Chapter Text
California State Prison
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Lancaster, Los Angeles County, California
Mark waited, hands in his lap, as he sat in the hard folding chair. In spite of himself, he found himself jiggling one leg impatiently. This caused the leg restraints to rattle softly. At the glare he received, he immediately stilled and swallowed back the snide comment that wanted to fly out. A snarky attitude would do him no favours right now.
He watched as the board members flipped through papers, and silently tried to gauge what they were thinking. Of course, he knew what they saw; a trussed-up inmate in prison-issue garb waiting for their decision on whether his incarceration for first-degree attempted murder should continue.
If they bothered to look more closely, they might see the lines of exhaustion on his face and the genuine regret for his crime. He hadn’t killed anyone… but he’d gotten way too close to it that night. An innocent man had spent weeks recovering in the hospital because, thankfully, Mark had missed the vital organs by sheer dumb luck when he’d pulled the trigger.
It wasn’t like he wanted to hurt anyone, really… but it was hard to argue anything other than intent to harm when he had gone to the office that night armed to the teeth with multiple forms of weaponry, including the assault-grade rifle that he’d fired that night.
“Mr. Fischbach, according to your records here, your time in this corrections facility has been very quiet… with the notable exception of the events of two weeks ago. Would you care to explain?”
Mark sighed and, after a quiet moment where he gathered his thoughts, he finally said, “I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses here, but I didn’t start that fight. I was cornered and I pushed him… not to hurt him, but so I could get away. He didn’t take too kindly to that, so I had to defend myself somehow.”
A long, pregnant silence.
“So, I punched him. Then I spent a week in solitary for fighting.” Which was loads of fun, he thought sarcastically, but fortunately didn’t say. Just me, alone in the dark, with lots of time for thinky thoughts.
The board member who’d questioned him nodded. “That is consistent with the guards’ reports.” She then laced her fingers together and, after another board member leaned in and whispered something in her ear, regarded Mark evenly. “It is the opinion of this parole board that any continuing threat you pose to society is negligible, and your eligibility for parole is hereby approved. You are to report to the parole office promptly at 9 am tomorrow morning, where an officer will be assigned to you.”
Mark exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome, Mr. Fischbach.” The brief smile on her face faded, and her expression became severe. “I do hope we never see you again.”
Another snarky comment was on the tip of his tongue, but he merely nodded instead. The only thing that really mattered is that he was going home. Finally. He’d be able to eat decent food, wear whatever clothes he felt like wearing, and sleep in a comfortable bed.
Just one more night, and he’d be done with this whole thing. Things were definitely looking up.