Chapter Text
As far as Chibs was concerned, Reynolds had been the perfect cellmate. Old and predictable. Quiet. Good at cards. Didn't snore. He and Chibs had gotten on just fine.Then Reynolds had keeled over dead in the chow line from a massive heart attack - ashes to ashes, dust to dust. That was that.
Chibs promptly moved to the bottom bunk, but he only got to enjoy a single day by himself before he woke up with a throbbing ball of agony lodged in the side of his face. The pain started in his ear and radiated down into his jaw and, fuck, it hurt like a bastard and he was pretty sure he had a fever too. Just to top the bastard off. Chibs had to wait in the infirmary for hours before the doc swung by, wrote him a script for some heavy duty antibiotics, and kicked him out.
By the time Chibs was back on the block he had a new cellmate waiting for him. The new guy was still standing there holding the blankets he had been issued, looking lost.
Chibs must have been getting old because the first thing he thought was how young the new guy looked. Hell, he wasn't much more than a kid. Chibs assessed his new cellmate as best he could through the haze of pain and fever - mid-twenties at the oldest, dumb head tattoos, looking a little worn around the edges. Hardly surprising if it was his first day in the pen. However, the posturing attitude that Chibs associated with young new prisoners was surprisingly absent.
This guy looked apprehensive, eyeing Chibs as Chibs eyed him, and his swallowed audibly when he noticed Chibs' scars. He didn't necessarily look scared, yet, but Chibs didn't think that wouldn't be much work to he him there. Not that Chibs wanted to scare him. Just -
It was going to take some adjustment. Clearly. He had gotten used to Reynolds, who was an old con doing long time. Now he had this mangy looking kid eyeing his scars like Chibs was just going to start carving him up for fun.
"Um..."
"Not right now, lad, alright?" Chibs moved past him and sat down on his bunk, twisting his head in an animal instinct to try and relieve the pain in his ear. Talking only made it worse. "I feel like shit."
"I just...don't you want the top bunk?"
Chibs could only stare at him for a moment.
"What the hell? Do I fucking look like I want to keep hauling my old ass up and down from there each time I've got to take a piss?"
With that, Chibs laid back on his bunk, closed his eyes and prayed that the antibiotics would kick in sooner rather than later. The pain from the ear infection made him dizzy and nauseous, and the boiling heat in his head sure as fuck wasn't helping. All that Chibs wanted to do was sleep and pretend he didn’t have this skittish new celly.
No such luck. The kid hadn’t even finished making his bed when Chibs heard a familiar voice in his doorway.
"Well, would you look at that?"
Chibs sat up just enough to see Tig standing there eyeing the kid like a piece of meat. Chibs couldn't see the look on the lad's face, but from his posture it looked like he was trying to make himself disappear. Of course Tig would pick the worst possible time to drop by.
"I heard you got a new roommate, but damn, Chibby, you really got upgraded."
"Leave him alone, Tig." Chibs groaned "And leave me alone too, while you're at it."
Tig just licked his lips and ignored Chibs.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Juan Carlos."
"...ok, sure. JC." Tig's expression slowly morphed into one of delight, and Chibs definitely didn't want to know what was going through that twisted mind of his. Too late.
"JC. Hmm. JC, more like Juice-y, am I right? Chibby? Chibs?" Not getting a response, Tig plowed ahead undiscouraged "You don't gotta worry about me, Juice. I was just curious to know what Chibs is going to be moaning tonight to keep us all awake. Isn't that right?"
Tig was a lot to deal with at the best of times, and right now Chibs just couldn't take it.
"Tig, for the love of Christ will you just fuck off?"
"Calm down brother, just checking out the new piece of-"
"Tig! If you don't get the fuck away from me I am going to cut this fucking infected ear off and I am going to make you eat it, I swear to God."
Chibs didn't hear any movement, nothing that sounded like Tig leaving him alone to die in peace. Another pause, and then
"Wait, Chibs, are you sick? I thought you looked like shit, brother. You should go to the infirm-"
"Tig. Fuck! Off!"
---
The antibiotics had started kicking in by breakfast the next day, so Chibs already felt less like someone had poured molten lead down the side of his face.
Chibs was busy stuffing soggy eggs in his mouth when Tig elbowed him.
"Looks like your boy Juice is having some problems."
"He's not my boy" Chibs said, reflexively, but he looked over a couple of tables to see where JC was sitting by himself. One of the Aryans had just snatched his box of milk, and JC was trying unsuccessfully to protect the rest of his meal.
"Christ, he told me that he'd been in before."
(Juice - shit, no, of Chibs started calling him that Tig would never let it go - JC. JC had volunteered that info, apropos of nothing, during the morning headcount. "I've been locked up before, you know" he'd said, a strange expression on his face. Chibs had stared at the lad like he had three heads, and the kid had looked even more uncomfortable than normal before turning to look at the floor.)
"Venus, baby, can you go talk to the kid?"
"Him?" She looked over "No problem, Tiger."
"That's my girl."
They all turned to watch as Venus strode over to Juice (fuck it, the nickname was already stuck in Chibs' head) and sat down next to him, dainty as you please, fending off the harassers by force of presence alone. Messing with Venus was, by extension, messing with Tig. Most people were smart enough to pass on that particular can of worms.
Juice stayed hunched tight over his tray until Venus said something that made him glance up at their table, his face red and embarrassed. Then Clay was talking, and it was back to business.
All signs pointed to a bit of a civil war brewing in the Chinese gang. As the prison's mainly neutral supplier of non-drug related contraband (put that on a business card), the Sons were liable to get caught in the crossfire if the warring factions tried to insist that they take sides.
After some group discussions as to contingency plans if things got especially rough, Clay changed topics and caught Chibs off guard
"Chibs, that new cellmate of yours. What do you make of him?"
"Jui-, shit, JC? Honestly can't say. I was feeling shitty last night, couldn't exactly get acquainted with the guy." Tig smirked at that, but Clay cut him off before he could say anything.
"Hmm. He seems a little useless, but I want you to bring him in."
"What? In, in?"
"Of course not." Clay scowled "Just get him under control and keep him there. He seems vulnerable, doesn't seem to have any ties in here yet. It might help to have someone disposable of we need to hit yellow."
"How do you know he'll be loyal?" Tig asked
"I said disposable, didn't I?" Clay's reply was gruff. "He doesn't need to be loyal. Just needs to know his place."
"So what are my orders here, exactly? Break him in A-S-A-P?" Chibs was not a good man, but he wasn't really comfortable with the idea of having to rape his cellmate because his boss had told him to.
"Yeah. You just got to take him for the team, Chibby." Tig was grinning as Bobby chuckled at the joke. "You know I'd help you out if I wasn't taken."
"If he's been in before, he knows the deal." Jax said, leaning back from the table and crossing his arms. "Just watch his back in the yard, and -"
"Wash his back? In the yard?!"
"WATCH, Happy. Watch. God damn. Anyway, Chibs, just look out for him. Make sure no one hassles him in the showers. I'll bet a pack of cigs you're not going to have to 'break in' anything. He'll come to you, sweet as can be."