Desolation Row

2

Days after days passed and yet there was still no change in Franky's condition. She was in a coma, oblivious to the diminishing hope and rising tension in the room. Alex did nothing but hold her hand and sleep, hardly eating yet still managing. Officers came in shifts, yet the most frequent being Jake and Mr Jackson. Unlike Jake, Will Jackson actually felt for the two inmates, conversing occasionally with Alex and sharing the odd funny story about Franky in the time at Wentworth. Apart from them, Vera had come to visit to give an update, although there was nothing new, the only other visitor being Detective Garrot, who nodded solemnly at them all before walking out. So it was a surprise when they actually received a real visitor in the form of Seddon, who was specially permitted to enter the room by Mr Jackson- luckily - despite Jakes protests.

Seddon sat opposite her, looking down sadly at Franky. "Damn. I tried to warn her you know. I just answered the phone when she said she had to go for some reason. I didn't get the chance to tell her, which is why I rushed straight to the reception. Too late though eh?"

She nodded. "You did your best. I don't suppose you know who it was?" Jakes head snapped up, praying to god he didn't know. "Er, still to be confirmed. All I heard was that some druggie was planning on attacking Franky, but that's all I got. " Mr Jackson scooted closer to the two. "Wait, do you mean a dealer or user?" Alex could see the gears turning in his head. It seemed the evidence was stacking up against Allie after all.

"No idea, but I reckon it has something to do with Ferguson." He said frowning. Mr Jackson knitted his brows together in confusion. "Why would it have anything to do with Ferguson? Franky's not in her firing line."

Alex and Seddon shared a look, with Mr Jackson unfortunately seeing it too. "Okay. You two are obviously hiding something relevant, so you either tell me or Vera. What dies Ferguson have to do with anything?"

Alex scratched her neck nervously. "Well, um... we've been trying to get dirt on her, Franky mainly. She's trying to prove me innocent..."

Mr Jackson paled and looked away, wishing he hasn't asked at all. Heay be friendly to Alex now, but that still didn't mask the resentment he had for her for killing his wife, although with her personality, it was sometimes easy to forget. "Well that sounds like a pretty shitty idea considering you already confessed. Why. Are you not sure you killed my wife? "

Alex bowed her head and remained silent. Seddon coughed awkwardly. "Well then, I better be off, already stayed past the visiting hours. Oh, and I brought you the cash you left in my account ages ago. Thought it'd help. ". He reached into his pocket and handed Alex a big bundle of hundred dollar bills, thicker than her hand. "Thanks," She replied with a tight smile. He gave her a quick hug, before bidding goodbye and leaving the room.

Again, there was no change in Franky's condition throughout the next two weeks. The routine was the same-eat, drink, sleep, repeat. When Linda Miles was on shift, Alex would slip her a hundred dollar bill, ask her to get them some lunch, keep the change. Mr Jackson would be polite because he had to, otherwise watching a game on his phone. Jake was more stressed and tense than ever, working most night shifts, pulling out IVs when no one was looking, or awake. But that plan failed time after time, the nurses sticking them back in, foiling Jakes plan. He was overall getting desperate. He could slip a fatal dose of something in her fluids, they'd never know. Unless they did an autopsy. He even contemplated smothering her with a pillow one night, one instance coming within centimeters of her face. He would have done it too, had Alex not stirred and spooked him. Nothing was working out for anyone.

Alex flipped through the case file franky had compiled, going over and over the information in it ten times over, sometimes for days on end. Nothing new jumped out at her. As far as she knew, she was the only one in the vicinity at the time. She was the one to feel the life drain out of Meg Jackson, to feel her go limp in her arms, eyes closed and body stilling, letting her drop to the ground as she ran off, leaving the body of Meg Jackson lying there, alone, before Bea Smith found her minutes later. Had she been the one to finish Meg off? Or was there another? There was a timeframe in which she was left unattended, but then what? Alex thought hard and looked through the file again, flicking through looking for anything. And then she found it.

Meg Jackson never had an autopsy.

Because maybe, just maybe, she Hadn't been stabbed. Maybe it was sometthing else.

Someone else.

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Heeey all.

Here we are with another book! Honestly the only reason I went for a third is because I had this awesome book title and no where to use it so voila! Plus if you haven't noticed, I renamed all of the books.

Thoughts?