"Do you still feel ill?" Linda asked Sian before she went to work, she had been secretly slipping the pills in to her drinks and food for weeks now.
"I feel so weak" Sian said breathlessly
"I think its all the stress your going through" Linda said
"Probably.." Sian sighed "I just feel so awful, all my body aches.."
"I think you just need to chill out and try and get better" Linda said, a meaningless smile emerging on her face.
"I'm sorry, I must be such a burden" Sian said rubbing her head
"Of course your not" Linda said "Right I'm going to work, ring me if you need anything"
"Morning" Linda smiled walking in to Michael's office
"Hi" He smiled doing some paperwork
Linda raised her eyebrows at the paperwork "Poor you.." she laughed passing him a coffee
"Thanks" he said taking a sip of the coffee "Tell me about it, I've had so much paper work to do without Sian here.."
"Can Tom not do it?" She asked sitting on his desk
"He already does his fair share and he's got a lot going on with Josh.." Michael sighed "Is Sian doing any better?"
"No" Linda said quickly "If anything she's getting worse, she's like totally stressed out, I think there is definatly something wrong there...She thinks everyones turning against her and she's like paranoid, it's not only Maddi now, it's Zac, Jez..She's even said some stuff about you"
"Like what?" Michael said looking up from his paper work
"Its hard to understand it's like she talks in mumbles and her words are jumbled, I think shes going mad.." Linda said raising her eyebrows
"Maybe she should see a professional..." Michael said "I just can't believe she's like this, she's always been so...She's the last person I'd except to go off the rails"
"I know, it's scary seeing her like that" Linda sighed
"Are you sure you can cope with her when she's like that?" He asked her
"Yeah I'll be fine.." Linda smiled
"I think i'll have to find another deputy then if she's like that.." Michael said then he paused looking at Linda "Linda..You'd be perfect for the job!" He smiled "But I don't want to pressure you, you must be busy with your head of department job.."
"No, I've got lodes of time to spare" Linda smiled "I'd love to.."
"Great" He smiled "I'll go and tell Tom!"
Sian was sat on the couch, her head was pounding.
She looked in Linda's cupboard for some paracetamol and found a leaflet for 'Laurence's Funeral Service' it was the same funeral company that had called her, she also found a mobile phone box, the picture on the front looked like the same phone that was found in her bag.
Her mind began to run with ideas
Could it be Linda?
She thought about it. Linda had started to be nice to her when all this began.
Was she trying to cover up?
She frowned as all the pieces began to fit together.
Linda went to the staffroom, smiling to herself.
She was starting to replace Sian, Michael would slowly start to think even more poorly of Sian, she would make sure of that.
Linda boiled the kettle making herself a drink.
As Linda sat down with her cup of tea an angry Sian stormed in to the staff room.
Jez looked up "Sian?"
"It's you isn't it!" Sian shouted at Linda
"What?" Linda said standing up
Michael and Tom walked in "Linda I've told Tom about.." He stopped talking noticing Sian was there
"I can't believe you could be so evil!" Sian shouted at her
"Sian, your making no sense" Linda said innocently then giving Sian a small, menacing smile
Sian saw the smile and angrily shouted "You bi*ch!" before slapping her hard on the face
"Sian!" Jez said standing up
"Linda are you okay?" Michael asked as her nose was now bleeding
Linda was secretly happy on the inside, Sian was playing in to her hands, making Sian look mad and making her look like the victim
Linda clutched her bleeding nose "Sian...Why have you just..." she said
"Don't try and act all innocent, I know it wasn't Maddi, it was you!" Sian shouted
"She's been like this for weeks!" Linda said "Turning on everyone, thinking everyones against her but I didn't think she'd turn on me! I'm your friend Sian!"
"I know what you are!" Sian said angrily
"Calm down Sian!" Jez shouted
"Jez.." Sian said
"Your out of order, you need to stop thinking everyone's against you!" Jez said
"Come on" Michael said to Linda "Lets get that nose cleaned up, come to my office"
"Okay..." Linda said innocently
"I was scared of this happening" Michael said as he cleaned up her nose, in his office "Sian lashing out at you..."
"I never expected it.." Linda said
"You look shook up.." He said sympathetically
"I am...I've done so much for her, been there for her, and now she does this.." Linda said, tears falling on to her cheeks, she was very talented when it came to fake crying.
"I know.." He said hugging her "It'll be alright she's just no in the right state of mind.."
Linda smiled as she was in Michael's arms, it was all working out, she just needed everyone to keep thinking it was Sian in the wrong...