Crucifiction

She sat in the dark, in the corner of the cell just listening. The steady flutter of the light that came in through the window was soothing and the shadows it cast danced along the wall. Outside she could hear them talking and to pass the time, she listened. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Who was she?"
"The wife of the chief overseer."
"He had a wife? I didn't know...."
"He doesn't anymore. It's complicated..."
Pause.
"Where was she?"
"In her cell, her movements for the week are fully recorded, from the fields to the cell block. It couldn't have been her."
"She is a cat burgler in her spare time, when I give her spare time. Check the recordings, and the backups, and then check the machines. I want to find out who did this."
"Do you? What if she did it?"
Pause.
"We'll come to that if it was her. Dismissed."

The cell door opened and Ithiria Deritan entered, closing it behind her. Her two guards stood outside. She pressed a button on her wrist-com and the lights came up slowly and sat down on the bed looking into the corner.
"I take it you've heard?"
"Prison gossip only, you can't trust it."
She patted the bed beside her and watched as Carmilla pulled herself up and sat beside her. After a few moments her head rested on her shoulder.
"The wife of the chief overseer was...."
"Crucified to the wall of the hanger bay. Yes, I know."
"Did you do it?"
"No.... I would have crucified him."
"Carmilla!"
She chuckled.
"In truth Mistress, I didn't. Though it would be easy enough for me to get out of here if I had my gear. But I don't."
"Do you know who did it? Truthfully?"
"Making me a snitch now? No, Mistress... the security system should be able to tell you who did it. To be able to hack the system you'd have to know a hell of a lot about surveillance systems, the patterns of the guards, and you'd have to be able to nail her up without her screaming. Plus even nailing her up would cause the sonic sensors to trip. Whoever did it was a pro. And no, I don't think Ang did it."
Carmilla lifted her head and pulled a pack of tablets out from under her threadbare pillow and dry swallowed one.
"What's that?"
"Pain killer."
"The dispensary would never have let you take those away. How did you get them?"
"Kim gave me them. Yesterday."
Ithiria stood up and paced looking at the wall muttering to herself.
"How many times has Kim been here? Other than when I told her to come to you last week when you were beaten?"
"Every evening. Except last night."
Carmilla looked down at her feet and sighed then curled up on the bed.
"When can I come home?"
"You are home. Slave quarters are a slaves home."
"You know what I mean."
For a moment neither said anything. Ithiria stood up and walked over to the door and snapped her fingers, taking something from one of the guards and threw it onto the bed.
"Don't leave until after we catch who nailed her up. It'll only make you look guilty."
"Guilty?"
"Okay. More guilty. Take care of yourself Carm, and see the doctor tomorrow about your back."
The cell door slammed shut and she listened as they walked away, reaching behind her she pulled her bag to her and hugged it, smilling as she did.

The doctor was hunched over a desk when Ithiria walked into the medical bay. She didn't look up when she approached, just kept on working.
"Why did you do it Kim?"
"Why did you not do it, Ithiria? She's your wife."
Ithi pulled up a chair and sat down, tapping her nails on the desktop.
"My wife, my slave...."
"My daughter!"
Kim slammed her fist down onto the table and looked up, her eyes red with crying. Brushing her hair out of her face she sat up and looked at her daughters keeper and pressed a button on the console, a nearby screen flashed up.
"If I could have gotten him alone, I would have nailed him up. As it is his wife performed just as well."
The screen showed the actual security camera footage of the events of the night before. She watched as Kim brought the unconscious wife into the hanger bay and nailed her to the wall, then injected her with something and walked away. Ithiria looked at her.
"Delete it Kim. I'm not surprised you knew how to disable everything. I'm just surprised you let her live."
"My anger wasn't for her, it was for him. I hurt him a lot more than he hurt my Carm. Are you letting her go?"
"Once I've found the slave who nailed her up, Carm will let herself out. She's coming to see you tomorrow. Take care of yourself Kim. And her."
"Don't you worry Ithi, I look after all of you in my own way."
She laughed a low chuckle and watched as Ithiria walked out. Then reset the screen and watched again what she did.