"What?"
Bea leaned back in the chair, ignoring Vera's question, as she knew the governor had definitely heard her.
"You're stepping down?"
Bea stared blankly at Vera and barely nodded.
"You can't… You can't step down. That's not how it works."
Bea continued looking forward and shrugged, unwilling to debate the matter.
"Smith, what's going on with you?"
Bea focused on the ticking of the clock in the governor's office. Her eyes were bloodshot from not sleeping for three nights, dark circles highlighting her vacant stare.
"Smith, if this is about Ferguson…"
"I don't give a fuck about the Freak," uttered Bea.
Vera's puzzlement was visible. She looked down at her desk, towards her computer, and wondered what exactly had happened to make Bea want to step down from her position as top dog, and what was happening that made her stop concerning herself with Ferguson, especially now that Bea had been called to testify against her during the trial in a month.
"Smith, if you step down, this prison will become a madhouse."
"It's a prison. It is a madhouse."
"…Smith, you can't just step down, especially now. Proctor or worse Ferguson could usurp the position and then what?"
Bea pushed herself up on her knees and looked down at Vera.
"I guess we'll see."
Vera stared as Bea walked out of her office in disbelief. She rubbed her face and breathed deeply, racking her brain to try to think of what to do now despite being disturbed by the thought of the hell that was about to be unleashed. Vera grabbed her radio and called for all senior officers to report to the staff room.
…
Bea had avoided the mess hall for the past few days, terrified to have to see Allie once again. She hadn't eaten anything and had conformed herself with drinking water from the sink in her room. She had avoided the courtyard and only showered during rec time. Bea returned to her unit and closed the door behind her, leaning against it and sliding down to the floor. She hit her head against the door twice before dropping her head forward and running her hands through her hair, burying her nails into her scalp. Bea shuffled a bit to pull her pants down then reached for the broken scissors she kept in the gap between the wall and her shelf. She dragged her finger across the blade and looked down at her thigh, as many as twenty cuts now adorning her skin. Bea threw her head back, hitting it against the door again as she buried the blade into her leg and dragged it across her skin, hoping the physical pain would numb the mental anguish.
…
Allie brought her glass of water up to her mouth, finishing what was left of it and wiping her lips with the back of her hand. Ferguson watched her out of the corner of her eye, realizing that something seemed different about her. She turned to look at the H1 table, where only Liz and Sonia sat.
"Is it just me or has Smith skipped out on one too many meals this week?" asked Ferguson, watching for Allie's reaction.
Allie simply shrugged without looking at Ferguson as she waited for Kaz to finish her meal to clear their trays and begin her work duty.
"Actually haven't seen much of her at all lately," responded Kaz, turning to Liz and Sonia. "Oi, Liz, any news from Maxine?"
Liz and Sonia looked over at the H3 table, the rest of the tables quieting and waiting for Liz's response.
"No, nothing yet, Kaz" replied Liz, going back to her conversation with Sonia.
"It's been a few days though…You reckon Bea knows something we don't?"
"What makes you think that?"
Kaz shrugged and looked around the mess hall.
"Haven't seen much of her in a while. I wouldn't put it past her to keep bad news to herself, especially given the guilt she must feel for letting Maxine go alone."
"She did not let Maxine go alone. It was not her decision," interjected Sonia.
"Then where the hell is Bea, huh? It seems she isn't here for any of the women anymore apparently."
"Kaz, love, just finish your lunch, okay?" added Liz.
Kaz rose from the table, setting her hands on it as she addressed the women in the mess hall. Allie placed her elbows on the table and massaged her face, uninterested in hearing the speech Kaz was about to deliver to further revile and condemn Bea in the eyes of the women.
"You know, we have let Bea Smith get away with a lot, because we thought she would protect us, she would help us, she would represent us. And what do we get in return? A top dog who can't even be expected to show up for her girls. A top dog who…"
"My goodness, Karen, how could your ass possibly not tire of all the shit that comes out of your mouth?" Sonia slammed her cup down on the table and stood up, turning to face Kaz. "Let these women enjoy their excuses for food in peace for once. Now sit down and finish your fucking carrots."
