Screen Burn

Episode 9

"Sure you want the same design we spoke about last week?"

"Yep. Should I take my shirt off now?"

"The last person who asked me that wasn't turned down, so why should you be?" Winnipeg answered, flashing her teeth in a sudden smile.

"You're shameless," Mateo remarked, taking his shirt off.

The two girls sitting nearby gave Mateo appreciative looks. He smiled once, before turning his back to to them so that Winnipeg could trace the outline of his tattoo on it. Jake gaped at Mateo's torso, realizing that he hadn't been kidding when he had mentioned his 'washboard abs'.

"Take a picture," Mateo teased. "It'll last longer and you can hang it in your room."

"Hayley Atwell has already claimed that spot."

"Well, at least I lost to someone who deserved the victory."

Jake was suddenly hit with a wave of insecurity as he thought about his own body, and had to look away from Mateo. His body wasn't a bad one, since he didn't think any body types were truly 'bad'. He also knew quite a few people who envied his lean physique. But he also knew that he didn't look particularly attractive when he took his shirt off. He didn't turn heads like his friends did. Shawn worked out quite regularly, and Nick was on the football team. Both of them could lift him with one hand.

He was lucky to have a fast metabolism and genes that gave him his height and red hair (which he did love). But on some days, he couldn't look in the mirror and believe that he had won a genetic lottery. The truth was, he was painfully average-looking, and men like Mateo seemed to exist only to remind him of the fact.

"What happened to him?" Winnipeg asked Mateo, jerking her head in Jake's direction. "Did he get into a fight? Or does he usually wear shades inside and brood?"

"He's hung-over," Mateo explained. "He does brood a lot, though."

"Not as much as you," Jake cut in, seeming to come back to life just to get back at him.

Winnipeg grabbed a bottle of a jelly-like substance and start to smear some on Mateo's back. When she appeared ready to start, Jake hurriedly spoke.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am. What's your problem?"

"Well, there are a lot of dangers associated with tattoos. The possibility of the area getting infected is one of them."

"Are you saying we don't keep our equipment clean? Or that Mateo doesn't know how to care of his tattoo when it's healing?" Winnipeg raised an eyebrow, looking more confused than angry.

"No," Jake quickly cleared up. "There are also other risks. What if he can't get an MRI in the future? I've read somewhere that tattoo ink causes burns in some patients when they enter the machine. He has quite a few tattoos already, perhaps now is the time for him to be cautious."

"First of all," the tattoo artist articulated. "There have been reports of people with tattoos who experienced swelling or burning in tattooed areas during MRIs, but this seems to occur only rarely and apparently without lasting effects."

Her gaze didn't waver as she continued her speech.

"Secondly, the risk is associated with tattoo ink that uses iron oxide, whereas carbon, titanium and copper-based pigments are unaffected by MRIs. Black ink that is deemed high risk because of iron, can be made from carbon black or India ink. We purchase our ink from companies that are known to sell vegan-friendly, non-toxic ink. Lastly, are you his guardian? Because I need to know if I need your permission to continue."