Page 27 of Mistress A-0002
At Jett’s pout, my arms crossed over my chest. Typical inpatient male. All aggression and no sense.
“Here’s the hammer. Go above the eye and break the socket bone. Not too hard. You’ve said you’ve done this before. I want to see.”
“I suck at this. Grandfather…” Jett beamed. “I’ve been watching his tapes. He’s phenomenal. I’m going to be just like him someday.”
I doubted that, but I stayed quiet as Jett placed the hammer down and used his thumb to lift the crow’s eyelid. With a calm I wasn’t aware he had, he eased the tip of the orbitoclast through the socket, leading the metal rod back until the sharp tip connected with bone.
“There we go,” I said quietly, narrowing my eyes and moving closer.
Jett picked up the hammer, slightly angling the thin tool he held to align with the area he was aiming for.
“Remember, there’s no way to know that you’ve crossed into another area. You’re going in blind. Be sure not to?—”
The hammer hit the end of the orbitoclast and Jett smiled, looking over at me as he broke through bone.
“Perfect.” I laughed. “That didn’t seem too hard for you. You said you’ve done this three times?”
“I’ve been practicing on my current slave.”
“The one you calmed?”
He smiled bigger, looking between me and the crow as he angled and began scraping the brain in micromovements.
“She’s not calm anymore, Mother. She’s dead. That’s why I’ve been practicing on her.”
“Oh.” I stood, not able to say more before my phone rang. Looking down at the number, I held in my smile. Was he ready to apologize? Was this about Braddock? It could take hours for him to come to after an episode. Maybe an entire day.
“It’s the Main Master. I have to take this.”
“But…you’ll miss my work.”
“You’re doing great. It won’t take me long.”
“But…”
I was already walking to the door, pushing it open as I hit the button.
“Main Master.”
Elec’s throat cleared. “I read the file and talked to medical.” A pause. “I apologize for my actions.” Another pause. “You have to know I’d never?—”
“Stop. You don’t have to explain yourself. I know you wouldn’t hurt me, Elec. You thought I was the love of your life. You miss her.”
“Miss her? That is such an insignificant way to describe what I feel for Vivia.Every second is full of suffering. Every ounce of my body and soul mourns for a completion that I’ll never know again. Her smell. Her touch.Her voice.It’s agonizing. It’s…infuriating to know I’m the cause of my own pain.”
He got quiet and my eyes rolled as I shook my head.
“It is known that grief is the most physically painful emotion one can feel. I understand that. Do you see now why I can’t be your doctor anymore? For you to feel this so strongly after all our sessions. Over a decade of them.” I stopped. “Your love for her exceeds my skill. I’m not even sure you should be put under again. Therapy, sure, but you won’t be honest with your new doctor. We both know that, but I can’t worry about that anymore. I’m going to have to trust that you’ll take responsibility and do what you need to cope with the pain. I think it’s time to step back from you completely and let you lead like you were meant to.”
Silence. It had me shifting as I watched Jett poke around at the man’s brain through the window.
“I appreciate your honesty, and you’re right. Your safety comes first. I’m grateful for everything that you’ve done.”
“Grateful, but not trusting. I hear the caution in your tone. Elec, you have to know; I couldn’t stand lying to you. You have to see that I didn’t have a choice. You were so unstable atthe beginning, and we were training you for such an important role. To become a Main Master, we were both under enormous pressure. I didn’t mind facing the consequences, but I just felt the truth would only set you back. Please, don’t be mad at me. I did what I thought was best for both of us.”
“You made all the right choices, Melissa. I’m not mad at you for what you felt you had to do. Disappointed in the way you handled it, yes. Hurt that you couldn’t be honest with me…yeah. But not mad.”
My bottom lip stuck out, and I couldn’t deny there was a tinge of sadness.