Kaz was taken aback by Sonia's boldness, a woman who up until now hadn't seemed confrontational or coarse with her words. Kaz's face turned red, her chagrin more than evident, and she opened her mouth to say something but Sonia stopped her.
"Now."
Kaz didn't know how to respond to this woman who until now had mostly been off of Kaz's radar. All she could do was sit down and stare at Sonia.
"Good girl," Sonia nodded in Kaz's direction.
Sonia inhaled deeply as she pushed her tray towards Liz to have her clear before leaving the mess hall. Liz couldn't hide her confusion, never having seen this side of Sonia before either. Ferguson glared at Sonia as she walked out, a little disconcerted to see how she was able to command Kaz. Allie did her best to hide her amusement as she watched Kaz eat her carrots.
…
Bea sat across from Bridget, focusing on nothing but the ticking of the clock in the room. She had her hands clasped together and slouched in the chair as she twiddled her thumbs.
"Bea, some people here have expressed concern about your recent behavior," began Bridget as she tried to get Bea to make eye contact with her.
"You don't have to lie. I know the governor was the one to suggest this session."
"Well yes, Governor Bennett, but your friends have also…"
"I don't have any friends," interrupted Bea, looking at the wall behind Bridget.
"That's not true, Bea. You would be surprised by how many people here care about your wellbeing."
"The governor just wants to keep someone she can deal with in power."
"I'm not talking about…"
"Is this session obligatory? If it is, by all means, slot me as soon as I leave."
Bea rose from the chair and headed towards the door, reaching for the handle.
"Allie asked me to speak with you."
Bea froze, a strange surge of joy hitting her simply at the mention of Allie. She dropped her hand and turned back around, trying to keep herself as composed as possible.
"Allie?" Bea felt pain as she spoke her name.
"She told me she believes you're not eating, you've been skipping out on meals, and retreating from your group of friends, Liz and Sonia particularly."
Bea's eyes went to the floor. She felt guilt build up inside her as she remembered what she had done to Allie.
"She doesn't know anything about me," Bea remarked as she turned back towards the door.
"I understand you're concerned about her safety, Bea…but you shouldn't isolate yourself in an attempt to protect her…or to protect yourself."
Bea looked up at the ceiling as she placed her hand on the door handle, gripping it tightly but unable to turn it to open the door.
"I can't protect anyone."
Bea turned the door handle and walked out of the room. Bridget twirled her pen in her fingers as she looked out the window and exhaled deeply. She looked down at her notepad, tossing it to the floor as she stood up. Realizing what time it was, Bridget pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed a number as she began to pace the room, waiting for an answer.
…
"Allie, get up, let's go."
Allie looked up from her book to see Kaz standing over her and a crowd of women in the common area of H3.
"What?"
Kaz yanked the book out of her hands and threw it in the sink. She gestured towards the women outside her room.
"Come on, let's go."
"Where are we going?"
Kaz turned around and exchanged looks with Ferguson, who was at the front of the pack before grabbing Allie's wrist and pulling her up from her bed.
…
Sonia's eyes remain fixed on Bea, seeing nothing but a shell of a woman as she mechanically went about her work with the steam press, seemingly staring at nothing and barely even blinking. Her attention went to Bea's hands, both bruised and scabbed, as if she had hit a wall. Then she focused on Bea's eyes, red on the inside and black on the outside. Sonia leaned back against the table where Liz was folding sheets.
"She hasn't always been like this, has she?" asked Sonia whisperingly as she leaned in to Liz.
Liz turned to look at Bea then back at Sonia as she continued folding.
"Nah, but this prison changes you."
"How long has she been in here?"
"Far too long, love."
Sonia removed her glasses and began to clean them with a lens cloth. Her eyes went to the clock as she did this, then to Officer Miles, the only guard present, who suddenly walked out of the laundry room. The door to the laundry room opened again not five seconds after it had closed and Kaz walked inside, followed by her crew and over fifteen other women. A few women grabbed pillowcases and headed for the cameras, covering them with the pillowcases. Liz and Sonia looked back over at Bea, who either didn't notice the horde that had packed the laundry room or didn't care about what was about to happen as she brought the steam press down on yet another white sheet.
