Part One Hundred And Eighty Five
During Wednesday afternoon lock up, Nikki rang down to the wing, and asked for Denny to be brought up to her office. Denny had come back from the hospital wing that morning, and had been on fifteen minute watch ever since. When Gina showed her in, Nikki could see that Denny's arm was still bandaged, and that the desolate, haunted look was still present in her eyes. "Can you come back in about half an hour?" Nikki asked her. "And tell Sylvia to make herself available at the end of her shift." "Are you going to tell her what we talked about this morning?" Gina asked. "Yes, I should think so," Nikki replied with a slightly malevolent smile. "So be ready for the fracas that is sure to follow."
When Gina had gone, Nikki sat and regarded Denny across the desk. Denny was standing opposite her, refusing to meet her eyes, and looking sulky and belligerent. "How do you feel after yesterday?" Nikki finally asked her. "Shit, how do you think I feel?" Denny replied without looking at her. "Denny, I'm not about to have this conversation, while you're still looking at the floor," Nikki said firmly. "So sit down in that chair, and stop sulking." As Denny moved to do as she was told, Nikki was forcefully reminded of the numerous occasions she'd been in Denny's place, and Helen had been the one calling the shots. "Why do you think you're here?" Nikki asked her, lighting herself a cigarette, and then lighting one for Denny. "By the look of you, to get a few days down the block," Denny said, gratefully taking the cigarette. "And why would I be quite within my rights to do that?" Nikki replied, only just managing to keep her irritation below the surface. "Don't give me this bullshit, Nikki," Denny said, blowing smoke up at the ceiling. "Denny, do you have any idea what you did yesterday?" Nikki demanded, still keeping a grip on the reins of her anger. "You almost got your Governing Governor killed." "I didn't ask her to do what she did," Denny responded sullenly. "No, you didn't, but she still did it," Nikki told her. "Even though Karen was risking her life, her job, everything she has, she still went up onto that roof to get you down. Everyone tried to persuade her not to, me, Grayling, the Judge, everyone, so don't you dare even think of wasting what she did for you yesterday. I know things have been difficult for you, and I know that it's going to be doubly hard for you now that Lauren isn't here any more, but you can't keep pulling stunts like you did yesterday. Denny, risking someone else's life, not to mention your own, that's serious stuff, and not something that can be ignored. Denny, I have a duty of care to both officers and inmates, which means that whilst trying to keep you safe and secure, I also have to keep my officers safe and secure, which I can't do properly, if you choose to repeat your stunt of yesterday." "Jesus," Denny said in disgust. "I don't believe this, you're really starting to sound like one of them. Why did you do it, Nikki, why the bloody hell did you of all people turn screw? You had it just as bad as the rest of us when you were in here. Bodybag gave you as much grief as she gives any of us. What made you think you could be better than the rest of us?" Nikki just stared at her. She'd known this moment would one day come, but not from whom it would emerge. Denny was questioning her right to be in the position she was in, questioning her crossing of the wire, perhaps her ultimate betrayal of who she once had been. "I took this job, Denny, precisely because I do know how bad things are. Is it so bad to want to improve what happens in a place like this, to make things better for you, for the Julies, Jesus, even for Al McKenzie? That's why I'm here, and that's why I'm trying to do the right thing." "Sorry, man," Denny said with a shrug. "It just sometimes feels like you've forgotten, you know?" "Denny, I promise you, that I won't ever forget what it was like to be an inmate in here. They were three of the most difficult years of my life, but if I ever for one moment forgot I'd had them, I would be betraying the only truly wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. Okay?" "What's going to happen to me?" Denny asked, very much unsure as to her future. "I'm keeping you on fifteen minute watch for the next few days, because I want to keep an eye on you. I also think it might be a good idea, if you move back into the four-bed dorm, so that you're not on your own. You'll be with Buki, Darlene and Tina. I'm not going to stop your visits, because I think that would be doing more harm than good, but I am giving you 42 days loss of spends, and I fully expect a swift improvement in your behaviour. The other thing that is an absolute must, is for you to make a formal apology to Miss Betts when she gets back from holiday. She could have died for you up there, Denny, and I need you to go away and think about that, because I'm hoping that it will stop you doing anything like that in the future. I also think it might be time," Nikki said slowly, knowing just how well this wasn't going to go down. "That you had some sort of counselling." "No way, man," Denny protested. "I ain't talking to no shrink." "Dr. Waugh's a nice guy," Nikki tried to persuade her. "Look, at least think about it."
