Chapter Text
“Mrs. Ferguson? I’m here to report for duty.” An out of place voice brought the attention of Joan Ferguson to the door, her dark eyes locking on the figure of a young and petite woman standing in her doorway. “Miss Ferguson,” a quick correction. “However, you will call me Governor.” She paused with the adjustment of her pencils and then a motion for the woman to enter.
“You must be Haley Gardner. From the States. Do come in. Please.”
“Yes and thank you.” Before she sat she handed over a manila folder that contained the needed paperwork for the Governor. Haley hesitated for a moment till she took her seat as the warden glanced over the files before sliding it into a plastic slip that was normally used for portfolio covers. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Warde--, Governor. Heh, that’s going to take some time getting used to.” The American could already tell this woman didn’t have that great of a sense of humor by the look she received. Haley cleared her throat and gave a quick but light crack of her neck out of nervousness. This woman before her held herself with a phenomenal amount of confidence and it didn't help how incredibly attractive she was, too.
“I hope you know Gardner that this…‘assistance’ was hardly my idea. The board thought it would be beneficial to have an American corrections officer come here and offer some insight. I, however, believe it to be a waste of time and money. No offense to you, Haley. I am sure you are more than qualified but I am failing to see how you or anyone for that matter could possibly help this prison. I have everything under control.”
“The Board didn’t think that." She didn't mean to sound so curt. "I’ve gone over your prison’s protocols and procedures, your inmates and your guards. I know things here are done differently but I think having some slight changes that follow American policies could be, as the Broad stated, beneficial. Especially since your prison recently has had a problem with contraband and issues with your officers. I’m not here to step on your toes or encroach upon your territory, Ward---Governor. I am merely here to observe and do as told. I will take orders from you and answer to you, just as I would with my Warden. I’m here to give suggestions to issues I may find here at Wentworth. As of now I will be an observer among your crew and offer assistance when needed. If you wish to take any advice I may give then I would help with the execution of procedural change. I think you will find in my file how qualified I truly am to be offering assistance.”
There was a moment of silence between then two as Joan just stared down the poor American. Of course this was because she was analyzing her; the way she spoke, the way she sat, the way her hair was up in a tight ponytail of red hair. Hmm, she would look over the file she just received later, maybe during lunch or at home. It depended on how much interest she actually had.
“Very well, Gardner. You will shadow my Deputy Vera Bennett. She will show you the layout of our prison and go through all that you apparently already know. You will report to me first before you give your questions, concerns, or complaints to the Board. I am allowing you to go about this foolish experiment. The least you can do is run it by me and you and I may be able to correct things if they are, indeed, wrong. Is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Haley stood and adjusted her suit before holding out her hand for her new boss to take. Her green eyes followed this woman’s motions, noting how extremely tall she was and hoped she didn’t make it obvious she was slightly taken. With some reluctance the Governor took the proffered hand.
“I look forward to working with you,” remarked the American once their hands met. A perceived forced smile was given in return to Haley’s statement and soon her hand quickly retracted.
“Bennett will take over now. Good day Gardner.”
Haley took note of the older woman's issue with shaking hands but took no offense to the large amount of hand sanitizer that was squirted onto Joan's hand. It made the girl wonder how anyone with OCD and germ issues work in a prison; they were notorious for germs and disease after all. With a quick nod of her head, Haley walked out of the room to meet a very petite woman waiting for her in the hallway. The American thought she was small but in comparison to Vera she felt average in size with her toned physique from meticulous workouts every day.
"You must be the Deputy. Nice to meet you Deputy Warden--," she sighed and rolled her eyes at herself. "I apologize. It is Warden in the states. It's nice to meet you Deputy Governor Bennett."
"Yes, I am aware of the title name difference. Nice to meet you too, Officer Gardner." At least Vera wasn't hesitant to shake the other woman's hand.
"If you will follow me, I will show you the layout of the prison and have you meet the officers on duty. You will then go to get your uniform along with your security clearance badge. So, tell me Miss Gardner, how do you like Australia?" Vera started small talk as they walked down the corridors, pointing out wards and rooms as they passed them, hardly an interjection between their conversation. Haley did notice all the stares she was starting to get from the prisoners they passed by but continued to chat with the small officer by her side.
"So, have you ever been to the United States?"
"I have not. Oh. Officer Miles, meet our new ...hmm not sure what to call you. Recruit?" Vera gave a small quirky smirk with a tilt of her head. "No, that's ridiculous. This is Officer Haley Gardner. From the States."
"Oh! Yeah! I heard about you coming in." Linda smiled and shook her hand. The blonde was certain to be extra careful now that they were sending in some extra muscle. "If you need anything, let me know. Nice meeting ya Gardner."
"I have to say. You Australians are very nice. Very cordial. I like it." ‘Well, most of you,’ she thought with a smile. However, Vera just offered a smile and a huff of a laugh but did not say anything in kind. Instead she continued to lead her to where she would be fitted for her uniform. It was interesting to the American how different the prison already felt to her. It was as if it was more like a camp setting than the prisons she was used to. Not once did she feel like she needed to throw up a facade as a hardened officer or act mean to establish dominance. It was the first day, though, and things could easily change. Haley was very aware of how quick the mood and behaviors could change behind barbed wire fences and steal enforced walls.
This was very interesting so far but there was something that kept cropping up in the back of her head and that something was the Governor Joan Ferguson.