Old Vinegar Tits was up to it again. She had very few pleasures in life, but nothing gave her more enjoyment than provoking the inmates and sitting back with a satisfied smirk as they clashed with one another. She delighted at the sense of control it gave her, not something she was well acquainted with in her own life.

Since catching Travers and Doyle together a few days ago she was aware that there was danger smouldering between them. still. One clever blow from her could ignite those sparks again. An outsider could have seen this as sour grapes as Doyle had not made a move on Vera since Karen’s arrival. Vera was not jealous of Karen; she loathed the woman. She couldn’t see why everyone was so enamoured by her. Gregg Miller and Steve Wilson fawned over her like lovesick schoolboys, it was all pathetic.

She had come up with an arbitrary reason to have Travers moved out of the dorm she shared with Bea Smith and had recommended she be moved in with Doyle. Mrs. Davidson had agreed easily as she knew Karen had been assisting Franky with her reading and had been a positive influence in the incident on the roof. Luckily for Vera, Mrs Davidson was not quite up to date with their latest falling out. Sitting in her office surrounded by certificates, the Governor didn’t have a clue when it came to running this place. It was Vera who was right in amongst the filth. Only she knew day to day how the prisoners behaved. They were no better than animals in a zoo.

Karen was upset about the room change and tried again to argue that she did not feel safe, but Vera was having none of it.

“You are a cold-blooded killer who stabbed your husband multiple times, please do not come the poor weak woman act with me. I saw only recently that you can manage Doyle. Maybe you should ask one of your boyfriends for help or are they not up to the job?”.

After the evening shower that night, Karen moved her belongings into her new cell. Franky was sat on her bunk, towel drying her short blond hair. She was dressed in only boxer shorts and a vest. Clearly both of them were thinking about their last meeting. Franky lit a ciggie and watched Karen as she put away her things. Karen would not meet her gaze. Something had invaded her thoughts ever since that last time. Try as she might and she had; she couldn’t control her fascination with Franky or dampen her desire to carry on where they had left off.