Dwyer looks at Sandra with shock

Dwyer - Smith killed your daughter?

Sandra- Indeed yes

Dwyer - In God's name how?

Bea stares at Ellen

Bea - Do you realize what you're asking?

Ellen - Yes of course I do. I wish I didn't have to ask this of you believe me

Bea - Yes well you shouldn't have asked, this is way too much to expect of anyone

Ellen - Really? I didn't think you'd find it that difficult, you have killed before

Bea - Those times were entirely different from this. This is not something I want to be responsible for

Ellen - Look all you have to do is get my pills, I'll do the rest from there. Is that really too much to ask?

Bea looks angry

Bea - Yes it is. How would I live with myself afterward?

Ellen - This is what I want. Put yourself in my place for a second, you can see how ill I am. Would you want to carry on living if you were like I am now?

Bea looks upset

Bea - Probably not no

Ellen - There is no dignity to it, I can't even visit the toilet without needing help ...and as for the pain, I have never felt such pain

Bea - Have you thought about how Josie would feel?

Ellen - Of course I have. I'm doing this for her sake too, I don't want her to have to watch me suffer like this anymore, I know she finds it hard to see me like this. I'll be gone soon anyway, its best for everyone if I go now and save any more upset. Please help me, Bea

Bea looks distressed like she is torn about what to do

Back with Sandra and Dwyer

Sandra - My Jacqueline started out as a trainee officer in Queensland, working in the prison i was running at the time. But once she fully qualified we both agreed it would be best if we didn't work in the same prison, so she moved to Melbourne with her husband, she started working at Barnehurst where Smith was

Dwyer - What happened then?

Sandra - Jacqueline was foolish enough to get herself blackmailed by another prisoner. This prisoner was threatening to have her husband killed if she did not cooperate. The prisoner was Amelia Ford, the powerful drug pusher and gangsters moll who Smith waged war with. Who Smith eventually lagged on.

Dwyer - Yes I remember all that, Smith got witness protection for it

Sandra - Yes that's right, but what you probably weren't aware of was that Smith had also found out that Jacqueline was helping Ford and this made Smith angry. She wanted My Jacqueline to pay too. The stupid brain dead thug didn't realize that Ford had my poor Jacqueline over a barrel. She just wanted Jacqueline to pay for it regardless like she wants everyone to pay where drugs are concerned. During the fire, Smith confronted Jacqueline one final time and they had a fight. Smith lost it and killed her

Dwyer - How do you know all this?

Sandra - I had a contact in the prison, I asked them to keep an eye on Jacqueline for me and report back to me. She witnessed the fight and the murder and informed me later on. I wanted to make Smith pay but we all thought she was dead. But now ever since Smith has resurfaced alive I have been biding my time waiting for the right moment to get her

Dwyer - What do you intend to do with her once she is here?

Sandra - You have nothing to worry about James I assure you, I shan't do anything that will look bad for your department

Dwyer - Hmm well I should hope not!...one thing I am curious about though who was your contact in the prison?

Sandra - A woman called Lorelei Wilkinson, was a prisoner at Barnehurst at the time. I shared a friendship with Lorelei in Queensland years before. I knew her long before she ended up in my prison! That was difficult at first but we overcame that and continued our friendship. She was a kind woman who cared about her friends. She told me all about her friends Joan and Audrey who had been at the prison a few years before I arrived there....and about her cellmate Maxine who died in a robbery gone wrong. She told me how she tried to help them all.... and when she contacted me from Barnehurst a few years later I knew she would look out for Jacqueline for me, she agreed to look out for Jacqueline and keep me informed without question when I asked

Back with Bea and Ellen

Bea - I don't think I can do it I'm sorry

Ellen - Please, just get my pills. All I need to do is take an overdose and it's all over

Bea - Well where are the pills?

Ellen - The sister keeps them in the cabinet over there

She points to a corner of the room

Ellen - It's supposed to be kept locked but they don't seem to bother here

Bea goes to the cabinet and opens it, she sees a packet of pills and takes them out

Bea - Is this them?

