The nurse had evidently not held any great desire to prolong her time around Oksana's bedside. And Eve could hardly blame her. An Oksana in pain was unlikely to be pleasant company, and she must have been in a great deal of pain when she had first been brought to the hospital bay. In fact, Eve was surprised that Oksana had been so amenable to her so far during the visit. The nurse picked up a chart from the end of Oksana's bed and scribbled something illegible on it before departing the area and pulling the rickety curtain closed behind her.

"Rude." Oksana said once she had left.

"I imagine you're far from the perfect patient." Eve reasoned.

Oksana's mouth dropped open in mock horror at Eve's statement.

"Dr Polastri! I am the perfect patient. Surely you should know that." Oksana insisted.

"Oh, for sure," Eve replied, "You're an absolute dream. You answer all my queries, you never ask me inappropriate questions, you don't swear at me, you always do as you're told." Eve counted off her points on her fingers as she made them and watched a smile spread across Oksana's face.

"You enjoy it! I am interesting. I am funny. I have great tits…" Oksana replied, similarly counting on her fingers.

"Everything I look for in a client." Eve countered sarcastically.

"Well, the tits thing maybe. After all, you have been with women apparently." Oksana reminded her.

"Why didn't you see the doctor?" Eve asked, speaking over the end of Oksana's sentence.

"You shouldn't have told Pargrave I needed to." Oksana responded grumpily. She attempted to drive her grumpiness home by crossing her arms, but was stopped by the tube going into the back of her hand.

"Why not? Obviously you needed to." Eve nodded to where she now knew Oksana's wound lurked.

Oksana shifted in the bed.

"Only bullets bring down an Astankova." Oksana muttered.

Eve's eyebrows rose.

"Is that right?" She asked

"Well, bullets and betrayals." Oksana clarified. "But not infections."

"Clearly." Eve said lowly, letting her eyes wonder to fresh bag of antibiotics being pumped into the woman in front of her.

"Excuse me?" Oksana said loudly, craning her neck to put herself back in Eve's eyeline.

Eve ignored the glare she was being treated to.

"Did a bullet bring down your father? Is that why you had a stepfather? Was your father killed?" Eve prompted.

"My father is not dead!" Oksana replied at once.

"But he's not in the picture?" Eve asked calmly.

"What picture?" Oksana laughed harshly, "It's just been me in here for eight years."

"I know," Eve soothed, she felt the urge to put her hand on Oksana's arm, but resisted. "Where is your father then?"

"In Russia." Oksana said simply.

"He doesn't visit?" Eve nudged.

"He cannot. He is in prison also." Oksana shrugged. "Everybody always said I took after my father." She added with a proud smile.

Eve wasn't sure that hereditary incarceration was much to be proud of, but judging by the wistful look on Oksana's face she would be inclined to disagree.

"So you grew up with your mother." Eve stated.

"No." Oksana snapped. "She is a fucking imbecile. A whore."

Just when Eve thought she had untangled some part of Oksana Astankova's familial web, she found herself wrapped in it instead, struggling to find an end to begin to unravel.

"OK," Eve drew out, "But you were with her when you… Well, before you came here. Because the man you… That was your stepfather. Your mother's husband." Eve said, mostly thinking aloud in an attempt to decipher Oksana's background.

"Not her husband. My father is her husband." Oksana supplied shaking her head effusively.

"They're still married?" Eve asked.

Oksana hummed.

"He will not divorce her. She cannot win." She said admiringly.

That was a petty manoeuvre as far as Eve was concerned, but evidently Oksana's hero worship of her father ran deep.

"So she left him? She left the family?" Eve tried. "How old were you when she left?"

"She is a stupid whore." Oksana repeated. "With really shitty hair." She added, raising a hand self-consciously to her own hair and patting at it worriedly.

"Did she leave when you were very young? Were you raised by your father?" Eve pushed.

"Yes. By my father." Oksana nodded absently, still twirling a strand of hair in her fingers.

"So why were you here with this stepfather?" Eve asked, excited to find at least a small amount of Oksana's history emerging from the fog.

"Do you like my hair?" Oksana asked almost urgently, not so much avoiding Eve's question as acting as though it hadn't been asked at all.

