Two weeks had passed since Bea awoke from her medically induced coma, two long weeks comprised of long quiet days of watching walls and listening to the rhythm of her heart rate to the sound of a beep.
She had spent every moment trying to force herself to remember. The guard that had been posted on the day she woke up had filled her in on who she was, why she was there and why she was in hospital. For days her head had swam afterwards as she tried to piece it all together. She had spun the information around her head every way possible to try and fit the words to herself, but despite all the evidence she had been shown, she just couldn't believe that she was a cold blooded killer.
She glanced at the ring binder laid on the table. The nurse, who she now knew was called Stacey, had taken her time collecting articles from the internet, everything she could about the notorious Bea Smith, printing it all off and composing it into a folder for the convict in hope that it would help prompt the woman's memories to return. Days later she had brought in a portable dvd player with a disk full of clips downloaded from youtube, each clip a news segment starting from the announcement of her arrest, through her court case and on to all snippets of gossip from her incarceration since.
However still, there was no recollection. She had been visited by a short, strict looking woman who went by the name Vera Bennett, who had informed her that she was the governor of Wentworth prison. After several visits, the governor had agreed to remove the restraints from her wrists and instead be restrained by one ankle, for security purposes.
A second visitor arrived by the name Bridget who had informed Bea that she was the counsellor at the prison. She had stayed only an hour on that first visit, spending most of the time jotting things down in a notebook. Since the initial visit however, she began staying longer and her visits felt less official each time. After her third visit she had begun bringing gifts in… magazines, books, an iPad loaded with game apps, plenty of things to help pass the time between receiving the little visitors she had. By the fifth visit in just over a week, Bridget had brought a companion along to visit her, who had greeted her with a painful, yet comforting, hug and a huge smile.
Her visitor went by the name Frankie, and she was told that they had been incarcerated together. From the stories she had been told, they had started out as enemies, building into a mutual respect which eventually blossomed into a strong friendship.
Bridget and Frankie had spend endless hours over the last week, telling stories to Bea about her escapades in prison and her friends who were waiting for her back in H1. Frankie had been spending time visiting one of their mutual friends every other day to update them on Bea's progress.
It was just passing 6pm when a light tap on her door roused her from her musings, she glanced up just in time to see the two women on her mind enter the room, one carrying a briefcase and the other carrying an overnight bag.
Frankie instantly went to give Bea a hug and kissed the top of her head affectionately.
"How's the patient today? Feeling up to a prison break yet?" Frankie grinned causing Bea to grin back.
"I wish… this place is driving me insane, I have never been so bloody bored in my life!" Bea exclaimed "well I don't think I have anyway!" Bea smirked causing Frankie to laugh.
"Frankie, don't encourage her to be thinking about escaping or these little visits will have to stop" Bridgit grinned, placing the overnight bag on the table and making herself comfortable in a seat.
"What's in the bag? A saw to cut the cuffs on my ankle?" Bea grinned, throwing Bridget a smirk, knowing the prison worker enjoyed the banter but couldn't be overheard discussing prison breaks with a convicted criminal.
"Ha ha no! It's actually some of your things. After our chat yesterday I managed to hunt down your lawyer today and with Gidge's help as a prison official, we managed to talk him into allowing us access to a storage container which is holding some items from your estate." Frankie informed her proud of what she had been able to orchestrate in such a short amount of time.
"oh ok… thanks… so what's in the bag?" bea asked again, nervous about what could be produced.
"well let's take a look Queen Bea, shall we?" Frankie grinned mischievously, pulling a large leather bound book from the bag and handing it to the red head who held it in her hands for a few moments unsure of whether to start looking or not.
Upon noticing her friends discomfort, Frankie kicked off her shoes, and nudged onto the bed with Bea. She gently peeled the book from the smaller woman's hands and opened it to the first page.
It was a picture of a very young looking Bea with man "That's your ex Harry" Frankie announced "I saw him visit you a few times, I don't know all the details, but I do know he was an abusive prick who hurt you" Frankie informed as she studied Bea who was looking intently at the picture of her smiling face. She absorbed what Frankie had said as she stared intently at the picture, the man in the picture was a complete stranger, in fact if she hadn't have been told that he was her ex, she wouldn't have been able to pick him out of a line up.
They flicked through the photo album, laughing at the photos it contained. Bea growing embarrassed as some of the fashion choices she had made. Bridget had started out content to just admire her partner sharing a special moment with her friend, but before long ended up sat on the opposite side of Bea participating in the laughter.
