“It’s not that inconceivable that I would agree with Angus,” Jim said. “We used to agree on a lot of things. As for today, I don’t want to start it over again. I like it just the way it is. I don’t think Jessica should be punished for it.”
“Ditto, “ Angus said. Riley looked at him and swore. Angus winked at Jim and laughed.
“Okay, now I’m weirded out, “ Scott said holding his hand for the bottle Riley still held. Riley handed it to him. Scott took a long pull from it before handing it to Josh.
Josh looked at the white liquid in the bottle. It was three quarters full. “I hope we’ve got another bottle back there … this won’t be enough.” And he threw his head back and gulped.
“So get on with it Jim. That’s not what you sent Jessica downstairs for … “ Riley moved to the living room and fell onto the sofa. He looked at his watch. It was only five o’clock, but it felt like midnight. He suddenly felt very tired. Jim returned to the armchair, Scott and Josh sat beside Riley on the sofa, and Angus pulled a chair from the kitchen into the living room. Turning it, he heaved himself onto it.
“I think it’s time to start letting Jessica help out more.” Jim said.
“Good idea,” Angus said, “let’s give her a chainsaw and let her clear out some of the deadwood … I’m sure she’d start with me.”
“Ha, ha,” Jim said, “Jessica’s getting bored, so she’s starting to do unpredictable things. I suggest we give her some responsibility. Something that she can put her energy into.”
“But like Angus said,” Josh said, “what can she do that doesn’t pose a risk to us?”
“Do you guys honestly still believe that she intends to hurt us?” Jim asked.
“Just because she didn’t take the opportunity today, doesn’t mean she won’t another time.” Angus said.
“This was one act of co-operation from her Jim,” Riley said, “she has a history of many, many, attempts at hurting us.”
“Attempts?” Scott asked incredulity in his voice.
“Okay, so she has successfully caused us harm … “ Jim conceded.
“Some of us … she has successfully caused some of us harm.” Scott corrected.
“Amen,” Angus added.
“Okay … I get it. Her past behavior makes it hard to believe that she won’t do it again,” Jim said his voice thick with impatience. “But today she had a perfect opportunity and she didn’t take it. I say that the more positive the response she gets from us about that, the more likely she is to repeat the behavior.”
“So, what do you suggest we let her do?” Riley asked. He’d never felt so unsure of himself before. For the first time that he could remember, he didn’t know exactly what to do with her. If Jessica were a dog, what Jim said made sense. Positive reinforcement worked like a charm. But Jessica was no dog, she’d proved that more than once. He had told Angus to play along with Jessica and they would deal with her attempts to escape as they came along … if he followed his own advice, what Jim was suggesting made even more sense. Sense or no, there was a huge element of uncertainty with Jessica. The line between positive reinforcement and creating their own death wish, was thin.
“We should start with cooking. Let her take over cooking, at least one meal of the day. One of us is with her at all times, it would be impossible for her to poison our food. If that goes well, we could move on to something else. But I really think that this is the time we have to do something drastic … a positive drastic, to prove to Jessica that good behavior really does pay off.”
“I know I’m going to regret this someday,” Riley said, “but unless anyone has any drastic opposition to what Jim is suggesting, I’m willing to go along.” He finished his sentence and looked to Angus.
“I don’t care if she cooks,” Angus said, “but she’s going to eat everything before I do. And any chemicals we have left in the kitchen need to be removed … that includes the dish soap.”
“Dish soap?” Scott asked. “So you’ll blow bubbles out your ass for a day or two, get a grip!”
“Mark my words, “ Angus said, “she’ll find some way to make it toxic.”
“We’ll watch her,” Jim said. “Nothing but good old food will be in our meals.”
“Ahuh,” Angus said, not sounding the least bit as though he believed it.
“We can start with lunches,” Josh said. “If you don’t want to eat what she makes, you can make yourself a sandwich or something.”
“Sound good to you?” Riley asked Scott. Scott nodded but didn’t look convinced.
“Angus?”
“Yup,” Angus replied but wondered why he was going along with it. It seemed like domestic bliss was just going to cause him to get even more emotionally ensnared by her. ‘On the other hand,’ he thought to himself, ‘this could force her hand, then I can go back to beating the crap out of her and enjoying it.’
“Wait a minute,” Scott said, “what about the rules she broke. So she didn’t gut Angus. Though I’m thankful for that, she did break the rules just by picking up the wrench, never mind the saw.”
“I don’t think we can focus on that right now,” Jim said. He was hoping to tell Jessica about the new rule before anyone had the chance to change their minds … he got up and began moving toward the basement door. “Cooking should distract her for a while, and once she gets hooked on it, it will be a powerful carrot to dangle in front of her nose.”