Eve's questioning was derailed but she had been getting somewhere. Now she found herself examining Oksana's hair. It looked more lifeless than usual, hanging limply against her shoulders. But the colour remained lovely. Warm honey tones. Eve thought that with a good wash, – with something other than whatever prison shampoo consists of – a healthy amount of conditioner and maybe a trim, that hair would be absolutely beautiful.

"You have lovely hair." Eve replied genuinely.

Oksana nodded.

"I do." She agreed. "It is quite thin, but it used to be very shiny, and soft to touch."

"So your mother—" Eve started.

"Ugh. Enough." Oksana cut in, rolling her eyes. "This is boring. You said it wasn't an appointment."

Eve conceded. She had said that, and Oksana had now felt the need to remind her of it twice.

"You're right. It's not. Thank-you for sharing that with me though." Eve replied.

"Whatever." Oksana grumbled.

"I have something for you actually." Eve remembered, sitting up straighter.

"Is it more daffodils?" Oksana asked dryly with one eyebrow raised sceptically.

"It's not." Eve replied.

"Thank God." Oksana mumbled.

Eve shook her head and reached across Oksana's legs for her bag that was at the end of the bed where she had slung it earlier when she helped the other woman to sit up. She could feel Oksana's eyes on her as she rummaged through her bag in search of what she had bought the previous day.

It had been a bit of an ordeal. Nowadays there were all kinds of Apps for language learning. But Apps required a phone, and prisons were understandably strict on their policy about those… Eve had felt beyond stupid asking the young man in the electrical shop whether mp3 players were still a thing. He had looked at her like she was practically Victorian, but when she had explained the situation – without giving away certain details, such as the whole imprisoned murderer bit – he had supplied her with a device that would do the job. Eve probably wouldn't tell Oksana that she'd had to pretend her gift was for an elderly person who couldn't possibly understand a smart phone. Both the sales assistant and Leo seemed to buy Eve's story though. Now Leo referred to Eve's new client as 'The Old Woman.' Eve probably wouldn't tell Oksana that either. Not that she would ever have reason to.

"Here we go." Eve said, pulling the device and headphones from her bag.

"What is that?" Oksana asked suspiciously.

"It's a kind of an ipod type thing." Eve said uncertainly.

"For me?" Oksana asked. "Have you made me a playlist, Dr Polastri? How romantic."

"No." Eve replied, "There's no music on it."

"Oh. Great. So what? You just want me to strangle myself with the headphones? That's what they'll worry about in here, you know." Oksana said knowledgably.

"I trust you not to do something as stupid as that." Eve replied lightly, "It has language lessons on there. French." She added, handing the device over to Oksana. "So you can practice your pronunciation."

"Oh." Came the response.

Oksana's face was completely blank. Eve wasn't sure what to make of that. Had she offended her? Oh God, Eve hadn't thought this through. Or maybe Oksana thought it would just be confiscated?

"I checked with Mr Pargrave. You're allowed it." She assured Oksana.

That had been an uneasy conversation too. Bill had been entirely nonplussed as to why Eve wanted to visit Oksana in hospital and even more so when she said she had brought this gift along. Eve had to spin some bullshit about using it to win Oksana's trust in order to make their sessions more productive. She wasn't sure when that reason had become bullshit.

Oksana continued to look blankly at the device in her hand.

"You don't have to use it." Eve offered at last.

"No." Oksana replied immediately, "I will. I like it." she added closing her fingers around it tightly, as though Eve might reach out and take it back.

"Good. OK." Eve nodded, "I just thought it might break up the boredom a bit while you're in here."

"Yes." Oksana agreed.

Oksana was being uncharacteristically quiet and Eve felt suddenly uncomfortable. She glanced at her watch; half an hour was nearly up. The uptight nurse would be back at any moment.

"Well," Eve started, "It's nearly time for you to take your pills, and I had better get home quickly or I'll be too late to—" She stopped. She had been about to say she'd be too late to help Leo with his family tree. But Oksana didn't need to know anything about that.

"Too late to what?" Oksana asked immediately with a frown on her face. "Does your husband make you cook?"

Eve laughed at the idea of Niko waiting at home for her to get back and prepare his dinner for him.

"No, no. He's the cook, not me." Eve assured her.

"Good." Oksana said decisively. "Women should not be made to cook, just because they are women."

And Eve thought that was a rather interesting assertion.

