Nicky has long had her battles with heroin, but with a little help from Red and co. she finally seemed to be on the straight-and-narrow. That makes it all the worse when shes taken away for possessing the drug. Having stolen Vees big stash of it last year, this year starts with her and Big Boo trying to find a way to get the heroin out of the prison, and make some cash in the process. To do this they enlist the help of Officer Luscheck, and its all going well until a search turns up a bag of it in his desk. He immediately points the finger at Nicky, and shes taken away to max and not seen again. It felt like a real waste to have her off-screen for so much of the season, especially as at the start it felt like it was exploring even more of the character. Shes a very strong part of the cast, with big relationships with other key players such as Boo, Morello and Red, and inevitably the show is slightly weaker with her missing.