Part One Hundred And Thirty One
On the following Friday, Karen thought it might just be time to let Gina and Dominic in on who Gina's replacement would almost certainly be within a few weeks time. There wasn't any doubt in Karen's mind that Nikki would complete the four-week Pr possibly threatened with instant dismissal if they revealed it before the time was right. Gina was on the phone when Karen knocked on her office door, but she gestured for Karen to come in and sit down. When she replaced the receiver, she said, "That was the lab with the most recent MDT's," She said, referring to the monthly mandatory drug tests. "Denny's come out positive for speed." "I think it's time we had something of a case conference about her, don't you," Karen said regretfully. "Yeah, something's got to be d her office door, but she gestured for Karen to come in and sit down. When she replaced the receiver, she said, "That was the lab with the most recent MDT's," She said, referring to the monthly mandatory drug tests. "Denny's come out positive for speed." "I think it's time we had something of a case conference about her, don't you," Karen said regretfully. "Yeah, something's got to be done about her," Gina agreed. "Or she's going to end up bouncing between the wing and the block for the rest of her sentence, if it ever comes to an end, which at this rate it won't." "Okay, leave it with me," Karen replied. "Obviously it'll involve you, Dominic, as he's her personal officer, Dr. Waugh, and it probably wouldn't do any harm to get Yvonne involved in this." "She was in visiting Lauren last weekend, and I heard her asking about you. Have you two had a fight or something?" Very occasionally, Karen could curse Gina's level of intuition and nosiness to hell and back. "She blames me for Denny's current state, because I took Denny to see Shell." "This ain't got nothing to do with Dockley," Gina said without a doubt. "This is just Denny going off on one, and trying to get some more attention. As long as we show her who's boss, she'll calm down soon enough." "I'm not sure it's that simple," Karen said, knowing that this had far too much to do with Shell. "So, what did you really come down here for?" Gina asked, wanting to change the subject. "Ah, to give you some good news," Karen said with a widening smile. "I've found your successor, and if all goes to plan, she should be starting on the twentieth of June." "Jesus, so soon?" Gina said in surprise. "Who is she?" "You're not going to believe this," Karen said with a sly little smirk. "But it's Nikki Wade." "Oh, pull the other one," Said Gina disbelievingly. "I'm serious," Karen told her. "With her second appeal, Nikki's criminal record was wiped clean. So, I put the idea to Area, and after a few fireworks aimed rather successfully at my head, they agreed to give her an interview. Nikki had her interview, and impressed everyone there. Well, except Alison Warner, but that was no surprise. She's already started the prison officer training course, and as long as she passes with flying colours, she'll be joining the ranks in just over three weeks." "Jesus," Gina said in awe. "Are you looking for your own personal death squad? Because I can assure you that that's what Di and Sylvia will become when they hear this. But yeah, I can sort of see Nikki doing this job. Who'd know more about this place than an ex-con." Gina began to laugh. "You're bloody mental, you are. I knew something was up when you brought Helen Stewart round the other week, but I never thought it was something like this. I can't wait to see Sylvia's face. Can I be the one to tell her, please?" "We'll see," Karen said with a grin. "But you can't tell anyone yet, except Dominic. This has to be kept as secret as the pope's inside leg measurement for the time being. I don't want to give anyone time to muster up any official opposition to this." "So, you're not going to announce the identity of my replacement until she actually starts work?" Gina couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Not if I can help it," Karen clarified. "The shock is just too good to waste, don't you think?" Gina was about to reply, when the phone rang. "It's Dominic," She said, putting the phone down. "Denny's fighting with Al, and he wants some help." "And if Denny's on speed, she could do anything," Karen finished Gina's thought as they walked rapidly towards the wing.
