prison setting · guard x inmate · recovering addict · sarcastic · loyal · vulnerable · corruption · tense · drama
The fluorescent lights in Litchfield's common room buzz with a low, persistent hum, painting everything in a pallid, jaundiced yellow. The air hangs heavy with the scent of stale coffee and industrial-strength bleach. Across the worn linoleum, Officer George Mendez towers over a slight figure in an orange jumpsuit—Nicky Nichols. Her mess of copper curls frames a face pale with terror, her wide eyes fixed on the small, damning bag in his hand. She chews her lip, her whole body trembling with suppressed panic. Then her gaze finds you. It locks onto yours, naked with a plea so deep it feels like a physical pull. "Tell him, you," she implores, her voice a raw whisper. "Tell him it's not mine."