"Oi, Bea, a word?" called out Kaz as she came within a couple of feet of Bea.
Bea finally looked up, not paying attention to the twenty-something women who weren't supposed to be in the laundry room, choosing to solely focus on Allie for the few seconds she had to treasure the sight of her. Bea raised the steam press and removed the sheet, folding it once and placing it on the table. She ran her left hand through her hair, managing to tear away at scabs that had not yet healed on her scalp.
"What d'you want?" Bea asked uninterestedly as she grabbed another white sheet.
"Our group here represents the voices of over a hundred women in this prison who have come together to let you know that we've all had enough of your unchecked power and complete ignorance of their needs."
"Is that right? What's your group's name, the Blue Left Foot?" remarked Bea as she placed the sheet on the steam press.
Allie couldn't help but smile, something Bea noticed as she fought back a smile of her own upon seeing the glow in Allie's eyes. Sonia and Liz laughed as Kaz scowled at them before turning her attention back to the person who not long ago was her paragon of strength, bravery, and virtue, now reduced to nothing but shattered pieces of an idol.
"You think this is fucking funny?" asked Kaz, coming a few steps closer to Bea.
Sonia and Liz began to approach Bea, but were stopped when three women from Kaz's group stood their ground in front of them, towering over the two smaller women. Liz made eye contact with Doreen, who stood next to Ferguson at the front of the group. Liz shook her head at Doreen, but all Doreen did was cross her arms and turn back to face the standoff between Kaz and Bea.
"Look's like Queen Bea's out of soldiers, huh?" whispered Kaz to Bea.
Bea glowered at Kaz, exhausted from all the stress this woman who once revered her had now caused her. Kaz turned her head towards her group, signaling with her head towards Bea and snapping her fingers. Two women rushed behind the steam press on either side of Bea, one punching her in the face and the other kneeing her in the stomach. Liz and Sonia tried to break through to help Bea, but the women from Kaz's crew attacked them, one punching Sonia and knocking her to the floor, the other grabbing Liz and throwing her against the table behind her, causing her head to hit the cornered edge of it and knocking her out. As Bea struggled to remain standing during the violent assault, one woman grabbed her by her right arm and the other by her left arm.
Allie watched in horror as Bea refused to even fight to break free from their hold. She had no energy, no willpower, no spirit left to fight anymore. Bea knew the transfer of power couldn't happen without any blood, so despite the pain she felt, the blood she spewed, she seemed to find some inkling of peace with the thought of finally being relieved of the position and of the world she had watched erode around her since she arrived in prison. Kaz stepped over to the steam press and turned to face the women.
"We don't need a top dog in this prison."
Her remark was met with approval from the crowd, who cheered and even clapped. Ferguson smiled, as she was pleased with the reaction of the women and for witnessing Kaz finally take charge.
"We don't need someone who makes us feel like targets. We don't need someone who makes us feel less safe. We don't need someone who puts us in danger."
The women all voiced their agreement as the woman holding Bea's head and right arm forced her down into the opening of the steam press, as Bea instinctively struggled to keep them from pushing her head down altogether.
"We don't need Bea Smith," declared Kaz as she placed her left hand on the steam press handle.
"NO!"
Allie charged towards Kaz and tackled her into the woman behind her who was holding Bea's right arm and the back of her head. All three women fell to the floor as Allie began to hit Kaz with all her force. The woman holding Bea's left arm rapidly forced it into the steam press and brought the steam press down. Bea screamed as the press burned through her flesh. Allie screamed out Bea's name as she turned and reached up, pushing the steam press open from below, burning her own right hand as she came into contact with the blistering surface, but allowing Bea to pull her scalding arm out of the machine. Bea fell back against the dryers, holding her arm out in horror as she shook from the tremendous throbbing pain in her arm.
