There’s been a lot of tension here at Wentworth in the past few weeks, I’ve noticed it a lot while taking group sessions with the inmates. Of course, Franky remains top dog, but from what I have observed, there are a number of other women who wish to take her place. I have a session with Franky in a few minutes, it has been slightly awkward the last couple of times we’ve seen each other, it’s no secret between the two of us that we are attracted to one another – it’s just a frustrating situation because we can’t act upon our feelings. If we, for example, met on a night out – there is no doubt in my mind that we would have hooked up – and probably kept on seeing one another as well. I know she has a shot at parole if she stays out of trouble, and I can only hope that she does.
There’s a knock on my door, I look up to see Miss Miles walking in, followed closely by the person taking up all of my thoughts recently.
“Hey Gidge, how’s it going?” Franky says, heading straight to the sofa and making herself comfortable. Miss Miles leaves, closing the door behind her.
“Hi Franky, good to see you. What would you like to talk about today?” she gives me her signature smirk as I ask.
“Hmm, let me think – ah I know, you. I want to talk about you, do you miss me? I know I miss you, and I’m so bored, I need out of here.”
“Well I enjoy the sessions we have together Franky, tell me, what’s new? Anything been happening?”
“Nothin’ much, same old same old. I’m on my best behaviour though, I swear I am, but it’s hard.”
“I know, and you will get out of here Franky, I’ll make sure of that – you deserve it.” I reach across us and squeeze Franky’s hand, all of a sudden – there’s a commotion in the hallway outside my office, figures with hoods up run past the window, Franky leaps out of her seat and rushes to see what’s happening.
“Oh shit – Gidge we have a problem here.” I look at her; panic is clearly evident on her face.
“What’s going on out there Franky?”
“How the hell did this happen! Gidge, somehow they’ve gotten into the administration block – it’s not safe and it won’t be long before they break down that door and come in here.” Franky says, looking straight at me.
“Well, what do we do? Where the hell are the guards?”
“They’ve probably already taken them out – you need to get out of here Gidget, this is a power play, they’ll be after me, I can handle them – but I’m not risking you getting hurt.”
“Franky, there’s no way I’m leaving you!”
“Bridget! It’s dangerous, please listen to me. Right, actually second thought I want you to stay in here while I go and check what’s happening okay? Please do this for me – I can’t keep you safe if you don’t.” she’s pleading with me now, how can I say no to that face she’s giving me?
“Right, right, okay – but I have one condition.” A quizzical look appears on Franky’s face.
“Which is?”
“That I get to do this.” I step towards her, so we are nose-to-nose, then after a few seconds of gazing into her eyes, I crash our lips together – in what will be our first kiss. We stay like this, exploring each other’s mouths for a few minutes, Franky is the first to pull back.
“Wow – that’s the best condition I could have ever hoped for.” She flashes me a huge smile.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for so long.” I say, brushing my fingers across her face.
“Me too Gidge, that was better than I ever imagined – and I hate to ruin the moment, but I really need to get out there, okay?”
“Right, yes of course – please be careful baby, and don’t be too long.”
“Pet names already Gidge? I like it.” She winks at me.
“In all seriousness though, I won’t be – I wouldn’t dream of leaving you for too long by yourself, okay?” I nod my head at her.
“Just one more before you go.” I say, our lips connect for a second time, in a much less heated kiss than the first.
“I’m going this time, put something against the door after I leave okay? Don’t let anyone in – understand?” I just nod at her again. A minute later and she’s gone, I lock the door and use a chair so it jams the handle.
Ten minutes pass, all I can hear is yelling and screaming coming from outside my office – I must say, I’m terrified, not just for myself but for Franky too. Suddenly, there’s a huge bang from just outside the door – like someone has fell to the ground. I chance a look, peering through the closed blinds – what I see is horrific. I rush to remove the chair from the door and unlock it – opening the door I crouch by the figure on the ground, there’s so much blood, I can’t see clearly where it is coming from.
“Vera, Vera – it’s Bridget – can you tell me what happened? Where is this blood coming from!” I say, as I frantically try to see where the wound is, I then see a hole in her abdomen, probably from a shiv.
“Right, wake up Vera, we need to get help, if you stay here you’ll bleed out, let’s get you up okay?” I start to try and drag her by her arms – when I feel a pressure on my lower back.
“Not so fast – turn around.” I recognise the voice, I think the other prisoners call her ‘Juice’ – I comply, and slowly start to turn.