They could hear the shouting long before they reached the wing, and as they let themselves through the gate, Karen's muttered "Shit," seemed to sum up the situation. Denny and Al were in the middle of the association area, with fists and feet flying, beating the crap out of each other, whilst surrounding them, were the vast majority of the other inmates, some cheering either one of them on, and others, like the Julies, trying to persuade her to stop. "What the hell started all this off?" Karen demanded of Sylvia, who didn't appear to be doing anything to stop it. "Drugs, what else?" Sylvia replied curtly. "Get this lot banged up, immediately," Karen told her firmly. "What do you think I am?" Sylvia demanded hotly. "Superwoman?" "Not by the look of you, no," Gina replied disgustedly. "You, Dominic, Di, and whoever else you can get off their arse for five minutes, get as many of them banged up as possible," Karen ordered. "I don't want this turning into a riot." Not needing to be told twice, Gina did as she was asked. Karen couldn't get near the two fighting bundles of muscle, until a sizable proportion of the inmates had been moved away. Once a space had been cleared, Karen approached them carefully, remembering the advice she'd once been given about not trying to separate two fighting dogs, but if she didn't try, they would almost certainly beat each other to death. Neither Denny nor Al took any notice of their Governing Governor as she approached, both of them locked into that world of determination to win, no matter what the consequences. Trying to judge when the moment would be right, Karen stepped up to them, doing her best to avoid the still flailing limbs. Suddenly, taking both Al and Denny by surprise, she grabbed them each by an upper arm and hauled them apart. As Al looked like protesting, Karen tightened her grip until she relaxed, but this didn't prevent Denny from acting as if Al were still under her battering hands. Hearing the slightly uneven, shallow breathing that made the presence of cracked ribs almost a certainty, Karen told Selena and Colin to take her straight to the hospital wing. Turning back to Denny, who was still trying to detach herself from Karen's grip, Karen shouted at her. "If you don't want to spend the rest of your sentence in solitary, stop, this, right, now!" "I'll kill the bitch," Denny said through gritted teeth, and Karen could see the wild look in her eyes, the pinpoint pupils of someone on some kind of energy enhancing drug. "You think this type of behaviour is clever, do you?" Karen demanded, reaching to take hold of Denny's other arm. But before she could, and as if in some sort of answer, Denny's right fist whistled through the air towards Karen's face, crashing into her skin with a sickening thud. Barely flinching, as this would give Denny all the advantage, Karen briefly appeared to take over where Al had left off, coming in for a bleeding nose in the process. It didn't take her long to have Denny's arms pinned behind her, but by the time Gina clicked on the handcuffs, Karen could feel the blood running down onto her blouse. "Get her down the block," She said bitterly, digging in her pocket for a tissue. As Gina and Dominic escorted Denny away, Gina and Denny both shouting threats and obscenities at each other, Karen walked over towards the gate. As she passed Sylvia, she took in the slight smirk on her face. "Had a good laugh, did you?" She asked, lowering her voice to an angry, almost silky threat. "Because your lack of assistance will be noted on your file, sitting there waiting until the day I can finally sack you for incompetence. Keep acting like you did today, in not providing help when it's most needed, and that day won't be long in coming. Oh, you may think that you'll be able to get off lightly when Gina's replacement arrives, but I can assure you, you won't. She'll be my eyes and ears, keeping her eye on your every move. Is that quite clear?" All the colour had drained from Sylvia's face as Karen said this, both of them knowing that Sylvia certainly ought to have done more, and that to simply stand back and watch was as good as encouraging them to get on with it. Not waiting for an answer, Karen strode out of the wing, vowing to get every ounce of displeasure out of Sylvia, when she found out about Nikki's appointment.
Once back in her office, she began mopping herself up with the box of tissues on her desk. As she did this, she came to a decision. Denny's behaviour had gone beyond a simple case of attention seeking. It was time to bring everyone concerned with her together, and soon, not in a week's or a fortnight's time, but as soon as possible. Picking up the phone with a certain amount of resolve, she dialed Yvonne's number. "Yvonne, it's Karen," She said, on hearing Yvonne's voice. "Karen," Yvonne said in surprise, never having thought Karen would make the first move. "How are you?" "Oh, apart from just having separated a fight, I'm fine. How about you?" "Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I need to apologise. I shouldn't have said what I did to you, and I'm sorry." "Apology accepted," Karen said with a small smile. "Though that's not why I rang." "Sweetheart, are you all right?" Yvonne asked, hearing something wrong with Karen's voice, almost as if she'd been crying. "I've just been given a black eye and a nose bleed, by your oh so lovely surrogate daughter, and I'm bloody furious. I was going to ring you about her anyway today, because she's tested positive for speed, but that was before I ended up in the middle of a fight between her and Al. I'm sorry, Yvonne, but I had to put her down the block, at least until she cools off." "Hey, don't apologise," Yvonne reassured her. "I'd have done exactly the same. Either that, or dunked her under a cold shower. Do you think she was fighting with McKenzie over drugs?" "It's more than likely. We'll have both their cells searched, but something's got to be done. Al McKenzie's almost certainly got a couple of cracked ribs, and I can't turn a blind eye to that kind of behaviour. I think it's time for everyone involved with Denny's case to get together and discuss what we're going to do about her." "I haven't got any better ideas," Yvonne said ruefully. "So yeah, go for it. Do you want me there?" "Yes please. You know her better than anyone. I was thinking about Monday morning, because we really can't leave it any later than that. Gina will be there, plus Dominic, myself, and Dr. Waugh." "I'm willing to try anything for Denny, you know that," Said Yvonne sincerely. "And we'll do everything we can to help her," Karen replied, briefly wondering if it was too late to make it up to Yvonne for all the mistakes she'd made in the passed year and a half.