BACK FROM THE BRINK 3-01

NUIT ROUGE

Réalisateur : Mike Adams
Scénariste : Maureen Chadwick

L'HISTOIRE

Shell a poignardé Fenner au niveau de l'abdomen avec un tesson de bouteille. Alors qu'il se vide de son sang sur le sol, elle se barricade dans sa cellule avec le gardien. La directrice tente de raisonner la prisonnière sans succès. Après avoir prévenu les autorités, elle appelle Helen et lui demande son aide.

Nikki est toujours décidée à partir pour San Francisco. Alors qu'elle demande à Helen de l'accompagner à l'aéroport, celle-ci fait subitement demi tour et prend le chemin de Larkhall. Elle tente de raisonner Nikki et reçoit tout à coup l'appel de Karen. Elle décide de profiter de l'occasion pour aider Nikki à regagner sa cellule. En effet, avec cette histoire, la prison et sans dessus-dessous et personne ne remarque son absence. Sur place, Nikki retrouve Barbara et lui déclare que tout est fini et qu'elle n'a plus d'espoir.

Helen parvient à raisonner Shell. Elle accède à ses demandes et la convainct même de se rendre. Malheureusement, Karen intervient trop tôt et demande à Sylvia de défoncer la porte. Les gardiens se précipitent sur Shell, la mettent hors d'état de nuire et la descendent en isolement. Jim est rapidement pris en charge par le médecin mais il a perdu beaucoup de sang et fait un arrêt cardiaque.

Helen réalise qu'elle ne peut pas continuer à entretenir une relation amoureuse avec Nikki. En effet, elle ne viole pas seulement la loi, elle rend Barbara complice puisque celle-ci est au courant de tout. Par peur, principe et honnêteté, elle met un terme à leur liaison. Nikki la traite de lâche et une fois seule, Helen se met à pleurer, anéantie.

CAPTURES DE L'EPISODE

Nikki : Did you get a cab OK?

Helen : Nikki, you're not gonna get to San Francisco.
Nikki : Huh?
Helen : It's a 12-hour flight. Think.
Nikki : I'm not gonna go direct.
Helen : It doesn't matter. Your passport's gonna be red hot wherever.
Nikki : [getting exasperated] It won't be my passport. I'll use Trish's. I've got the wig.
Helen : [sighing and looking grim]
Nikki : [tugging Helen's hand like a child] Helen, please: All I need is a cab.
Helen : [sternly, like] Nooo.
Nikki : Well, if you're worried about calling one here, I'll...
Helen : I am trying to get you to think things thrrrrough. What about the nurse, if you're not back tomorrow?
Nikki : It'll be those piss-head screws in the s---. There's nothing they can pin on her. She'll be on a plane herself in a few days.
Nikki : [facing Helen, holding her gaze] Darlin', it's us we gotta look after.
Helen : Which is why I'm begging you: Don't be stupid.
Nikki : You'll soon know I'm safe.
Nikki : [amusedly] Can you lend me 20 quid for a cab?
Helen : [brusquely, pushing Nikki's hand away] I'll drive you.
Nikki : [calling after Helen, who has clomped off to get dressed] Love it when you're bossy!

Sur la route, Helen conduit et Nikki est sur le siège passager :

Nikki : It's gonna be hell, waiting for you. Probably be months, won't it? Listen, Helen, if you ever ... [interrupting herself as a horn honks behind them] I forget I look a total prat. Dusty Springfield's ugly sister, eh? [smiling] Worked all right on your gormless gateman, though. He thought I was a right dizzy blonde.
Helen : Do you really think you'da gone back to prison, Nikki?
Nikki : What?
Helen : If you hadn't seen that letter.
Nikki : Why; do you wish you hadn't shown it to me now?
Helen : No, I mean if we still had hope for your appeal like we did, and we'd spent this night together, do you honestly think you'da gone back to prison?
Nikki : [pensively] Yeah. I would've, yeah.
Helen : Why?
Nikki : 'Cause I really did think we were gonna win it.