Ellen nods her head

Ellen - Yes, they are very powerful painkillers and I am only supposed to have one every four hours. If I take that whole pack I'll be dead within 15 minutes

Bea approaches holding the packet

Bea - I'm really not sure about this Ellen

Ellen - It's the right thing, Bea, trust me

Bea lays the packet down on the bedside table

Bea - You'll need a glass of water with that

Bea walks off in a highly subdued state

Back with Sandra and Dwyer

Sandra - I hope I can trust you to keep what I have told you today to yourself, I don't want it spread around

Dwyer - I can keep a secret...I just hope you can keep your promise that anything you do won't reflect badly on my department

Sandra nods her head

Sandra - I can

Bea hands Ellen a glass of water

Bea - Well I'd best go then, leave you in peace

Ellen grabs her arm

Ellen - No Bea please stay, I don't want to die alone. This may be the right thing to do but I'm still scared

Bea sits down

Bea - Ok I'll stay

Ellen begins to take the pills

Shanice and Norman are having a fosters and a fag in the garden

They are both laughing

Shanice - Did you see the look on Jimbo's face as they led him away

Norman - Yeah it was a hoot!

Shanice - I hope Jimbo goes down

Norman - He will, it's a serious crime harboring a fugitive

Shanice glances at the empty house

Shanice - Jimbo gone. Karen gone! I feel so happy!

Norman - I reckon that empty house could come in useful for us don't you?

Shanice smirks knowingly

Shanice - Oh you don't mean what I think you mean do you Normy?

Norman smirks too

Norman - I think I probably do

Shanice does a playful shaking of the head and tutting

Shanice - You are a naughty man Normy!

Ellen has tears streaming down her face as she swallows the last pill

Ellen - Well that's it, all gone now. It's just a matter of waiting now, it won't take long

Bea - It's not too late to change your mind, I can help you throw it all backup

Ellen shakes her head

Ellen - I won't change my mind. I'm not even sure I feel scared anymore. I thought I would but I feel calm now...I just feel sad more than anything else, sad at how I messed my life up so badly...and messed Josie's up too

Bea - Josie is still young, she has time to make it better

Ellen - Oh god I hope so, you can't begin to imagine how much I want something better for her....at least once I'm gone I won't be dragging her down anymore

Bea - I'm sure she doesn't feel like you drag her down

Ellen - Maybe she doesn't but I know I do. I don't feel it, I know it. Truth be told I was never fit to be a mother really

Bea - You're a little harsh on yourself, we all make mistakes as parents

Ellen - Some worse than others

Bea - My daughter died because of my mistakes, it doesn't get much worse than that

Ellen -Mine ended up being dragged to prison alongside me because of mine, that's still pretty bad

Bea - Yes but look at how you fought for her to get her treatment all those years ago

Ellen - Yes at the expense of poor old Lizzie, who we abandoned afterward

Bea - Well you know how I feel about that and that hasn't changed. But I still admire the way you did that for your daughter. You didn't give up because you love her

Ellen - But it still wasn't right what we did to Lizzie

Bea - I'd probably have done the same for Debbie if I had to

Ellen - I really did care about Lizzie you know, Josie and I both did. I regret how we didn't make the effort for her after we took her money

Bea - I know

Ellen - Do you think Lizzie forgives me for it?

Bea - Of course, she does. Lizzie wasn't a person to hang on to any ill-feeling. She didn't have any malice....well she didn't have that much malice anyway

They both have a mild chuckle

Shanice pulls up outside a newsagent in her ute

Ellen is struggling to keep her eyes open, she holds out her hand

Ellen - Hold my hand, Bea, please

Bea does so

Ellen - Please look after Josie like you promised

Bea - I will

Ellen - Having you do this for me today and sit here with me means so much

Bea - I didn't really do that much

Ellen - You did more than you realize...thank you

Ellen closes her eyes

Bea is tearful

Bea - Goodbye Ellen

Shanice climbs back into the ute where Norman is in the passenger seat

Norman - Well?

