The bald man took over. ‘Listen, cunt, we will be waiting here tomorrow. And every day after that. Here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to line up with your little cup of water like normal. You are going to smile at the nurse when she hands you your meds. Then you are going to pop them in your pretty little dick-sucking mouth and take a swig. After you give nursie the all-clear, you are going to walk over here, spit them out and put them straight in my pocket. Got it?’

Jax nodded.

‘Old Georgie boy will put something other than his hand in your mouth if I leave with empty pockets,’ he continued, before ending his sentence with a head-butt.

Darkness lapped at the edges of Jax’s vision. His mind was all white noise, his ears ringing, brain a blast of static. The bald man’s mouth was moving but Jax couldn’t hear what he was saying. Whatever. Another threat to go with another concussion. A normal day. The blow to the head had given the room a dream-like haze. Everything had slowed and was washed in white. Suddenly, fireflies. Brilliant. Blazing white dots and dashes dancing in the fog. Jax wanted to reach out and catch one to prove to his disbelieving mind that they were real.

‘Move on,’ boomed a voice. ‘Go on. Fuck off! Get to where you need to be or I’ll write you up.’

The goons scattered as Turner rolled in like thunder.

‘You right, kid?’ Turner asked as he steadied Jax with a granite-like grip. ‘You getting slapped around again?’

Jax cautiously put weight onto his injured leg. Just a cork. ‘Yeah,’ he said before correcting himself. ‘No, no. Nothing like that. New blokes were just asking about the mess hall.’

‘Yeah, right. You tell ’em the place hasn’t changed since they were last here? Which was about three months ago.’

Jax’s vision had returned to normal. The fireflies had evaporated one by one. He felt groggy but that could have been the painkillers. Senses regained, he turned his full attention to Turner. A quick study of his face told him the guard’s concern was genuine. Jax hadn’t seen Turner earlier when he took stock of the room. He wondered where he had been and what he had seen. His timing had been almost perfect.

‘You looking out for me?’ Jax said.

Turner looked Jax up and down.

‘I can give you another whack if you like? How is your shoulder?’

Jax smiled. ‘No, mate. Once was enough. You almost put me through the wall. I could use an ice pack, though, if you are offering.’

‘No problem.’

FIFTEEN minutes later, Turner turned up at cell number 7 holding a blue ice pack and a prepacked sandwich.