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Chapter 23
pretender_gurl
>You're almost there, baby!< Catherine Parker called out in Jira's mind.
Jira screamed as the shadow chasing her grabbed hold of her ankle. With a quick kick, she managed to free herself and jumped into the safety of her grandmother's arms.
>You did it! Don't worry, baby. No one will hurt you anymore. I'll keep you safe< Catherine soothed.
Jira smiled as Catherine began to sing to her granddaughter.
>Cree craw toad's foot, geese walk barefoot. Cree craw toad's foot…<
McCarthy Household
Dover, Delaware
April 14, 1994
08:47
Sydney was seated at the McCarthy's kitchen table enjoying his second cup of coffee and watching with amusement as baby Joey played with his mashed bananas in his highchair. Evelyn McCarthy was washing dishes at the sink while trying to entertain her husband's guest since Sam was dropping Lucy off at preschool.
"I hope breakfast wasn't too horrible, Sydney," Evelyn said, turning towards the table as she wiped the soap suds off her hands. "Sam usually does the cooking."
Sydney had to swallow his coffee quickly to keep himself from choking. Sam the Sweeper cooking?! Sydney could hardly believe it.
"On the contrary, Mrs. McCarthy. It was delicious," Sydney assured her.
The two adults made small talk while Evelyn finished cleaning up and then joined Sydney and the baby at the table. They were discussing the high price of gasoline when Sam walked in the back door. He moved to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting beside his wife.
"Alright, Sydney, let's hear this plan of yours," Sam said, addressing the psychiatrist.
"I'm not sure how much you know about the process that Raines was using on the girl…" Sydney began.
"We don't know anything."
"Raines was using a type of neuroelectric shock to mold Jira into a better Pretender," Sydney explained, giving a shortened version of the procedure. "The degree to which she recovers will depend mainly on two factors: her own will to recuperate and the support of those around her."
"I don't understand," Sam interrupted. "Jira isn't a Pretender; she's a Perceiver."
"Her parents are both Pretenders and it is therefore almost certain that Jira carries the Pretender gene in addition to her Perceiving and Empathic abilities."
"Wait, her parents are Pretenders? Meaning that they are still alive?" Sam asked in disbelief.
Sydney smiled. "Yes, they are, and I believe you know them, Sam."
Sam's eyebrows shot up even higher.
"The Centre stole reproductive samples from two Prodigies and created genetically altered embryos which were implanted into surrogate wombs. Jarod and Miss Parker have no idea that they are parents," Sydney explained.
Sam cursed and ran his hand through his thinning hair.
"Well, if Jira has a mother and a father, we must return her to them," Evelyn said quickly. Sam and Sydney looked at each other.
"It's not that simple, Evelyn," Sam said to his wife. "You heard Sydney. They don't know that Jira is their kid and even if they did…" Sam's voice trailed off.
"Even if they did, they would not be able to care for her," Sydney finished for Sam, understanding from the Sweeper's look that his wife didn't know what kind of a place the Centre was. "If Sam were to return Jira to either of her parents, she would undoubtedly be found by the people who hurt her."
"So what can we do, Sydney?" Sam asked quickly.
Sydney sighed, debating how much he should reveal to Sam and Evelyn. "Jira has one relative who does know of her existence and has a legal claim to her care. However, he does not believe he can keep her safe. I have the signed paperwork requesting that Jira's guardianship be transferred to a family that can properly care for her and encourage her recovery. I believe that you are that family."
Sam and Evelyn looked at each other as Sam reached across the table and took his wife's hand.
"How can we help her?" Evelyn asked, giving Sam's hand a squeeze.
"Love her," Sydney said simply. "It will be a difficult road at first, but I will do everything in my power to ease Jira's transition to life outside of the Centre."
Sam and Evelyn exchanged another glance. "It would be our honor to have Jira as a part of our family."
Sydney smiled at the couple, knowing that his great-niece would be in good hands.
***********************
>It's time to go back now, baby girl< Catherine Parker whispered to the girl in her arms.
>No! I want to stay with you!< Jira cried, clutching her grandmother tightly.
>Trust me, baby, it's safe now. You'll be alright; I'm watching over you.<
Jira became aware of her pounding headache and for a moment, she was afraid that she was back in Renewal Wing with Mr. Raines. Jira opened her eyes and gasped in surprise and relief at the sight of her surroundings. She shifted her position and looked down in surprise. The bed was soft! And she was warm! These were words that Jira knew, but had never experienced before. They were even better than she had imagined in her dreams!
Jira sat up in the bed, smiling and how the mattress sank under her weight rather than pushing back against her bony frame, then quickly grimacing as her headache flared up. When the sharp pain had reduced to a dull throbbing, she glanced around the furnished room, amazed by all the colors and textures surrounding her. Closing her eyes, Jira concentrated on the room. She could feel concern and caring emanating from her surroundings. Jira frowned as she heard voices floating from down the hall. She pushed back the covers and decided to investigate. Jira stifled a giggle as she wiggled her toes in the ivy colored carpet.
