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INT. Morning Madhouse in Northern California - Day Two.
The Doctor/Jailer/Spouse Part
Doc: Well, as you can see we need all the room we can and there are really sick people who need a space.
Lii of a Female: OK (she has only been in a madhouse - this is her fourth time and she's been loving the sleep and peace albeit no private rooms in this place yet there's a quiet alcove with a lovely view of the trees outside that she's found and the medicine has helped her skin to stop burning and it was away from Andrea here, and she's never been told she's taking up space in a madhouse and she's rather curious and frankly fucking flattered at last)
Doc: Unfortunately you'll have to go to jail when I release you.
The woman's face collapses. This was unexpected within the hell of unexpected shit. Had her spouse pressed charges - what the fuck. could she also press charges? what the fuck. what the fuck.
Woman: Oh. {a tear escapes]
Doc: I'm sorry, but it's part of the process, and we need the space, and hopefully it will get resolved quickly for you.
Woman: Thank you
Cops come. She and a woman who had shot her abusive boyfriend were put in a cop car (she had pulled her husband's hair to show him how she got the sea lice out but comparison robs joy). She puts on the sundress and her abuser's grey flannel robe. It's tedious and chains and cuffs and procedures. As she had said in the madhouse to help the scared fellow inmate "today's theme is 'surrender rainbow' - this is a really surreal experience with a rainbow at the end and you have to surrender to survive it.". Advice to herself of course.
Drive to jail in some weird far out place. This will be hard to describe - not even done so with woman and her therapist (thank you insurance)
The cops were cool. The booking people at the jail were cool. Her heart still breaks for the woman beside her who she wished luck.
INT. Huge huge Jail with screaming bedlam inmates behind steel doors and constant banging. It feels like literal hell. There are there is there is so much heavy sadness and frustrated claustrophobic helpless fucked hell here it fucking breaks her fucking heart. She know she will eventually get out, but fuck fuck fuck.
Guard: Ma'm step there.
Photo taken. Prints taken. holding cell. Bail bonds on wall. Inmate does not have glasses cannot read the numbers well. She dials several. tries to make has to make collect calls all the time. She tries everyone. She goes mad. She hears from the bail bondsman "mama's bail" finally something after being on hold and not getting anyone's phone number she had had memorized.
Bail Bondsman: Ma'am your husband is not going to help you.
She collapses on the floor and goes motherfucking insane.
Woman: OK. Well, keep trying my sister then. Thanks
Hangs up. Feels like she has been here for hours. Finally she tried something called Abracadabra and they took her credit.
It was the first glimmer of hope .
She gets booked. Time is up. She gets prison clothes. She gets marched past a yard (the prison guard was hot and cool. the inmates were fucking scary and stuck and she is terrified. terrified.)
Hot Female Prison Guard with Hair in Bun: First time?
Woman: uh yeah
get in cell with roommate wet laundry dark window papered up and freaked out ask her what to do get on bunk bed upper bunk and fucking freak out. She is nice after I offer her my sandwich food whatever. It feels like forever. Intercom blares.
BLARING INTERCOM: BLAH and BLAH you're both getting out. Be ready
After a million years and giddy hope, they both march past. My roommate gets many comments. I keep my head down. It breaks my hears all of it and the only barrier I have is money. some. we march past the small yard to notice it's light and grass exists. There are five of us now. We go to a holding cell and get giddy but then wait so long it's quiet. They all get pulled out. It's just me. You'll never know the hell of feeling forgotten.
Felt like forever.
Got out. Got my cellphone and went through some turnstiles and locks and voila. I had a dead cellphone and no eyeglasses and was out of jail. Got to keep the keepsakes of the prison garb with a receipt to get my other clothes should I wish (I never did).
INT. Jail Lobby Late Night and Huge empty lobby with vast front yard empty.
Woman {trying to not act like a crazy jail lady]: Hello, my apologies, yet would you happen to have a cell phone charger?
THE FUCKING LADY USED HER OWN. I thanked god for angels.
Although I prematurely yanked it out and it died by the time I had thought I might have ordered the Lyft, she charged it again and I was freaking out... and it felt like forever. I love her to this day. When it charges enough to power on she sees the Lyft is her.
Hipster Indian guy enters the room and puts shoes on.
Woman: Hey
Hipster Indian Guy: Hey
the other four woman are at the bus stop when she gets her Lyft and he is Russian and it's a Tesla and there's piano music playing
as she thought "when I get home, I'll apologize. he will, and it will be hard, but we'll be ok."
it sucked.
EXT: Door Locked. Home Night Late Knock knock.....
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