Psycho

Day 10

I took deep breaths as Jason walked in, not wanting to show my newly  found fear of him.  I don't want to start over with Jason as I felt  we're finally getting somewhere, but the images of what I saw were now  in my brain.

I unlocked his cuffs, my hands shaking as I did.  These hands hurt Nick only a few hours ago, and here I was releasing them.

"So...how has today been so far?" I tried small talk.

Jason furrowed his eyebrows.  "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?  Nothing's wrong," I lied, shaking my head.

Jason  leaned forward, my heart beating fast as he did.  "Katie, I don't know if  you've forgotten, but I grew up in the gang life.  Meaning I'm not only  great at lying, but knowing when someone else is lying."

"I'm not lying, I'm completely fine," I assured, sitting up straight in my chair.  "You, however, are not."

Jason chuckled, looking to the side and leaning back.  "We've already established that."

I  closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  "I know what you did," I stated  vaguely, not wanting to go into detail, though the video still played  in my mind.

"What I did?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows.   "I've done a lot of things, you're going to have to be more specific,"  he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"To Nick.  I know you're the one that hurt him," I specified.

"You have no proof."

"Actually,  I do!  I don't know if you realize this, but this is a prison, and it's  under surveillance 24/7.  I watched you hurt him.  From the punch,  slamming him against the mirror, and...using the shards of glass  to...cut him..." I finished shakily.  I gulped as the image of Jason  nearly stabbing Nick came to mind and made me shiver.

Jason sat up now as I watched him.  "Doesn't sit well with you, does it?"

"You almost killed him," I added softly.

Jason sat there for a moment, hesitantly replying.  "You know the kind of person I am.  Why are you so shocked?" he asked.

"It's one thing to hear about it, it's another to actually see it," I stated simply, just staring at him.

He  looked down, gulping.  "Is that why you were so shaky when I came in  today?" he asked.  Now I moved my eyes away and tried to find another  place to stare.  The air was thick now, as if it wasn't before.   "So...I'm guessing I'll be punished now."

"No one knows it's you  other than me and Nick.  I'm the only one who has seen the video," I  told him, looking back.  "And I was planning to keep it that way."

Jason gave me a strange look.  "Why?"

"Because,  you're lucky you aren't spending the rest of your life in jail with  everything that you've done, I don't want to make it that way," I  answered.  No on deserved to spend a lifetime in jail, no matter how big  the crime.  "I just have one question."  Jason nodded, allowing me to  continue.  "Why did you do it?"  Jason sucked in his lips, obviously  unsure whether to answer.  "I'm trying to help you, Jason," I reminded  him.

"He deserved it," he stated.

"What did he do?"

"He  hurt you," he looked at me.  I raised my eyebrows, surprised by his  answer.  Jason hurt Nick because Nick hurt me?  I didn't think that  would motivate him enough to nearly kill him.  "And he was douche," he  added when I didn't respond.

I blinked a few times, shaking my head.  "Why would you do something like that just because he hurt me?"

"Because!   I...I would see the marks on you everyday I met with you and just  thought much I wanted to get him back.  Make him feel the pain he made  you feel, make sure he wouldn't do it again and...I don't know..." he  sighed, frustrated with himself.  It seemed he didn't know the answer  either.

"Well...what you did was wrong.  I want to help you deal  with these kinds of situations in a better way that doesn't end in  someone getting hurt."  Jason just sighed, leaning back.  "I chose to  take this job, knowing the risks that would come along with it."

"I was trying to help," Jason mumbled.

I  sighed, feeling bad for Jason yet again.  When the scene with him and  Nick came to my mind again, I pictured it differently.  Rather than  Jason being the bad guy, Nick was.  And Jason was someone who was doing  what he thought was right.

I shook my head as the buzzer went off  and Mack entered to get Jason.  As he locked Jason back in his  handcuffs and unlocked his feet, I tried to push these thoughts away.   Mack started to lead Jason out and I found myself speaking up.

"Jason!" I called, making him and Mack stop.  I sat there, surprised I said anything.  "Thank you."

Jason  stood there for a moment, surprised as well.  He gave a nod though  before Mack led him back out.  I sighed and leaned my head on my hand.   Why must Jason jumble my thoughts?