Still musing at the strange sensation of the carpet, Jira prowled down the hallway to where the voices were coming from. She peered around the corner to her left and saw three adults and a little baby sitting at a table. Jira recognized the younger of the two men from somewhere, but she couldn't remember where. Hoever, her Inner Sense was telling her that he was safe and that she could trust him. He was sitting in between a blonde woman and the baby. The other man had his back to Jira, but she recognized the voice. As Jira was trying to place it, she eavesdropped on the conversation.
"There are several precautions that you must take. The Centre will be running searches in local areas with high populations of children: schools, hospitals, shopping malls…" the familiar voice was saying.
When Sydney mentioned the Centre, Jira gasped in fear. That was a bad place! Three sets of eyes turned to look in her direction and she knew she was caught. Jira's eyes darted around the house, looking for an exit. Sydney recognized the girl's actions and called out to her.
"It's alright now! You can trust me!"
Jira paused as she heard the familiar voice echoing her grandmother's words of consolation. She slowly lifted her large, pale eyes to those watching her. The older man looked so familiar, but Jira couldn't sift through the fog in her mind to put the pieces together.
Jira backed up unintentionally as Sydney moved closer to the girl. He knelt and waited for Jira to finish Empathing him.
"I know you," Jira said quietly after a few moments. "Sydney."
"Yes! That's very good!"
"Where am I?" Jira asked.
"You're safe. Away from the Centre," Sydney replied.
"But… but the Centre is my home. They took me in after my parents died. I owe the Centre my allegiance," Jira recited as Raines had conditioned her to.
Sydney raised his hand to cut her off. "It's very important that you tell us exactly what you can remember about the Centre."
"It's… it's all a blur. I don't know what was real and what wasn't," Jira said without emotion.
"What is the last thing that you do remember?" Sydney asked.
"I couldn't move… there were leather straps…" Jira looked down at her wrists, pulling back her gray sleeves to reveal friction burns around each wrist. "… and the wires… then it hurt so badly!"
Evelyn squeezed Sam's hand tightly as the little girl's tears began to fall without her even knowing.
"Mrs. McCarthy, would you feel comfortable helping Jira bathe and then get dressed in some of the clothes that I brought?" Sydney asked, nodding to the department store bag that he had left in the front hall.
"Of course!" Evelyn said, walking over to Jira. "Come on, kiddo. Let's get you cleaned up."
When Jira and Evelyn had moved into the back bathroom, Sam let out a large sigh and picked up the baby.
"How could anyone do that to a child, Sydney?" Sam asked, rocking his baby boy in his arms.
"She was never a child," Sydney answered simply. "Although, Raines may have inadvertently given her the chance to be one."
Sam looked up sharply as Sydney continued.
"The mind of a child is highly malleable. The procedure enhanced this suggestibility by fading her memories. She can no longer recall events from her past with any degree of reliability or accuracy."
"That's great! She won't be able to remember everything that happened to her at the Centre!" Sam concluded happily.
Sydney shook his head causing Sam's smile to invert itself.
"You cannot make someone forget a memory if they do not want to forget it. Jira remembers everything that happened to her, but it has been fragmented and buried in her psyche."
"So what's the problem?" Sam asked, eyeing the shrink.
"They won't stay buried forever," Sydney said sadly. "Eventually, Jira will have to face the truth of what occurred at the Centre. Research suggests that the sooner therapy takes place, the better chance the victim has of recovery."
"And that's what you meant when you said that you would be willing to help."
Sydney nodded. "I would like to have the opportunity to help Jira sort through her memories and emotions until she can find even the smallest sliver of who she is. Besides that, Jira's relative has set up a sizable trust fund that should take care of any needs she may have," Sydney explained, still leaving out the fact that his twin was the girl's grandfather.
Sam nodded his head emphatically. "Of course I'd like you to help Jira."
***********************
"So what's your name, honey?" Evelyn asked the girl cowering before her.
"I think it is 'Jira' but I don't really remember," Jira said, worrying her bottom lip as she tried to sort through her jumbled mind.
"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," Evelyn said, moving forward to take out Jira's braid.
Jira saw Evelyn's movement and scrambled backwards, running out of the bedroom and towards the door she had seen earlier. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two men talking in the kitchen. Jira ran the other way, only to find herself in the living room where she became disoriented. Jira felt her head spinning and collapsed on the floor.
Sam gave a shout and raced into the living room, jumped over the sofa, and knelt beside the trembling girl. She looked up at him, her pale eyes crazed with fear.
"It's okay. You're safe now, it's okay," Sam chanted soothingly until his mantra had calmed the girl down.
