Bartimaeus fanfic sequel

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In the past, Kitty wished to make a difference. She thought that she could've done a better job than the ruling magicians; that at the very least she could've made things fair for everyone. But, now that her wish had come true and that she was a part of the decision-making process, she could only close her eyes and massage her temples at the redundancy of it all. She realized that she didn't want any of it, yet before she could think of WHY she disliked it or what she DID want, she thought : If I don't do it, who will? As she sat there trying to rub out her headache while the rest of the council members were getting briefed, she recalled the unexpected event that had brought her here again...

* * *

"Well? Did you figure out anything?" Kitty asked Mr Button.

He was in his wheelchair, reading from a book and asking occasional questions to Jane Farrar who was sitting in a nearby chair and wrapped in a blanket. "Yes, according to the Lycanthropedia she seems to be suffering from retrograde amnesia caused by her prolonged metamorphosis. There are a few previous cases recorded going from a few days to a few weeks. We don't know exactly how long Ms Farrar was permanently in her other form, but from the time of her disappearance we can estimate it to be likely within the 'few weeks' category."

Kitty gave Mr Button a clueless look, apparent with her limited education. "Retrograde... What does that mean? How bad is it?"

The old magician scratched his head while explaining. "Well, if we compare her to the previous cases, it would mean that she won't remember most of the last 8 years approximately. Her older memories will come back gradually, but she will have a harder time remembering names than faces. She's basically regressed back to... how old are you dear?" He asked Jane.

She seemed to be searching for the answer in her head for a moment. "Eleven."

Eleven? She's barely more than a child like this. Kitty thought. "And how long does the amnesia usually last?"

Mr Button sighed and flipped through the pages of the book. "I'm afraid that in all the previous cases the damage was permanent..."

"Am I sick?" Jane asked.

"It's a little more complicated than that." Mr Button told her. He closed the Lycanthropedia and asked: "Are you thirsty? I could sure use some tea."

She nodded. "Just some water please."

"I could use some tea too," Kitty said while standing up from her chair, "let me go make some."

The magician rolled in front of her, blocking the way. "No, please, let me."

She sat back in the chair while watching the old man leave the room. She was happy that he went in her stead; she was dead tired from the summonings earlier. But, she was more surprised that he was making his own tea than the unusual generosity. Jane was looking at Kitty inquiringly. "Is there something else you want?"

"I want to go home." She said to her.

Kitty, thinking that she was remembering something, pushed the subject. "Well, where is your home?"

Jane's hands clutched the blanket. "It's... I... can't remember..." Her eyes were tearing up.

She realized she may have pushed her too early. "No no, don't cry." She said alarmingly. "It's okay: you can stay here until you remember. Alright?"

"Okay..." She lifted her legs on the chair and wrapped her arms around them.

Kitty was at a complete loss at handling Jane. She was usually fine with children, but the person she was seeing was a grown woman who had a much different personality last time she saw her. The drastic change while her image remained the same was messing with her mind, as if her brain kept expecting the previous Jane to speak and act.