written by Coops
Episode Two - Shit Happens
Synopsis
When Helen arrives at the prison in the morning, she passes Nikki in the yard - and doesn't even say good morning.
Mrs Fenner is continuously getting anonymous calls from Dockley. Fenner is still convinced that Nikki is behind it, especially after Dockley suggests that Nikki might have a mobile phone.
Yvonne Atkins' husband sent some flowers in to her. Bodybag deliberately leaves them on the radiator before delivering them. Atkins is not amused and starts plotting her revenge with Denny, who also has a run-in with Bodybag when she wants to buy a birthday card for her mum. They pay a maintenance man to smuggle in some lacy underwear - it's not clear why yet.
The Julies make a birthday card for Denny to give to her mum. Shell is jealous of the attention Denny pays to Yvonne.
Fenner decides to search Nikki's cell, on the pretext of looking for drugs. When he starts throwing her books around she freaks out, and in the confusion, slaps Dominic McAllister. She is dragged down to the punishment block. Fenner of course doesn't find anything in her cell. Helen comes to the block.
"OK Nikki this is it. I have given you every
chance to make things better for yourself in
here."
"Lucky they're still alive."
"Oh that's really intelligent
talk!"
"Do you honestly think that I've got drugs
in my cell?"
"If an officer suspects you of
having--"
"Don't give me that! Fenner's as bent
as they come and you know it."
"I will not have allegations of that kind made
against my staff! You're already on the Block for
a week, you'll lose your enhanced over this;
don't make things any worse for
yourself."
"Well the bastard was chucking my books
around."
"You only have those books because of me. Any
more of this crap and I will take them
away."
"What?"
"You heard."
"You're only behaving like this because
you can't handle it. Then why don't you give
in, miss, and stick your tongue down my
throat?"
[Helen walks away, pausing at the door]
"You just don't get it, do you
Nikki?"
Lauren Atkins meets the maintenance man outside the
gates to give him the underwear. She is definitely
her mother's daughter!! She also meets
Denny's mum, Jessie, and gives her an envelope
containing £200, for her birthday. [I am a bit
suspicious about Atkins' motives here - she may
feel sorry for Denny but that's an awful lot of
money and "more where that came from"].
Jessie visits Denny and says she doesn't deserve
her. Denny tells her she just wants to be a family
again, looking after each other.
Zandra is back on the wing, and Dominic tells her that if she needs to talk, he is there. Zan thanks him for saving her life on the roof.
Still on the Block, Nikki asks to see Helen. She
is rude to Karen Betts who puts her on report. Helen
arrives in the middle of it.
"So no improvement in your
behaviour?"
[no answer]
"Is that a no?"
"It's a piss off, like I just gave that
other tart. You gonna put me on report as well? Why
are you being like this? Can't you see what
you're doing to me?"
"And what about what you're doing to me?
Don't make this any harder for me!
"Yeah, must be hard, getting angry with someone
you've snogged!" "Oh please Nikki, be
serious."
"I want to make love to you all night long. Is
that serious enough?"
[pause]
"I know I knock Fenner, at least when he
fancies a con he has the courage to give her
one." [Helen walks out without a word.]
Josh, the maintenance man brings the underwear in and gives it to Denny. Bodybag comes into the washing room and is suspicious, so Josh demonstrates the broken machine. As Bodybag leans over, she gets a jet of water in the face!
Not knowing that Nikki is on the Block, Dockley continues calling Mrs Fenner. She arranges to meet Fenner in her cell later, and warns Mrs Fenner that she will call back to give her proof.
Betts brings Nikki's clothes and tells her she's being moved. Helen is waiting by the prison van, and Nikki asks her where she is being sent. Helen doesn't reply, and as the van drives off she looks close to breakdown. She is later seen in her office caressing the photo on Nikki's file.
Shell rings Mrs Fenner and tells her to stay on the line. She then hides the phone in the bedding, and Mrs F hears her and Fenner having sex. Afterwards Mrs F goes to the prison, slaps Fenner and throws a bag of clothes at him. When he hears that Nikki was transferred that morning, he realises that Shell was behind it all along. He goes to her cell, finds the phone and beats her up. He throws the phone in the kitchen rubbish.
Betts finds Shell bloody and battered, and takes her to Helen. Shell tells her about the affair and the mobile phone, but denies calling Fenner's wife. She says that Fenner wound Nikki up deliberately so that she would get transferred. Fenner denies everything, saying that Shell attacked him and then started banging her head against the floor. Stubberfield and Helen question him, and he denies receiving anonymous phone calls. Stubberfield is all set to let him go back on the wing, but Helen insists he should be suspended pending an inquiry. She issues an ultimatum, saying "either he goes or I go!" Stubberfield backs her, but he and Helen have a row as she suspects a whitewash. "Can I remind you that I am in charge in Larkhall whether you like it or not." "Well I don't like it! I don't like it one bit."
Angry and confused, Nikki is returned to Larkhall. Helen comes to her cell and sits next to her on the bed.
"Nikki, I want to apologise. You told me you were provoked by Fenner, I've reason to believe it now."
"Oh well bloody marvellous. I'm shipped
round the country in a cattle truck while you work
out the obvious."
"I said I'm sorry."
"So what's brought this on
then?"
"Fenner's just been suspended, over a
suspected relationship with an inmate."
"Not Shell Dockley by any chance?"
"Listen Nikki, about what happened today. I let
my emotions cloud my professional judgement. I
thought I could fight them, I was stupid."
"What are you saying?"
"I won't be looking after your case
anymore."
"What?"
"I've resigned."
[shock horror]
"Helen, you can't do this to me, this
isn't fair."
"Listen, I've just suspended Jim Fenner
when I'm guilty of the same offence - in thought
if not in deed."
"So what now?"
"Well I'm not your jailer anymore...
which means I can do this."
[She takes Nikki's face in her hands and kisses
her deeply. Nikki breaks the embrace]
"What?" "Say you'll visit me -
please. Say you'll visit me."
"Nikki, it's too difficult."
"Helen you can't leave me like this. This
is shit."
[stroking N's face] "Shit
happens."
Helen leaves the cell. Nikki crumples into tears and so does the whole nation. Not a dry eye in the house.
