They neared Adele’s cell door, and Caroline added, ‘Anyway, I must dash back now. I don’t like to leave her on her own but I wanted you to know.’

‘Thanks for telling me,’ said Adele. ‘I suppose it’s best if we all stick together as much as possible.’

‘Yeah, and you were right about Anna before. We should keep an eye on her, too. I don’t trust Shazza as far as I can throw her.’

‘Tell me about it,’ said Adele. She was now only a metre from her cell door and Caroline had stopped, ready to turn round and head back to her own cell. ‘See you later,’ Adele added.

Caroline gave her a tiny wave and Adele stepped forward pushing her cell door open. With her mind still on Caroline and her new study booklets, she was totally unprepared for the sight that met her.

‘Oh my God!’ she yelled, spotting Anna lying on the bed, her clothing soaked with blood.

She ran over to the bed, screaming Caroline’s name as a frisson of fear scurried through her, leaving a dry tingle in her mouth. But Caroline had already heard her and was soon inside the cell.

‘Jesus Christ!’ shouted Adele as her eyes scanned Anna’s body, trying to locate the source of the blood.

Anna was lying on her back, her right arm down by her side, a discarded razor blade next to her fingers. Her other arm was draped across her body, the blood pooling beneath her left hand. Adele lifted Anna’s hand and screamed as she saw the laceration across her wrist, which was still spurting blood. She also noticed numerous tiny cuts and scars along Anna’s forearm.

‘Leave me,’ muttered Anna.

‘Not a fuckin’ chance, you silly cow!’ cried Adele.

‘Pinch the cut!’ shouted Caroline. ‘We need to stem the bleeding.’

Adele grabbed Anna’s fleshy wrist and squeezed at either side of the laceration. Blood squelched beneath her fingers. Anna screamed in pain. But Adele kept a tight grip.

Caroline grabbed the bloody razor blade and ripped at Anna’s bedding. She held out a strip of cloth. ‘Quick, let me bind it,’ she ordered Adele. ‘You get help.’

Adele ran to the cell door. A crowd of inmates had started to gather. She spotted a guard on the opposite corridor. ‘Help!’ she shouted. ‘Quick! We need help.’

The guard dashed towards the cell. It was Judy Roberts. Two others seemed to appear from out of nowhere. They raced behind her. Judy reached the cell door and pushed her way through the throng of inmates.

‘OK, I’ll take over from here,’ Judy said to Caroline as she rushed up to the bed.

Then two other guards hurried into the cell. One of them was Sly, who viciously tugged Caroline away. ‘Stand back. Everybody get back!’ she shouted.