murmured, sinking deeper into the warm water.
"Good," Mary said. "Your color's come back."
"Thanks to you. My knight in shining armor," she replied with a tiny smirk.
The nun giggled. Lana sat up, dark eyes earnest.
"My blue-eyed guardian angel."
Mary Eunice blushed this time, avoiding the intensity of the brunette's gaze.
"Lana.. would you.. would you like to talk.. about.. well, all that?"
She shook her head. "I- not really. No."
"Ok." A beat of silence. "But- it- it's not really working, this treatment, is it?" She regretted her words the moment they left her mouth. "I'm terribly sorry, I shouldn't have asked, it's really-"
She was cut off by the woman's index finger placed against her lips.
"Are you worried?"
The blonde nodded.
"About what?"
"Do you have to ask?"
The brunette shifted onto her knees, stretching up to kiss the nun firmly on the lips.
"That answer your question, Blondie?" she husked.
"Are you done with your bath?"
"Mhmm."
Mary offered her a hand to help her up and out of the tub. Lana reached for a towel, but was intercepted.
"You mustn't exert yourself, you're clearly still quite weak," the nun said, grinning mischievously. "Let me."
She proceeded to thoroughly rub down every inch of the woman's body, who gladly allowed it while biting her lip and running fingers through the girl's blonde locks, before wrapping the towel around her. Mary then suddenly swung her up into her arms bridal style and carried her to the bed.
It was Lana's turn to giggle. "What did I say about knight in shining armor?"
Mary Eunice kissed her once, before standing up to turn off the lights and step out of her habit.
Down to her white slip, she curled up alongside Lana, kissing lightly on her neck and pressing against her body.
No reaction.
"Lana?"
The only response was the sound of heavy, sleepy breathing.
The nun sighed quietly, smiling as she watched the steady rise and fall of the the inmate's ribcage.
"Sleep, my love," she murmured as she brushed strands of dark hair from Lana's pretty face, marveling at how she was more beautiful than ever in her vulnerable state.
like an expensive porcelain doll.
Mary placed a feather light kiss on her forehead.
"I'll watch over you."