Marina takes a seat

Marina - The first condition is I want the governor's job. I want Powell gone and you're going to help me

Roo - I dunno sweetheart. Powell treats us pretty decently, you don't. Why should I help you achieve something that will only mean our lives here will be even more miserable?

Marina - Because if you're my top dog, if you're working for me and helping me you'll be looked after. It's the other women who will suffer and you surely can't tell me you care that much about any of them?

Roo puffs on her fag and gives Marina a look

Janice is alone in the hotel room as there is a knock at the door, she opens and looks surprised

Janice - Dad!

Gordon - Hello Janice

Janice - How did you know I was here?

Gordon - Your mother told me, can I come in so we can talk?

Janice - Yes I suppose so

She lets him in

Richard is alone in his office at Wentworth as Sandra arrives in the doorway

Sandra - Miss Bennett told me that you wanted to see me, dear?

Richard glares at her with sheer anger and hatred on his face

Richard -Yes, come in and close the door

Sandra steps inside

Marina - Well what's it to be Roo? If you're not interested I can always find someone else you know

Roo - I'm not entirely sure I trust you that's all....before today you always said you hated me and wanted me to pay for Sean's death. Now suddenly you want to work with me?

Marina - Maybe I realise that Ferguson was the one to blame not you.....and I made sure she paid!

Marina grins

Roo looks interested

Roo - Yeah? What did you do to her then?

Marina - Never you mind that. Just give me an answer now, yes or no

Roo shrugs

Roo - Yeah ok, why not? I'll work with ya

Marina - A wise choice Morgan

Gordon looks around the hotel room

Gordon - Where is your boyfriend?

Janice - He has gone to work

Gordon - You can't stay here Janice, its a dump

Janice - Yes well it wouldn't have been my choice, but I lost my flat and I have nowhere else to go

Gordon - Yes your mother told me you've been in prison!

Janice - Oh I bet she did. Never hesitates to run me down...did she tell you I was innocent, I got set up?

Gordon - Yes she did

Janice - At least that's something she didn't lie about then

Gordon -Let me help you out...you and whatever his name is

Janice - His names Richard

Gordon - You can both come and stay with me,

Janice - No thanks, we're ok here

Gordon - But it makes sense...I have that big old house with all those empty rooms and here you both are squashed in here

Janice - Look you weren't there when I needed you before, so why now?

Gordon - I know I let you down but I want to make up for it now

Janice - You stood by to do nothing while mother abused me for years, I used to come to you crying about it and you did nothing

Gordon - I know love, but you know what she's like. She's a dominant woman, knows how to get her own way. I was scared of her too. I know I was a coward and I let you down but I do love you

Janice has tears in her eyes

Janice - I love you too. I tried to hate you but I couldn't quite manage it

Gordon hugs her

Gordon - Then let me help you both now, what do you say?

Janice - I'll have to talk to Richard about it first

Gordon nods his head

Gordon - Fair enough

Richard locks the door

Sandra - Locking the door Richard?

Richard - So we won't be disturbed yes

Sandra - Ah, just like your private meetings with Janice?....by the way I did hear she got out again, I suppose you're shacked up together, what a cosy pair

Richard - Shut up about Janice! I don't want to talk about Janice, I want to talk about Darren

Sandra - Yes i suppose I tried to put it off but I knew this time would come

Richard - You know how much trouble he is in because of you...

Sandra - Believe me, darling, had I known, had I had any clue what he was doing I would have tried to stop it. The silly boy wanted to please me!

Richard - SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP, I'M TIRED OF YOUR LIES!

Sandra looks taken aback

Sandra - I think I'll go now you need to calm down

Richard blocks her exit from the room

Richard - I haven't finished with you yet.....

Gordon hands Janice a piece of paper

Gordon - Ring me when you've spoken to Richard and decided what to do

Janice nods her head

Janice - I will

She opens the door

Janice - It's good to see you, dad, why did you leave it so long?

Gordon looks ashamed

Gordon - I guess I was scared to face you...but I'm glad I finally have

They hug

Eileen arrives in the hallway

Eileen - What a beautiful little reunion I must say!

The women are on an outside rec

Bea is sitting by Lizzie's tree

Bea - Oh Lizzie, it's all such a mess. I can't seem to get through to Josie. You'd be horrified if you saw the state she's in, but I will keep trying with her

Bea looks ready to cry

Bea - And as for Chloe. They finally know she was set up, but what good is that to her while she is lying in a coma?.... every day I wait for any news and every day nothing changes. It's killing me, I just want her to wake up and be alright, I want that so much.....

Bea attempts a laugh

Bea - You couldn't have a cheeky word with God for me, could you? Ask him to bring Chloe back for me, I'd be grateful for the favour love I really would

Bea laughs again

Bea - Listen to me, I must be losing my marbles!

Judy is looking over from some distance across the garden as Sonia joins her

Sonia - It's a worry isn't it Stevens?

Judy - What is Stevens?