“Please, we need to get her help, she’s severely injured – she could die.” That’s when I notice the shiv in her hand, covered in blood, before I say anything else, a powerful punch is landed across my face, the force is enough to send me flying back, making me lose my balance and knocking me to the ground. I end up on the floor next to Vera.
“Shut up, bitch – she’s staying right here and so are you.” I lift a hand to my face, that’s when I notice I’m bleeding, my cheek has been split open by the powerful blow.
“Okay, okay – please don’t hurt me.” I say, still laying on the ground, as she towers over me.
“I make no promises – it might be a bit of fun to rough you up a little.” She says, with a sick laugh that sends shivers through me.
“If you lay so much as a finger on her – I’ll kill you myself!” I hear this being yelled from behind me – immediately recognising Franky’s voice. I turn my head around; this is when she notices my face.
“Did you do that to her face?” Anger is evident in her voice as she takes long strides, reaching me and crouching down to eye level.
“You okay Gidge?” she gently touches my cheek and wipes away some of my tears, tucking some loose hair behind my ears as well.
“I’m fine Franky, but Vera – she’s not, we need to get her help right now.” We both look to Vera, who is unconscious next to us.
“We will, but first – let me take care of this situation.” I’m unsure what she means, she stands up, pulling me to my feet next to her. She then looks to ‘Juice’ who doesn’t appear to be as confident now as she was before.
“No one, and I mean no one – lays a hand on my girl, got that?” Franky says, ‘Juice’ frantically nods, but before she can say a word, Franky punches her hard in the face, sending her flying into the wall and knocking her out cold.
“Son of a bitch!” Franky yells, holding her hand.
“God, Franky – I was so scared.” I say, as she pulls me in close and holds me.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now, I’m here – I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Thanks for saving me.” I place a small kiss to her lips, then we both shift our attention to Vera.
“Think you can help me lift her Gidge?” I nod and we both get to work lifting her up, we head towards the staff entrance – hoping to find help somewhere.
“So, I’m your girl, am I Franky?” I say with a smirk as we continue to walk.
“I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me? Because I’d really like nothing more – I know there’s rules – but fuck ‘em, I can be out of here soon I hope, and want to be with you, if you’ll have me.” I have tears in my eyes at Franky’s words, she’s not exactly one to express feelings freely.
“Yes, I would love nothing more.” I say with a megawatt smile.
“Shit, is that Vera? Get her over here, there’s ambulances waiting.” I hear Will say as he rushes over, taking over from me, as him and Franky carry her to a stretcher.
“I think she’s been stabbed in the abdomen; she’s lost a lot of blood.” I say, as the paramedics assess her.
“Okay thanks, we’ll take her from here, do you need a medic?”
“No, I’ll be fine – just need to get myself cleaned up,” I say, looking to Franky.
“Mr Jackson, could I give Miss Westfall a hand cleaning up please?”
“Sure, just don’t take too long.” We head to a nearly bathroom, where Franky instructs me to hop up next to the sink so she can clean the cut.
“I got some antiseptic from the medic, might sting a little, sorry in advance.” She says, taking position between my legs. I hiss at the first contact of the wipe, but soon she’s finished.
“Absolutely beautiful.” She says, I don’t want her to move away just yet, so I wrap my legs around her – pulling her closer to me.
“You okay there Gidge?” she asks, looking on at me with concern at my clinginess.
“Not really – Vera could die, I could have been shived and laying there like her – something could have happened to you, it just made me think – that life really is short and unexpected, we should make the most of it while we can.” I say, and pull her lips to mine.
“Hmm, well if we’re making the most of life, and not wasting time – I guess I should tell you something.” Franky places another kiss on my lips then moves her head back, she takes my head in her hands and holds my face so I look straight in her eyes.
“I think, Bridget Westfall – that I’m falling in love with you.” I can’t hold back my tears at her words, they were so genuine.
“Oh god, you have no idea how happy that makes me, because, Francesca Doyle – I’m falling in love with you too.” Her eyes start to water as well, as we once again crash our lips together.
Two weeks later, Vera is out of the hospital, having given a glowing report of Franky to the parole board from her hospital bed last week – today is the day Franky is being released – and because she more or less saved the Governors life, Vera pulled some strings, allowing Franky to stay with me and only be on parole for three months – after that she will be completely free and we can put her incarceration at Wentworth behind us and look forward to the future – and our new life together.
THE END