Frankie turned the page again, this time the picture was of a early twenties Bea laid in a hospital bed, she was wearing a large baggy t-shirt. Her hair was thrown up in a loose bun and she looked thoroughly exhausted. In her arms lay a tiny baby wrapped in a pale pink fleece blanket.
Unconsciously Bea gasped, her fingers reaching out to trace over the picture.
Beneath it was a tiny wrist band, on it written 'Baby Smith' along with a date and a weight. As her fingers traced the band a sole tear leaked from her left eye and rolled down her face. As she flicked through the next few pages, the trio sat in silence, each studying the pictures, but none as intently as Bea.
They turned to a page with a picture of a light blonde toddler sat in a high chair, Bea stood behind her beaming with happiness as she trimmed the young child's hair. A label underneath it informed Bea that it was Debbie's first haircut and a date, in the top corner of the page a hole had been punched out and a small silk bag had been attached. Bea opened the bag carefully and pulled out curl of hair with a pink ribbon tied in a bow in the center. She pulled the curl to her face, closing her eyes she inhaled its scent.
Her stomach churned at the emotions running through her, she still couldn't remember anything but she felt a burning of despair deep within her chest and heart when she thought about the daughter called Debbie she couldn't remember. She felt Frankie's strong arms encircle she shoulders, she felt dark hair against her face as Frankie's head leaned against her own. A hand softly began rubbing soft, warm circles across her back, she absently realized that the back rubber must have been Bridget.
"God I wish I could just remember already!" Bea snapped.
"Give it time Bea, your body has been through a lot and you need to let it heal. The doctors are confident your memory will come back, it's just going to take time" Bridget soothed.
Three hours had passed as the three women flicked through numerous photo albums and drawings that Debbie had done at school and that Bea had done and saved. Eventually, with Frankie's stomach signaling its disapproval at not being fed yet, the two visitors decided it was time to head out. They would leave the bag and its contents with Bea for her to look through at her leisure.
"before we go, I have a surprise for you tomorrow" Frankie announced, a mischievous grin on her face.
"a cake with a large file in it?" Bea smirked as Bridget laughed softly and shook her head.
"Better" Frankie announced as she moved off the bed and slid back into her shoes.
"I have taken the day off of work, and managed to talk Gidge here into convincing the governor that it would be beneficial for your memory and recovery for you to have some visitors. We couldn't push it too much, but she has allowed Liz, Maxie, Booms and Allie out on visitation" Frankie grinned, looking forward to being able to sit in a room with all of her friends again.
"Gidge has wrangled it too so that she will be on escort with Will…. Jackson, that guard who you had an alliance with… so it will be a fun day, and because I love you so much… the hospital has even agreed to let me bring in some cakes and they will even let you have a little one" Frankie couldn't contain her excitement.
"that's… err…. That sounds great Frankie!" Bea forced a smile.
"Nervous?" Bridget asked softly, laying a hand on Frankie's forearm to calm her down.
"no…. No… I mean yeah… kinda… I mean these people all know me… and I have no idea who they are… it may just be, you know… awkward." Be admitted.
"Queen Bea, these girls are our family, they love you, they miss you, they are worried sick about you. They just want to come and see that your alive with their own two eyes… nothing bad is going to happen and believe me, the awkwardness will last seconds, then you will feel completely comfortable with them" Frankie promised, the seriousness on her face expressing the truth in her words. Her face cracked into a smile as the mischief returned to her eyes.
"you may way to get the nurse to give you a bed bath in the morning… you don't want your girlfriend thinking that you have let yourself go" Frankie grinned as Bea's cheeks reddened.
"I don't even know the woman… I can't believe I'm gay…. And with a woman I don't know and have never met… what is she like?" Bea asked nervously. Her shyness taking over her entire demeanor.
"I haven't met her" Frankie laughed "but you have told me plenty about her. You really fell for her, like one minute you're a hard arse and the next minute you were completely pussy whipped and a lovesick teenager" Bea frowned at Frankie's description trying to imagine herself behaving that way.
"its true" Bridget added. "we had several conversations about your feelings for Allie, they seemed genuine and strong… and although I can't discuss other inmates, it's no secret that I tell you Allie is worried sick about you, has been begging anyone she can for any information about you and begging to come visit you. She misses you and is worried sick about you"Bridget added, hoping to settle Bea about how the other woman felt for her.
"Right… so your telling me that a crack head prostitute got me too fall madly in love with her, swear off men, change teams, and act like a lovesick puppy? It sounds like something was off about this whole scenario" Bea admitted quietly.
"just shut up, take my advice to make yourself look pretty tomorrow ok? You won't regret it" Frankie promised with a twinkle in her eye.