"Did your father cook?" Eve asked, "When you were growing up?"

"The cook did the cooking." Oksana shrugged.

Eve hid her surprise.

"And what if there is no cook?" Eve enquired. "Most people don't have a cook."

"Then it should be equal. Or whoever likes doing it can do it." Oksana replied, as if it was just that simple.

Eve felt a moment of grim thought flood through her and take a chill to her extremities. She remembered a detail from Oksana's file and swallowed uncomfortably.

"Do you like cooking, Astankova?" Eve asked, trying to make her voice sound casual.

Oksana's eyes snapped to meet Eve's as though she knew what it was that made her ask that question.

"I don't like being made to cook." She replied evenly, maintaining eye contact.

Eve shifted back a little on the bed, subconsciously. Eve was used to working with people who had committed heinous acts, but somehow, with Oksana, she kept forgetting what this woman was capable of. Which was ridiculous really, after all, Eve was frequently treated to little snippets of Oksana's temper that always seemed to be waiting just beneath the surface. Eve was always one poorly chosen word away from her wrath. Even now, Oksana was just quietly watching Eve, as though waiting for a reason to unleash her anger.

"Did—" Eve started cautiously.

"I am a very good cook." Oksana interrupted at once, "I liked being in kitchen. The cook taught me how to make all sorts of things. What is your favourite meal?"

"My husband makes really good seafood pasta." Eve replied carefully after a moment's consideration.

"I can make that. Probably better than your husband." Oksana offered up arrogantly.

Eve laughed lightly, there was no comeback to that. She could hardly tell Oksana to prove it, and even if she could prove it Eve didn't want her to. Not really.

The curtain sectioning them off from the rest of the hospital bay was swished aside unceremoniously once more as the nurse strode in.

"Meds." She declared, holding out a tiny paper cup with a small selection of colourful pills in it.

Oksana took the cup from her and then waited as the nurse poured a cup of water from a jug at the bedside before throwing all the pills into her mouth in one go. She held out her hand for the cup of water and then took a swig of that too.

"Open." The nurse said after Oksana had made an exaggerated gulping sound.

Oksana opened her mouth wide so that the nurse could see into it.

"Tongue." The nurse barked.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Oksana said with a smirk.

The nurse scowled and Eve winced at Oksana's constant impropriety.

"Tongue." The nurse said again, more firmly.

Oksana opened her mouth once more and then lifted her tongue to show that she wasn't concealing the pills underneath it.

"Do you need to relieve yourself?" The nurse asked Oksana bluntly.

"You want me to follow you to the bathroom?" Oksana asked as though she was scandalised, "Oh nurse, you are so naughty!"

The nurse pursed her lips angrily. Eve couldn't see the nurse's feet because the bed was in the way, but she suspected she was tapping a foot irritably.

"Well?" She demanded.

Oksana glanced at Eve who was watching the exchange awkwardly. Eve caught the troubled look in Oksana's eye. She didn't want Eve to see that she needed help with this. Was she playing up with the nurse for Eve's benefit too? Showing off?

"I'm going to go." Eve said decisively, standing from the bed and slipping into her coat before hoisting her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you next Thursday, OK?" She said to Oksana, and then patted her on the thigh before she even realised she had decided to touch the other woman. "Feel better." She added.

Oksana looked up at her with an unreadable expression. For a moment Eve thought she was about to thank her for visiting.

"Think of me when you eat your husband's seafood pasta." Oksana said with a meaningful quirk of her eyebrow.

Eve threw an anxious glance at the nurse and laughed unnecessarily loudly, though she wasn't sure why, then made a hasty exit from the room.

"So?" The nurse said impatiently.

"Yes." Oksana sighed begrudgingly. "And can we put those in water?" She asked, nodding at the daffodils that Eve had brought.

Eve had rushed out of the prison, bypassing Bill who obviously wanted to have a chat with her before she left and slinging a "I'll call you!" over her shoulder as she headed down the corridor for the main doors. She was definitely going to be late home. She was definitely not going to be in Niko's good books. Or Leo's for that matter. It was already ten minutes later than the time she had agreed to be home by, plus it would take at least forty minutes to get there now. And that was if the traffic was in her favour.

The traffic was not in her favour. Eve arrived home just over an hour later.

