Kade switches the Monitor off while The Surgeon is in mid sentence. He flops onto the couch and puts his head in his hands.
“Can a person live without their tongue?” he asks; his hands covering his head, like he’s trying to keep the horror out.
“I’m sure they can, yes,” is my honest answer.
“You know why I’m asking, right?”
“Yes.”
“DAMN – why didn’t she take her cell – The Panic App would’ve helped her – what can we do?” he asks.
“Ask for help,” I suggest.
He lifts his head. His eyes are red and watery, but he’s fighting the tears, he won’t let them fall, “From who?”
“We could start with your mom,” I say.
Kade rises and wipes his eyes, "It's a long shot, but we don't have a whole bunch of options. Let's go talk to the brain," He says.
En-route to the trolley, Kade asks, "Do you think it's a real brain?"
"I’m still not sure.”
……
Kade crouches down at the trolley and slides open the panel, “Hi mom, you’re looking a little flushed and red today,” he says, with a sarcastic tone. “I hear those folk you’re working for intend to cut out your daughter’s tongue, anything you can do to stop this atrocity?” He asks, tapping the side of the box and looking at me with a weary smile.
He lies on his back, his body adjacent to the trolley, “Jeez, mom, if you’re out there, advise us!” He shouts.
......
A long silence stretches between us. The only sound the whirring of the trolley.
Eventually Kade stands up, “Tan, I can’t stay here, knowing they’re gonna slice out my sister’s tongue. The thought’s tormenting me, not knowing how to help, it’s driving me insane!” He says, hitting his head.
I’m suddenly distracted, “Kade, look at the brain.” It’s pulsing fast, like a beating heart. And just when we think it’s about to burst, Thomas appears.
Kade jumps up, “MOM?”
“Yes. Listen hard. I need your help to abort this procedure. During tomorrow’s presentation, take the first letter from my first six sentences; add them to the OPPOSITE of my final word. Input into your personal mail. Do you understand?”
Kade looks at me, an unsure look on his face. “Yes!” I shout.
As Thomas’s hologram begins to flicker, Kade shouts a question with such haste it sounds like one long word, “Isthisbrainyours?”
Thomas begins to fade whilst the brain pulsates, “It’s a reproduction, mine is safe overseas.” And with that, my male self is gone again.
…….
I rush to a computer and type out the instruction while it’s still fresh in my head.
……
Our sense of tense helplessness has lifted a little now we know Kade’s mom is working toward helping Kelly.
……
“Will you take down the letters and stuff, tomorrow; I wanna focus on what mom says?” asks Kade as we walk in warm spring sunshine.
“Sure.”
“You’re good at these things, my head jumps all over the place, I get real muddled.”
“That’s because you’re creative, it’s why you’re so good at your job.” I stop suddenly, “Hey, shouldn’t you be back at work today?”
