The Shrinker

CHAPTER TWENTY (PART-1)

Chapter 20

"What the bloody hell happened to YOU?" Frankie exclaimed the moment she returned to the flat, gaping at her from his chair. Senna had eagerly made his way over to Jamie, but soon caught the pungent smells of paint, kerosene and dirt. He cringed away, sitting down under the table.

"The fuck do you care?" Jamie snarled icily; Frankie flinched in shame, "I got into another fight with those three hateful bitches, if you must know. But this time I won; big time. They won't be bothering me nor anybody else again. As for what I did to them...I'll leave it to your imagination. Just like what I'll do to you if you ever fail to keep your word. Remember?"

Frankie nodded slowly, regarding her with an odd expression of awed wonder, but the respect in his voice was weirder still, "You've really changed these last few months, J; big time. But just...get washed and changed, will ya?"

"Then you feed Senna while I do that," Jamie instructed him sharply, as the Sphynx meowed in hunger. She strode across her uncle's sight to her room, then paused at the doorway, "And don't think I'll ever forgive you, Unc. Even if nobody around here will ever give Chrissie Cooper's daughter a job, I'll find another way to leave with Senna eventually. The sooner the better."

"J, listen, I'm so sorry about what I did to ya with the belt. I was drunk- -"

"That tired old excuse again? I don't wanna hear it," Jamie's voice was laced with venomous sarcasm, "By the way, I came out to them too. So everybody'll know I'm a lesbian soon. I'm sure you'll be SO proud of your niece."

Frankie flushed red, but didn't dare say anything negative. Instead his voice held the same odd admiration, "If I've raised my niece to fight the whole damn world and all its assholes so she can stick to her own beliefs and principles, then yeah...I'd say I've at least done one thing right as a guardian."

Jamie stared disbelievingly, but Frankie had returned his attention to the tv, which was showing Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Jamie heard Yoda the Jedi Master utter the words, "No! Do, or do not. There is no try."

Remembering the tumour again, Jamie shuddered and shut the bedroom door behind her. Desperately trying to remove that daunting future task from her mind, she got out of her wet clothes and placed a towel around herself. After quickly crossing the main room, she crept into the tiny bathroom and eased into the tight decaying shower cubicle, turning on the water.

What the hell's wrong with you? Explain yourself, Jamie.

What're you on about, Trudy? Jamie thought irritably, as she dowsed her short black hair with shampoo and ran her fingers through it.

No matter how much I examine your brain in here, I just can't figure you out. You've been assaulted with a belt, attacked with a knife, and today you were dowsed with a flammable liquid and threatened with fire. And yet not one of the culprits have been subjected to punishment from the authorities...all 'cause you insist on keeping quiet about everything. Why protect them? Does your life mean so little?

You shrank away my pain sensations and the injuries they all gave me, didn't you? If they can't cause pain or do any lasting damage, what's it matter?

I'd feared this could happen. You're becoming desensitised to dangerous situations, believing they no longer have any consequences for you. You hold far too much stock in my internal protection, Jamie. You're neither invincible nor immortal. If a bullet hits your brain, we'll die. If a blade pierces your heart, we'll die. Not feeling agony doesn't change the fact that trauma's being done to your body, and it'll take its toll no matter how many times I shrink it away.