“Yeah, “Josh added, “she won’t do anything to jeopardize that freedom.”
“Nice theory,” Riley said, “guess we’ll have to test it. Go ahead and get her Jim. We’ll see how much of an incentive cooking becomes.”
Riley had stood to watch Jim lead Jessica to the sofa. Her head was lowered, but her eyes flicked up intermittently. As Riley watched her, he felt a tinge of jealously. When she looked at Jim, Josh, or Scott, she seemed fine, but when her eyes landed on Angus … and then himself, she looked away as if it physically hurt her to see them. She sat between Scott and Josh.
“Jessica, “ Riley began in a quiet voice. He was unsure about how he felt. He flip flopped between anger and dejection. Both he and Angus had bent over backwards to be nicer to her and yet she seemed to be just as afraid of them as before. Jessica must have been reassured by calmness of his voice, because she looked up at him, but couldn’t hold the gaze.
“You broke the rules.” he said. Anger was beginning to win first place in the whirlwind of emotions that swirled within him. How hard could it be to look at him? It wasn’t like his eyes would jump out of his head and bite her! The others, save Angus, had been just as angry with her … just as ready to punish her, why was her fear reserved for only him and Angus?
“Jessica,” Jim interrupted. He ignored Riley’s scowl. “It’s become obvious that you need some responsibility around here.”
Jessica’s head snapped up and she looked at Jim expectantly.
“So … Riley has something to tell you.”
Riley had been glowering at Jim, and was taken aback when he realized Jessica had shifted her attention back to him.
“Right,” Riley began. “in appreciation of your … help … with Angus … we’ve decided that you can cook lunches. If you behave, you can cook other meals also … “
He was interrupted by a small squeal from Jessica. She bounced in a place a little clearly excited. “Thank you.” she said.
“But this time you have to obey the rules. You step out of line in the kitchen, and that’s the end of your cooking days … got it?” Riley demanded.
Jessica was nodding her head repeatedly. He was beginning to wonder if she really understood what she’d done wrong.
“Jessica. What exactly is it that you did wrong in the bathroom?” Jessica’s euphoria seemed to disappear. She stopped grinning from ear to ear, and seemed to be thinking. “I … the tools … I used the tools to help Angus?” she asked.
Riley looked at Angus, just waiting for his patience to run out. He should be snapping at any moment, but he looked nowhere ready to do so.
“Wait a minute!” Scott said bolting upright in his seat. Suddenly everything made sense. It was so obvious. Scott looked at Jessica. Relief flooded over him.
“Jessica, what were you doing in the kitchen with Jim yesterday?” he asked her.
“Helping him make dinner,” Jessica said.
“And in the corral today with Ebony?” Scott continued.
“Helping you understand him … he needs some gentleness you know … you’ve gotta talk to him like he’s a person.”
“And with the information you asked us to pass onto Riley and Angus?” Scott continued.
“Well, Riley hadn’t realized that Max was blind and deaf, and Angus hadn’t realized that he had water in his fuel line.”
“And so, by telling them, you hoped to … ?” Scott trailed off.
“Help them,” Jessica replied.
“And in the bathroom, with Angus? What were you trying to do?”
Jessica shrugged and glanced around the room at the men. “I thought I was helping …” her voice trailed off.
“There you go, “ Scott ended, feeling like the biggest heel in the world. “All this misbehavior is really just Jessica trying to help.”
Jim groaned and brought his hands to his head. He was a moron. Why hadn’t he seen it? Josh chugged back the last of the whiskey in the bottle he’d been nursing. Riley turned to Angus, waiting for his usual diatribe that would spout from him following any conversation that made excuses for Jessica, but it didn’t come. Angus shrugged and moved toward the bar.
“Fine,” Riley said more to himself than to anyone else.
He turned back to Jessica.
“Now you can help in the kitchen. Here’s a rule of thumb for you … if your help requires that you use any kind of an object, ask for permission first. Got it?”
“Yes,” Jessica replied. She’d maintained eye contact with him when she answered, and she still hadn’t dropped her gaze.
“Okay … good, then,” Riley said. He felt exhausted and yet exhilarated. Maybe Jim would switch nights with him. He felt like this was a pivotal moment for him with Jessica.
“All done?” Jim asked getting up from the armchair, “Can I take Jessica to bed now?”
Jessica looked up at Jim. Riley dropped his head. So much for that.
“Anyone else want a word with Jessica?” Riley asked. There was no reply.
“Come on Jess,” Jim said holding his hand out to her.
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