Sonia - Smith talking to herself like that, you have to wonder about her sanity don't you

Judy - Listen, Stevens, for your information that tree was planted there in Lizzie's memory. All Bea is doing is talking to her old friend, that's all got that?

Sonia - Ok Bryant, no need to get angry

Judy - Yeah well I'm just about sick of your comments about Bea!

Sonia And I'm just about sick of Smith interfering in my business when she is no longer top dog, i am

Judy - She doesn't want to see Josie destroy her life on drugs that's all....but we wouldn't expect a cold-hearted bitch like you to understand that

Sandra delivers a sweet smile

Sandra - Please allow me to leave dear, I have work to do

Richard - I'll let you go in a moment, but first, I want to make you aware of a few things

Sandra - I'm listening

Richard - I want you to know that I will make you pay for what you've done

Sandra - Richard, you must listen to me. I didn't do anything I really didn't

Richard - I know you manipulated him to do it for you

Sandra - I didn't and if he said that then he's a liar

Richard - You're the liar....we were finally going to try and rebuild our relationship after three years apart and now I've lost him to prison

Sandra - Remember why you disowned him, to begin with? He attacked a girl at his school and tried to rape her? He spent time in a youth detention centre

Richard - But I know he was younger and messed up back then, I know there's a good boy in him really

Sandra shakes her head in sadness

Sandra - Face it, you don't really know your son, what he is capable of. A boy who can try to rape a girl has a lot of darkness inside him. Well, when he came out of the youth detention centre and contacted me he was even angrier and darker than before. That time inside only made him worse, not better. Why do you think I kept you away from him?

Richard - You already told me why...

Sandra - That was a lie to protect you from the real reason why. The real reason was I wanted to spare you from him, he's a dangerous and damaged boy. I knew you'd think I did it for bad reasons anyway and you wouldn't believe it if I told you the truth so I was prepared to let you think badly of me for the sake of saving you from further pain

Richard shakes his head

Richard - You're such a liar Damn you!

Sandra tries to hug him but he pulls away

Sandra - Let me hug you, I can see you need comfort right now, I can see you're hurting

Richard - Of course, I'm hurting. I've just lost my son

Sandra strokes his face

Sandra - Darling, you lost him a long time ago and I think you know that. The boy isn't well, you were right to disown him three years ago. Sometimes no matter how much we love someone we have to let them go when we realise what a toxic person they are

Richard - Like you then? I realised what a toxic bitch you are!

Sandra - I've treated you harshly at times I know...

Richard - Harshly? You've been a monster!

Sandra - I'm willing to change my ways if you'd only let me have one last chance darling?

Richard looks incredulous

Richard - You are kidding right? You don't honestly think I'm ever going to come back to you after everything you've done do you?

Sandra - I'm not responsible for what Darren did, think about it for a moment and you'll surely realise that I knew nothing about it. He acted on his own and its the truth

Richard - Well even if that was true it's not just that anyway, there are many other things

Sandra - I'm willing to change...

Richard - I doubt it, anyway I'm with Janice now

Sandra - Janice is trouble, you'd be better off back with me. I am your wife, we should work at our marriage

Richard unlocks his door

Richard - Just get out Sandra

Sandra - I have cancer

Richard - WHAT?

Sandra - Cancer dear, terminal. They say I have about six months if I'm lucky

Gordon - I'll go, please call me Janice

Janice- I will

Gordon leaves

Janice and Eileen are left alone

Janice - What do you want mother?

Eileen - I thought I'd come and have a look at where you are staying

Eileen examines the surroundings

Eileen - Richard and yourself are welcome to come and stay at mine

Janice - Forget it, dad already offered the same thing. I'd much rather stay with him

Eileen - You always were a daddies girl

Janice - If I had to choose between you and him I'd always choose him yes

Eileen - I have no idea why, he is a pathetic man

Janice - At least he isn't poisonous and abusive like you are

Eileen - No maybe not...but he still stood by and did nothing to help you didn't he!

Janice - So you think that lets you off somehow does it? You were still the perpetrator mother. Ok so dad never did a lot to stop it and I still haven't totally forgiven him for that, but if you think that somehow lets you off then you're very much wrong

Eileen -Oh do shut up now Janice! We've been over all this before, you do like to rake it all up again

Janice-Just tell me why mother

Eileen - Why what?

Janice - Why I was abused but not Michael or Maureen?

Eileen - They knew how to behave, you didn't

Janice - That's nonsense, you just didn't like me. You didn't like how i was my own person, refused to lick your arse the way they did

Eileen - You would never do as you were told and you know it! You needed discipline! Your father would never give it to you so I did....someone had to!

Janice - And what about when I was locked in a cupboard full of rats! I screamed and begged to be allowed out and all you did was laugh behind the door

Eileen - You were punished for being bad! It's as simple as that

Janice - No that was not a punishment. Being sent to your room is a punishment, being grounded is a punishment, not being allowed to watch your favourite tv show is a punishment. What you did was sadistic abuse and you bloody well enjoyed yourself too

Eileen - You could handle it.....anyway it was character building for you!