Shanice - Yeah they agreed to put the ad in the window

Norman - Now we're already half way there, all we have to do is sit back and wait for the calls to start coming in

They both chuckle

The nurse arrives in Ellen's room where Bea is still sat looking subdued and tearful

The nurse is surprised to see her

The nurse -- Smith? I thought you left ages ago

Bea - No I stayed to keep Ellen company

The nurse - Well she needs to rest now so you'll have to go

Bea stands up

Bea - Oh I wouldn't worry Sister, she won't be short on rest now

The nurse looks at Bea with confusion

Bea - She slipped away just now

The nurse rushes to the bed and finds the empty blister pack

The nurse - My god did she take all these?

Bea - Yes, it was almost a whole pack

The nurse - How did she get them? I kept them in the cabinet which she wouldn't have been able to reach in her condition

Bea - I gave them to her

The nurse - You did what? Did you realize what she intended to do with them?

Bea - Oh yes

The nurse looks horrified

Bea - It's what she wanted, she asked me to do it for her

The nurse - We'd best go and see Mrs Powell

They leave the room

Bea glances back sadly at Ellen as they leave

Josie is spaced out in her cell

Bea is standing in front of Colleen who looks horrified

Colleen - Why Smith? You promised me you didn't hold any bad feelings against Ellen anymore

Bea - And I don't. It's like I told the sister, it's what Ellen wanted, she asked me to help her

Colleen - And you expect me to believe that?

Bea - It happens to be the truth. She was clearly suffering a lot. It helped me understand a little better why dear old Mum helped her husband die all those years ago and why Jude helped Haze and Kath Maxwell helped her daughter. At that moment when I saw her lying there in agony pleading with me to help her end it, I got what it was like for them

Colleen - Isn't it more likely that you forced the pills down her throat?

Bea looks genuinely hurt

Bea - Well you must have a pretty low opinion of me if you think I am capable of doing something like that, that's all I can say

Colleen - You do have form Smith, I'm sure I don't need to remind you

Bea - I don't have a form for forcing pills down the throats of people who are terminally ill. Not the sort of thing I would do

Colleen softens a bit

Colleen - Alright...alright... let's say I believe you. It doesn't alter the fact you helped her which is still a serious crime. You have to expect there to be consequences for this Smith

Bea - I do and I don't mind that

Colleen turns to Bruce

Colleen - Take Smith to Solitary and then bring Josie here to see me

Bruce - Yes Governor

Bea - Break it to the poor kid gently won't you Mrs Powell?

Colleen (annoyed) - Yes of course Smith....what do you take me for?

GATESLAM

PART 2

Exterior shot of Wentworth

Shirley is on the white line. Matt has the charge sheet

Matt - Your name is Shirley Harris and you are on remand for charges of fraud and escaping lawful custody, is that correct?

Shirley is angry and bitter

Shirley - Yes, that's correct

Bruce is back with Colleen

Colleen - I thought I told you to bring Josie here?

Bruce - Yes you did...I found her in her cell

Colleen - So why isn't she here?

Bruce - It may be easier if you came and looked for yourself rather than me having to explain

Colleen leaves the officer with Bruce

The rec room

Everything seems subdued. Louise arrives in the room

Louise - I have something important to say

Everyone pays attention

Louise - We can ignore the issue of the top dog if we like but the fact is our top dog is in the pound and she isn't likely to change her opinion on me when she does get out, regardless of the fact you have all accepted me now. So with that in mind, we should address the issue of whether we really want her as the top dog anymore?

Jessie - The trouble is the way I see it there doesn't seem to be anyone else around who is top dog material right now. The only other real candidate is Kath and she's in the pound too

Louise - I would like to nominate myself as top dog

They all look at her in shock

Leanne - You?

Louise - Yes why not? You've all accepted me now, right?

Leanne - Yeah sure...but that doesn't necessarily mean you are suitable as a top dog

Louise - I think I am. I am a naturally dominant person and a natural leader. Vote me in and you will make history here today. First-ever transsexual top dog. Who is prepared to give me a go?

The majority of the room put their hands up, some somewhat reluctantly though

Ailsa gets out of her seat looking angry

Ailsa - SHE KILLED MY CONNIE AND YOU VOTE HER IN AS TOP DOG? YOU'RE A PACK OF MORONS THE LOT OF YA!

