Nell

artistic interpretation of Nell by Riley Logan (@genderbinaryisforlosers on tumblr)

## Details

### Family

Oleta (sister), Hester Wells (sister-in-law), Vivienne Torrance (mother), unnamed partner

### First Mentioned

(in abstract) Season 1, Cassette #2: Anxiety, Stomach(by name) Season 1, Cassette #10: Horopito

**Nell** is a secondary character in the first season of Within the Wires. She was Oleta's sister and Vivienne Torrance's first daughter.

## Biography

Nell was born in September of 1954 in Chicago to Vivienne Torrance, who was a contracted childbearer of the Society. For the first two months of her life, she was cared for in a Pregnancy Centre along with her mother, before she would be moved to a Childhood Development Centre on her own. Her name was suggested by Michael Witten, Vivienne's husband. It was approved, unlike Vivienne's suggestion, Elnora, as Elnora was the name of Vivienne's grandmother.

Nell grew up in a Society-sanctioned facility for children along with her younger sister Oleta. Oleta didn't like to sleep alone, and often snuck into Nell's room to sleep in her bed. She was older than Oleta by four years, and had her childhood memories erased at age 10.

She went on to study electricity at the same school that Oleta did, in not exactly the same field, instead applying her skills to music and sound engineering. Oleta noticed the likeness between them one day in a café, and spent a while observing Nell and trying to understand why she remembered her. Eventually, Oleta knocked one of her books off the table to get her attention and the two began talking. On one occasion, Nell and Oleta met in the park by a pond of geese. Oleta wondered if Nell remembered her, but she did not. When the two of them met up, they were watched by men in sunglasses, smoking cigarettes and not reading their books with an unpleasant dog.

One night, Oleta and Nell went out to dinner together while Hester watched jealously, not recognising the resemblance and therefore the meaning for their acquaintance.

After Oleta was taken to the Institute, Hester realised her mistake and went to see Nell at her apartment to warn her about the questions that would be coming. Her apartment had been full of boxes and someone was about to move in with her, after a long period of consideration. She was busy and stressed, but happy, and cared a great deal for her soon-to-be housemate.

Nell had not remembered Oleta, and the news came as a shock. She asked Hester to leave, but apparently followed her instructions regardless. She told the Institute that "Green Fingers" was Oleta's favourite song, as well as many other details about her, apparently to preserve the life she had made with her significant other.

When Hester got Oleta out of the Extensive Studies Lab to the cave behind the waterfall, Nell met her there and helped smuggle Oleta onto a truck of potatoes, which went on to a boat bound for Aotearoa. Hester advised her to forget all about the whole operation, but Nell said she had remembered upon seeing Oleta again that when they were children, Oleta would sneak into her bed.

Presumably, she helped Oleta get settled in the cottage by the sea while she recovered, and then left.

## Additional info

* The name "Nell" is most commonly derived from "Helen" and means "light". However, it is also a diminutive of "Elnora", the name which Vivienne suggested which was struck due to the familial association.
	+ The name of the doctor who oversaw Vivienne's pregnancy and presumably Nell's birth was called Helena Wood, and Michael may have claimed to suggest the name Nell in her honour, if asked.
* There was a Nell living in the Hedmark Cradle in 1993

## References

1. ↑ Season 3, Reel #9: September 13, 1954
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Season 1, Cassette #10: Horopito
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Season 1, Cassette #2: Anxiety, Stomach
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Season 1, Cassette #8: Awareness, Eyes
5. ↑ Season 1, Cassette #3: Insomnia, Feet
6. ↑ Season 1, Cassette #5: Focus, Nose
7. ↑ Season 1, Cassette #7: Doubt, Head
8. ↑ Season 4, Episode #1: Spring 1993