Janice - Oh you were doing me a favour were you?

Eileen - Yes I was, certainly I was!

Janice - And Michael and Maureen could do no wrong?

Eileen - They were good kids yes

Janice - They were hardly perfect

Eileen - They were perfect in comparison to you!... I miss them both terribly. I lost them both thanks to you!

Janice - Oh here we go again! Yes, I already know you blame me for Mike's motorbike accident....so how am I to blame for Maureen taking Tommy?

Eileen - Because she took him to keep him away from you and you let her. You let them both leave and now we may never see them again

Janice - You were there at the time, you let them go too

Eileen - I could hardly tie her down and stop her

Janice - And you think I could? She had made up her mind to take him away

Eileen - And why didn't you refuse to let her take him?

Janice - Because I realised she was right that's why....anyway she's already poisoned his mind against me

Eileen - Again you could have fought to change that. I didn't expect you to just give up like that

Janice - I didn't give up, I decided to let him go for his own good. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and I still miss him terribly but I know she's looking after him well

Eileen - I bet you don't miss him at all! I bet you let her take him because you were bored of him!

Janice - You took him away from me remember? I had been begging to see him, if I was bored with him I would have just let you keep him....when you took him away from me I couldn't stand it, I missed him so much it hurt like hell. You'll be pleased to know that of course

Eileen - I was about to give him back to you remember?

Janice - Only because you realised what it was doing to him. You didn't care about what it was doing to me. If he had adjusted to it better you would have let me go on suffering for years and years, poisoning his mind against me, making me beg on my knees for a few hours with him and making me pay for it

Eileen laughs

Eileen - Yes it's true I did enjoy your torment! It was a lot of fun...you took my son from me so I took yours. No matter how much you say Mike's death wasn't your fault I still say it is and I like seeing you suffer for it

Janice slaps her in the face

Bea is shown into Bob's office

Bob - I have news for you Smith

Bea - About Chloe?

Bob - Yes

Bea looks hopeful

Bea - What is it Mr Moran, oh please tell me it's good news? Please tell me that!

Bob looks serious

GATESLAM

PART 2

Richard shakes his head angrily

Richard - You're lying again! Sick sick lies!

Sandra begins to cry

Sandra - I'm not lying! I wouldn't lie about something like cancer, god you know how I nursed my mother through cancer...watched her die slowly from the disease. You know what that did to me. It destroyed me to see her like that

Richard - I know yes

Sandra - Then how could you possibly think I could lie about something like that?

Richard - Because I don't put anything past you anymore

Sandra - Well you're being very unfair!...you also know what the Drs told me. The risk of me getting it too because my mother had it, well they were right

Sandra sobs with despair

Sandra - Oh Richard I'm so scared! I don't want to die alone, please! Please say you'll come back to me and help me through my last months!

Richard - I'm sure you're lying to me!

Sandra - I'm not I swear, you have to believe me, you're all I have left now....and as for Darren, I really didn't know what he was doing I swear

Richard - You still expect me to believe he did all this for you without your knowledge?

Sandra - I would ask you please to believe it yes since it is true

Richard - It doesn't make any sense, I don't understand why he would do it unless you asked him to

Sandra - He was obsessed with me that's why you know like he was obsessed with that schoolgirl he tried to rape...he was infatuated with me too

Richard - No, I don't believe that!

Sandra -I told him it was inappropriate, that it just couldn't happen. I'm much older than he is and married to his father! I said forget it it's not on

Richard - STOP LYING!

Sandra - I'M NOT LYING DAMN IT!... HE TRIED TO RAPE ME TOO JUST LIKE THAT POOR GIRL. HE HELD ME DOWN, WHISPERED THINGS IN MY EAR, FILTHY THINGS...I CRIED AND ASKED HIM TO LET GO...HE REFUSED! HE REFUSED TO LET GO! I KNEW I HAD TO FIGHT HIM OFF AND I DID, I FOUGHT HARD AND HE GAVE UP!... HE GAVE UP AND CRIED LIKE A BABY, SAID HE WAS SORRY AND BEGGED FORGIVENESS. I TOOK HIM IN MY ARMS AND HELD HIM LIKE HE WAS A SMALL CHILD AND I TOLD HIM I LOVE HIM AND I FORGIVE HIM

Richard stands looking stunned

Sandra wails with despair and drops to the floor

Sandra - IT IS MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE GOT HIM HELP WHEN I COULD, I DIDN'T DO ENOUGH FOR HIM!... I LET HIM DOWN JUST LIKE I LET JACQUELINE DOWN

Richard kneels beside her

Richard - You have to calm down before the other staff or prisoners hear

Sandra - Oh help me, Richard......HOLD ME!... HOLD ME!....... I CAN'T BE ALONE PLEASE! I CAN'T DIE ALONE!

Richard holds her as she sobs