Ailsa runs from the room

Louise attempts a chuckle

Louise - I had hoped dear old Ails may have put that ridiculous idea to bed, but seems she has not

Leanne - She's just a crazy old bat, Lou, we all know that

Louise - Never has a truer word been spoken

Jessie gets up and shakes her hand

Jessie - Well congratulations eh Lou

Louise - Thanks Jessie

Matt arrives in the room with Shirley

Matt - Hope I didn't interrupt anything!

Louise - No we've just about finished now

Matt - This is Shirley ladies, she's new

Matt leaves again

Louise holds out a hand to Shirley

Louise - Hello and welcome

Shirley - Hi.....who are you?

Louise - I'm the top dog

Leanne - Yeah we just voted her in before you arrived

Louise - You arrived at just the right time Shirl that's all I can say

Shirley attempts to look thrilled and excited but is clearly upset to be back inside

Josie is still spaced out in her cell as Colleen and Bruce stand over her

Colleen - This is just great isn't it. How am I supposed to tell her her mothers dead? She won't take any of it in the state shes in

Bruce - Wait until tomorrow, let her sleep it off?

Colleen sighs

Colleen - Yes I suppose you're right. Let's lock her in so that we know where she is, in this state i don't fancy the idea of her waking up and wondering around

They leave the cell and lock the door

Shirley is sitting at the rec room table with Jessie, Leanne, and Louise

Shirley - So Jim's been sent to Woodridge on remand. On top of harbouring a fugitive they got him on the fact he was also on bail over an alleged assault too and my little daughter is being looked after by my friend Helen and I'm here so that's the end of that. I should have known my lovely idea would ever actually happen, not to me, I'm Shirley Harris the loser

Jessie tries to console her

Jessie - Hey come on love, chin up eh

Shirley - I'm sorry you must all think me a dreadful bore. It's just being back in prison and away for my child, it's hard to take right now

Leanne - I wonder who shopped you?

Shirley - When we were in the police car going in Jim kept on about some neighbour of his called Shanice

Leanne - Shanice? Hang on you're not talking about Jim Fletcher, are you?

Shirley - Yeah, you must all know him right since he works here?

Louise - Yeah that's right....the only thing is we all thought he was with Kath

Shirley - Oh you know her too do you?

Louise - Yeah she's in here with us, in the pound right now though

Shirley - Well Jim was willing to leave Kath for me, that's how much he loved me

Leanne -I'd be a bit worried about how Kath is going to react when she gets out of the pound if I were you

Shirley - Tough is she?

Louise - Well let's put it this way, she makes Mike Tyson look like a pussy cat

Shirley - Oh I see...well if she wants to fight me I can fight her, I was the top dog in the previous prison I was in. I'd rather not fight her tough, tired of trouble I am

Shirley looks concerned as the others quietly giggle behind her back

Ailsa is in her cell as Louise arrives

Ailsa - Please go away!

Louise = No, I think we should have a talk

Ailsa - I don't want to talk to you, you murderer!

Louise - I didn't kill Connie

Ailsa - Yes you did...or at least Brewer did it for you. Connie knocked you back so you did her in

Louise - Did Kelly feed you that rubbish?

Ailsa - She told me the truth, she told me how you set Raymond up

Louise - Absolute rubbish

Ailsa - You have killed many others and tried to kill Cheryl too, I saw it all remember, I know what a nutcase you are

Louise looks ready to explode

Louise - I did that with both you and Kelly as you know damn well...I seem to remember you were as eager as we were and Kelly was the instigator. Now you're trying to put all the blame on me

Ailsa - I know what Kel and I did but I believe her when she says that you killed Con

Louise - Yes, she is a good actress I grant you

Ailsa - And besides, the others may have accepted what you are but I ain't. Must just be my generation but this type of thing is regarded as sick and unnatural....like being queer only a hundred times worse. And why they have all voted you in as top dog I will never understand. I only hope you aren't there for long

Louise bursts out laughing

Ailsa - What is so funny?

Louise - You talk about things that are sick and unnatural, while you yourself are a cannibal... and you actually manage to keep a straight face as you say it. Amazing

Ailsa - Just get out murderer!

Louise gives Ailsa a smirk and leaves