Au feu rouge, Nikki demande à Helen de prendre à droite. Mais au démarrage, Helen prend tout droit et bloque les portières :

Helen : I'm taking you back to Larkhall.
Nikki : Huh?
Helen : There's-no-escape-I've-already-called-the-police
Nikki : What?! What're you doing?
Helen : If you give yourself up at the gate, I'll say that you only escaped to make a protest to me about your appeal.
Nikki : Noooo.
Helen : I promise.
Nikki : [shouting] Noooo!

Nikki attrape le volant et provoque une embardée. Malheureusement la police n'est pas loin :

Officer Butchly : You been drinking, madam?
Helen : No, I haven't. I saw a cat; I thought it was gonna run out in front of me.
Officer Butchly : [mocking] A cat?
Helen : Under a car. That's why I swerved. Look, I'm very happy to take a breath test.
Officer Butchly : You nurses? You'd better get home to your bed, then, girls.
Helen : Cheers.
Officer Butchly : Go careful. [winking]

La voiture de police s'éloigne...

Nikki : [bitterly] Why don't you turn me in?
Helen : Shut up.

Le téléphone d'Helen retentit. C'est Karen qui lui demande de revenir à Larkhall pour les aider à résoudre un incident majeur : Fenner est dans la m....

Helen : This is a perfect cover to get you back inside.
Nikki : What?
Helen : I thought I was gonna have to drive around till morning. It'll be mayhem now.
Nikki : Just a second.
Helen : Look, no one knows that you've escaped. I didn't call the police. I still can, and will if you try and make a run for it.
Nikki : What do you mean, you didn't call the police?
Helen : I dialed 999 but I couldn't go through with it. I just want to get you safely back to your cell. With any luck.

Nikki paraît furieuse. Helen tente de la réconforter mais Nikki la repousse.

Helen : Nikki, if we want a future, the only chance we've got is to keep fighting for your appeal.

Retour à Larkhall :

Helen tente de négocier avec Shell :

Helen : Look, I've come in from home especially to try and help you.

Shell : Yeah? Well, that's your sad life, then, i'n't it? Don't dump it on me.

Nikki perd le contrôle :

Nikki : I want my life back!

Helen : Stand back from this door! ... Get out here...
Helen : Now!

Helen réalise que Barbara sait tout de son histoire avec Nikki.

Dans le bureau des officiers :

Helen : Shut up, move it ! ...

Helen : Just tell me one thing, Nikki. What have you told your cellmate?
Nikki : Huh?
Helen : I'd forgotten that you shared a cell.
Nikki : She knows it went ass-up.
Helen : No, I mean what does she know about me?
Nikki : [silence]
Helen : [grabbing Nikki] For God's sake, tell me!
Nikki : Why? What's it matter?
Helen : Oh, God.
Nikki : Well, how'd you think I...
Helen : I didn't think! I just imagine you in bed on your own.
Nikki : [taking Helen's shoulders] Darlin', it's OK.
Helen : [shrugging Nikki off] No, it's not OK.
Nikki : I didn't tell the nurse about you.
Helen : I didn't think you told anyone.
Nikki : You told Dominic McAllister.
Helen : It's not the same.
Nikki : Why? 'Cause he's not a con?
Helen : Because I told him about my feelings. You told a prisoner that I broke the bloody law.
Nikki : Well, she's not gonna dob you in it. She thinks you're a saint. Look, it was doing my head in! I told her it was all over between us. I don't have to say any different.

Helen : It is all over.

Nikki : What?
Helen : It's got to be. Here am I, judging Jim Fenner for having an unprofessional relationship with Shell Dockley. And look at me.
Nikki : Don't be mad.
Helen : I am being a total hypocrite!
Nikki : He's a total bastard!
Helen : [voice breaking] I can't hold it together anymore, Nikki. Neither can you. It's too strong, what we feel and what we need. It's impossible. We've gotta let go. We have no choice.
Nikki : This is just s---, Helen.
Helen : It's how it is.