Aaron and Jimmy were standing there holding up Alex who was getting heavier by the minute. Alex still had his eyes open but both boys noticed they really weren’t moving or looking around much. Aaron was happy to see that he did blink now and then, but not very often. Alex didn’t speak a word on the entire trip, he just stared at his lap. “Brett, Pete, get this kid to the Doc. I want his ass back here in half an hour,” said the sergeant to two COs. The guards got up and took Alex from Aaron and Jimmy and took Alex’s chains off. The first guard who took Alex’s arm looked over directly at Alex. “I don’t think so boss, this kid looks pretty fucked up!” “Mother fucking stupid fucking assholes!” the sergeant repeated and banged both fists on his desk.
“Sir, I think I’d more helpful if I gave Doc a hand. I think there are some serious problems.” The request was coming from a trustee. The sergeant didn’t say anything for a little while; he just sat back in his chair. Finally he sat back up, “What do you think Michael?” The trustee answered “Maybe concussion.” The sergeant said nothing for a long time then just said “Go.”
All the boys knew they had a small problem on their hands. Not only were they facing a guard, they were facing a pissed off guard. Alex looked like a zombie because the guard in Danamora got angry, they were now in a very dangerous place and they knew it. “Let’s get this bullshit over with, I’ve got a Pop Warner game tonight,” the sergeant said and the guards took the chains and shackles off the remaining boys. “Strip,” was the next thing the boys heard and all four of them were very happy to comply. Once all the boys were standing before the sergeant’s desk, he began speaking to them like he was on a tape machine.
“For the next 90 days, I own your mind, I own your dick, I own your balls, and I own your bodies. You’ll do exactly as you are told, whenever you are told to do it, and if you don’t I’ll have your dick in a jar”. With that, he reached into his drawer and pulled out a jar and handed it to Conner. “Pass that on” he said to Conner. Each boy in turn received and looked in the jar. Inside the jar in a clear liquid was a small penis about 3 inches long. There was no doubt whatsoever in any of the boys’ minds that the penis used to be on some kids body. It had obviously been cut off.
“You have 90 days to get prepared to earn your living and my job is to see to it that you are ready. You will be ready, or you’ll end up with two holes to fuck: one in your ass and one where your dick used to be. Do I make myself clear?” With Conner slumping to the floor and Aaron trying to hold him, Aaron said “Yes sir, we do”. Jimmy and Mark both said “Yes sir,”
“You’re now the property of the State Of New York and when you are asked to identify yourself, you have a number,” the sergeant continued. “I’m going to tell you that number calmly just once. Remember that number, because if you forget it you’re going to have a flashlight up your ass within moments. Clear?” he asked. The boys all shook their heads yes.
He spoke to Conner first. “You are number 88E468SD.” Moving to Aaron he said “You are number 88E469SD,” moving to Jimmy, he said “You are number 88E470SD,” moving to Mark he said “You are number 88E471SD.”
The boys repeated the number in their minds over and over again. Aaron and Jimmy felt that they could remember theirs. Mark was already feeling that he was in trouble because he had learning difficulties: he kept repeating the number in his head over and over again hoping that he would soon have access to a pencil and a piece of paper and write it down. Conner was confusing the number in his mind on the second pass. He reached over to Aaron and grabbed his hand. Aaron looked at Conner and pretty much figured out what his problem was. “I know it” Aaron said to Conner very quietly. Conner’s eyes filled up. Nothing more was said.
The New York State Corrections Department has a number given to every inmate. You were never a name, you were a number, like cows or pigs or sheep. The numbers told a lot about the body behind them. This is the system: 88E469SD tells a guard that the prisoner entered prison in 1988, he was admitted into the system through Elmira, he was the 469th prisoner to enter into that prison that year and that he was a sexual deviate. They didn’t tattoo the prisoner’s numbers on their forearms; they wear it on their clothing.
The trustee who went out with Alex then came back and the sergeant looked at him. “Doc says he’s going to be deaf in one ear. They busted his eardrum and its wild with infection. Doc’s shooting him with antibiotics to try to contain the damage,” said the trustee. “He may be lost.
Doc is in Code Red, he wants me to return.”. “Go,” said the Sergeant. “Cock sucking stupid mother fuckers, how could they possibly be so fucking stupid!” said the sergeant as he picked up his jacket and hat and slammed the door behind him. Aaron and Jimmy looked at each other not saying a word. They knew Alex was in deep, deep shit.
“Michael, put these guys down before you go back,” a guard said to the trustee. “Yes sir” said the trustee and he opened a door and said “Move out,” pointing the boys up the corridor.
“Guys?” thought Aaron. He hadn’t been referred to anything human in months. He could come up with a hundred descriptions of himself over the past 4 months, but nothing that could be repeated in church. Being called a “guy” to Aaron was like being called a Prince or Your Highness. Aaron wondered what price he would have to pay for the compliment.
Following the trustee down the hall, Aaron noticed that he had long flowing hair. The trustee’s hair ran down his neck and was tucked under his shirt, but Aaron knew that it stretched way beyond the neck. He saw lots of trustees in jail and more at Danamora, but none with really long hair! It intrigued Aaron, and he wanted to know more. Aaron was also surprised by the conversations between this trustee and the sergeant. Most trustees he had ever been in contact with were regarded or talked to by guards only mildly better than prisoners were. This one seemed to be talking to the guards as equals. That didn’t make any sense to Aaron. “What do you think Michael?” Since when did a guard care about what a prisoner thought? Aaron was confused. Not only did the guard listen to the trustee, he didn’t challenge his opinion. Who was this trustee? Aaron wanted to know.
The trustee came to a door and stopped. “You’ll be staying here tonight. You are under constant video taping in there, if there are any problems, you’ll have a squad of COs in there within seconds. Keep that in mind. There are six beds inside. Tomorrow will be a very full day for you and you need to sleep. They’ll be back for you very early in the morning, so go to sleep as soon as you can. I know you haven’t eaten all day and there are sandwiches and milk inside. Take care of each other, you’re all you have.” The trustee then opened the door and Conner, Aaron, Jimmy and Mark all filed in. Closing the door, it locked behind them.