Behind them, Sydney turned to Evelyn and asked what had happened.
"I don't know. I was going to undo her hair and she ran away from me," Evelyn responded. "What happened to her there, Sydney?"
Sydney looked back at Jira who had her knees drawn up to her chest and sat stiffly with her arms wrapped around them.
"I can only imagine…" Sydney murmered.
While they were talking, Sam edged closer to Jira until he was sitting right up next to her. Then he slowly brought his arm around her shoulders, whispering encouragement when she flinched at his touch. Sam looked up at Evelyn and motioned for her to come and sit on the other side of the girl. Evelyn approached her slowly from the front so that Jira could see her the entire time and wouldn't be scared if Evelyn came out of nowhere. She placed her hand on Jira's trembling one and was surprised when Jira took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
Sydney came to join the trio, sitting in front of Jira. The girl lifted her head and looked at Sydney.
"Jira, you are safe now. Sam and Evelyn are going to take care of you and you are going to stay here with them. Would you like that?" Sydney asked.
"I don't have to go back to the Centre?" Jira asked softly, hardly daring it to be true.
"No. The Centre will never find you. I promise you that," Sydney assured.
To everyone's delight, the corners of Jira's mouth turned up into the slightest of smiles. Sam looked at Sydney and they both knew that this was a wonderful step for a child who had never been allowed emotions.
"Okay then, kiddo," Sam said, "you go with Evelyn and take a bath while Sydney and I make you something to eat."
Sam and Sydney went to the kitchen to check on the baby and talk logistics as Evelyn and Jira once again left for the bathroom, this time hand in hand. Evelyn rolled up the sleeve of her blouse to check the water temperature as she drew the girl a bath.
"Is… is that warm water?" Jira asked in amazement. Again, this was a concept she had heard of, but never understood.
"Well of course, honey!" Evelyn said, looking confused. "Now take those clothes off and I'll grab some bubble bath."
It was Jira's turn to look confused as she shrugged out of her Centre clothes. Evelyn poured in the purple bubble bath and laughed as Jira's eyes grew as wide as the bubbles.
But Evelyn's laughter stopped abruptly and she gasped when she saw Jira's beaten and mutilated body. There were burn marks the size of silver dollars on Jira's chest where the electric current from the Motivator had entered and exited her body. In the mirror behind the girl, Evelyn caught a glimpse of the welts that covered every inch of Jira's back and the scars underneath them. The bright light of the bathroom accentuated Jira's face and Evelyn could see small bruises on her temples from the electrodes and the yellowish remainder of a black eye. Similar coloring covered the girl's spindly legs and arms.
Evelyn forced herself to calm down because she could see that her reaction was upsetting Jira.
"Um, okay. Why don't you just relax in the bathtub for a moment and I'll go get you a washcloth?" Evelyn said.
She waited until Jira had gotten in the tub before rushing to the bathroom in the master bedroom where she promptly threw up.
After emptying her stomach and rinsing her mouth, Evelyn walked into the kitchen where Sydney was bouncing Joey on his knee.
"Look, honey! Joey and Sydney… Honey? Evelyn, what's wrong?" Sam asked after taking one look at the expression on his wife's face.
"What the hell kind of place do you work at?" Evelyn questioned both men evenly.
"Why? What is…?"
"That little girl has been tortured in…unspeakable…ways! What in God's name do you people do up there?" Evelyn's voice was shaking as she spoke.
"Mrs. McCarthy, you must understand…" Sydney began before Evelyn cut him off again.
"Yes, yes, Sydney. Please help me understand why an eight year old girl's back is completely covered in scar tissue. Help me understand why she is grossly underweight and why her bony limbs are multicolored from bruising. Help me understand why she has been electrocuted, for godsakes!" Evelyn cried as her calm demeanor slipped away.
Sam stood and wiped away the tears on his wife's face that she hadn't even known were there.
"Evelyn, she's safe now. Sydney is going to help her sort through everything that happened at the Centre. All that you and I have to do is show her kindness and love, okay? All right?" Sam asked as he held his wife.
Evelyn nodded and pulled away, mumbling something about a washcloth. Sam turned back to Sydney. Joey's pudgy hand was resting on Sydney's mouth and the psychiatrist had a faraway look in his eye. Sam knew that he was seeing a different little boy and the regret in Sydney's eyes told Sam the turmoil that was raging within him.
Sydney and Sam sat in silence for a long time, just watching Joey play. The silence was finally broken by Sydney's cell phone.
"This is Sydney… Mr. Chairman!... What happened? Where is he?... I'll be right there!" Sydney cried as he flipped the phone closed.
"Is everything all right, Sydney?" Sam asked as the older man quickly gathered his belongings.
"No, it's not. Jarod's been hurt. He's unresponsive in the Centre infirmary. I have to go to him now."