A good while later, when Gina had escorted Denny back to the wing, Sylvia appeared, looking both uncertain and yet defiant. Nikki had Sylvia's personnel file open on her desk, and was flipping through its fairly voluminous contents. "Doesn't look all that impressive, does it," She said, when Sylvia came in and closed the door. "Oh, and I suppose yours looks lily white in comparison," Sylvia retorted. "Yeah, it does, since my second appeal," Nikki told her, only just resisting the urge to break into a smile. "But then that's probably because I haven't had enough verbal and written warnings to repaper the entire wing, with a demotion into the bargain. You've led a colourful life behind bars, Sylvia, I'll give you that." "At least I've always been behind them for the right reasons," Sylvia spat, her anger now removing any of her previous restraint. "Oh, what was that then," Nikki demanded. "To belittle anyone who didn't quite come up to your scrutiny, or to take out your grudges against the world on the people supposedly in your care, whilst putting in as little real effort as possible." "I've given fifteen years to this service," Sylvia stated vehemently. "God knows how," Nikki responded immediately. "Though I'm guessing that your tenuous connections with your much loved union might have something to do with it. Tell me, Sylvia, when Karen gave me a blank cheque as to your discipline for yesterday's debacle, what do you think she might have had in mind?" "Daniella Blood stole my keys," Sylvia protested. "What was I supposed to do?" "Look after them, I would have thought," Nikki replied almost calmly. "Because they are after all your only way out of here. So, again, what do you suppose I should do with you? Because even the threat of demotion, together with your very last written warning, doesn't seem to make you learn your lesson." "You've been waiting for this, haven't you," Sylvia rounded on her, leaning over the desk, presumably trying to threaten the woman she'd once put in strips. "Sylvia, I'm just trying to do a very difficult job," Nikki replied, not allowing Sylvia's proximity or venom to get to her. "You know, that old excuse that I've heard you use on more than one occasion. The point is, that yesterday wasn't the first time you've lost your keys to a prisoner. It was in fact the third, which tells me that you have a problem." "Oh, and I suppose I should be grateful that you can't give me days in segregation like the rest of them?" "Yes, perhaps you should," Nikki told her, now beginning to lose her patience. "So, what I do have planned for you, will not only keep you working at the pace required of you, but might teach you to pay attention to detail in your work, something that I feel has been distinctly lacking for a very, long, time. You are being put under supervision by a senior officer, and will be given one year's probation. If, at the end of this time, your work has improved, along I might add with your general attitude, the supervision will no longer be necessary, and you will be re-instated at the officer grade you are now at. If, however, you are still displaying your current, highly pathetic attempt at your duties as a prison officer, we will very seriously have to consider letting you go, and please don't think I'm joking." "Not even Madam's ever done something like this," Sylvia said venomously, unconsciously giving Karen the name she'd always accorded her behind her back. "Which makes it all the more ingenious then, doesn't it," Nikki replied, nailing Sylvia to the spot. "The only other thing you need to know, is the name of the officer who has been assigned to be your supervisor. Having known Gina Rossi for years, I'm sure you'll have no problems working with her." "What?" Sylvia demanded in horror. "You heard me," Nikki replied firmly. "Now get out." As Sylvia almost stumbled from the room, Nikki gave Helen's picture a thumbs up, the face in the frame that she always kept on her desk, almost appearing to give her a sly little wink, to tell her that she'd been right to do what she'd done.