"Mum! What is the Korean flag? And what was grandpa's name?" Leo yelled from the kitchen the minute Eve closed the front door behind her.

"Leo, put that away now." Eve heard Niko say firmly.

"But she's home now. We can do it." Leo whined as Eve made her way into the kitchen. "See?" Leo added, as though perhaps Niko hadn't been aware of Eve's presence.

"She is home now." Niko agreed, "But now it's time for dinner. You'll have to finish your project another time."

Eve was definitely nobody's favourite person in this room.

"Sorry guys, traffic was appalling." Eve tried to explain.

"I checked the route from your office," Niko said quietly, "It was clear."

Eve was taken aback by that, the idea of Niko checking up on her was vaguely violating.

"I wasn't at the office. I was seeing a client." Eve let out.

"The old woman!" Leo shrieked.

"You were checking up on me?" Eve asked Niko, ignoring Leo's input.

"You were late. I was worried." Niko pointed out, his tone taut.

"I'm often late. Do you always check my route?" Eve replied tersely.

"You are often late, aren't you?" Niko shot back. "Leo, clear the table now. Dinner is almost ready."

Eve kept her gaze on Niko for a moment, not sure whether to prolong this discussion or not. She felt a surprising bolt of anger towards him for both his actions and his tone. She decided that this discussion did have to continue, but it would keep until Leo was in bed or out of earshot.

Eve crossed the room to help Leo clear the table. She placed a kiss on his head and then started gathering up his felt tip pens.

"Sorry I was late, Leo. Can I help you with the family tree tomorrow? It's looking great!" She enthused.

It didn't look great. It was a mess of scratchy green and brown colouring depicting a wonky tree. Half of the page had names and straight lines connecting them that were obviously drawn by Niko. There was a neatly coloured in Polish flag (also Niko's work) that had been cut out separately and stuck on at an absurd angle (presumably Leo's job).

"Leo has a play date with Isabel tomorrow." Niko said from the other side of the kitchen, keeping his back to the other occupants of the room.

"We're going to take scooters to the park!" Leo told her happily.

That sounded like grazed knees and tears just waiting to happen as far as Eve was concerned. Isabel's mother was welcome to take on that disaster.

"Fun!" Eve replied. "Well, we can do the tree at the weekend then, OK? I'll tell you all about grandpa then."

There wouldn't be a great deal to tell. Her father had been a very restrained man, a particularly hands-off father.

"OK!" Leo agreed.

"I have to go and see some clients about this commission on Saturday morning." Niko said, "You can do the tree then."

Eve rolled her eyes. She didn't appreciate being told precisely when she could do a school project with her son. It did make sense to do it on Saturday morning though, and clearly Niko was not in the mood to speak civilly with her at the moment, so Eve bit her tongue.

Eve lifted the large piece of cardboard that held Leo's project and passed it to him carefully.

"Put that in the office, OK? We'll finish it on Saturday." Eve told him.

Leo took the project very gently and walked slowly from the room as though he was carrying the crown jewels, rather than one cardboard side cut from a bulk-bought box of toilet roll. Eve pulled open a kitchen drawer and snatched out three sets of cutlery.

"You could have messaged to say you would be late." Niko said in a hushed tone.

"I was stuck in traffic," Eve said, "My phone was in my bag in the trunk." And it was partially true. Her phone was out of reach. But also, she was already late before she left Oksana.

"And you were with a client? Your schedule said you were in the office today." He said, a distinct note of suspicion in his voice.

"It wasn't a scheduled appointment. My client was hospitalised, I went to visit." Eve replied neutrally.

"That's a bit above and beyond, isn't it?" Niko asked.

"I am trying to gain her trust." Eve shot back, "I can't do my job if she doesn't trust me enough to talk to me."

"And what about your son? Doesn't he need to be able to trust you to be here?" Niko asked.

Eve slammed the cutlery drawer shut.

"Jesus Niko! I was late to do some ridiculous project that he won't remember in a couple of months time!" Eve replied, trying to keep her voice down but also feeling the frustration from Niko's questions seeping in.

Niko looked over his shoulder.

"Alright Lionman? Ready for dinner?" He asked.

Eve span around to see Leo hovering in the doorway, and then turned back towards the kitchen cupboards, her fingers gripping the counter.

"Shit." She sighed under her breath.