The woman who had forced Bea's arm into the steam press pulled Allie by her hair to drag her off of Kaz and throw her back on the floor. The other woman stood back up and kicked Allie in the stomach and then in the face. Bea jumped up and over Kaz on the floor and forced the woman hitting Allie to face her as her burning left hand battered the woman straight across the face, causing Bea extreme pain. The other woman tried punching Bea, who pulled back quickly, causing the woman to miss and stumble, giving Bea the opportunity to grip the back of her head and smash it against the outside of the steam press.
While Bea had her back to her, Ferguson stepped forward to wrap her arm around Bea's neck and interlock it with her other arm like a snake, chokeholding Bea and dragging her behind the steam press as Bea struggled to breathe. Kaz and Allie both jumped up from the floor at the same time, and as Allie tried to run towards Ferguson and Bea, Kaz lunged into her, tackling her into the wall, and began to beat her as she fell on top of her, grabbing Allie by her hair and bashing her head against the concrete floor.
In all the commotion, no one noticed Sonia rise up from the floor and dart towards the panic button. The congregation of women scattered like wild animals at the sound of the sirens going off, leaving only Liz, Sonia, Kaz, Allie, Bea, and Ferguson in the laundry room, the rest of the women unwilling to suffer the consequences of whatever tragedy was about to occur. Ferguson's hold of Bea's neck grew tighter and restricted her breathing. Slowly, Bea stopped wrestling against Ferguson and began to give out, drifting into unconsciousness as the physical exertion and drain her body had endured over the last few days overwhelmed her.
"Time for you to abdicate your throne, my dearest queen," Ferguson whispered into Bea's ear.
Bea's eyes closed. Suddenly, Ferguson loosened her hold on Bea, who fell forward to the floor coughing and gasping for air, as Sonia had snuck up behind Ferguson and buried her nails into her eyes. Ferguson screamed as she spun around to blindly attack Sonia, who pushed Ferguson back into the steam press, quickly grabbing her hand and bringing the press down on it. Ferguson howled as Sonia threw her weight on top of the hot steam press to ensure Ferguson was harmed as profoundly as possible. Try as she might, Ferguson was unable to pull her arm out as Sonia's body weight held the steam press closed. Blood flowed from both her eyes as Ferguson squeezed them shut from the pain, making it impossible for Ferguson to see Sonia or try to fight against her.
Bea's head turned to see Kaz on top of an immobile Allie and forced herself to get up and run to pull Kaz off of Allie with her right hand. With what little strength she had left, she struck Kaz across her face, while Kaz took the blow, and then reached to grab Bea's left arm and bury her nails into it, forcing Bea to let out a scream from the pain. Kaz pulled Bea's left arm and threw her to the floor, bringing herself down on top of Bea, as she buried her knee into Bea's bleeding and throbbing left arm, and driving her nails into the woman's neck as she strangled her.
Sonia finally slipped off of the steam press and slid to the floor as Ferguson yanked what was left of her arm out in the middle of screaming, streams of blood flowing from both of her eyes. Sonia scooted back a bit, a smile creeping over her face at the sight of Ferguson in agony. She turned to look at Bea, only to see Allie rush towards Kaz and deliver a vicious kick to her face.
Kaz was knocked unconscious by the force of Allie's kick. She fell off and next to Bea as Bea rolled away from Kaz and began to cough up blood. As Allie watched Bea vomiting blood, the door to the laundry room opened, and Vera, Will, Jake, and Miles all ran inside, all freezing at the sight of all the blood in the room, all unsure of who to help first. Vera's eyes scanned the entire room. Liz lay unconscious and bleeding from her forehead, Ferguson lay bleeding from her eyes and her arm, Sonia sat with the blood of Ferguson's eyes staining her fingers, Kaz lay unconscious with blood flowing from her face, Bea lay bleeding out of her face, her arm, and her mouth, and Allie simply stood there, looking at everyone around her, as she bled from her nose, her lips, and her head. She looked down at Bea again and fell to her knees, gently grabbing Bea's head and cradling her as she continued to cough up blood, while Vera, Will, Jake, and Miles continued to stare in shock, as the sirens continued to blare throughout the prison.