Shrinking Heads (PG-13)
“Do you know why I called you in here, Jensen?”
Dr. Goldstein was an impressive man, obviously having eating more than his fair share of brownies when he was growing up. His meaty hands didn’t look agile enough to accurately hit the tiny buttons of his desk-phone. Jensen shook his head.
“Do you want to take a guess, Jensen?”
Jensen let his eyes wander over all the degrees and diplomas and certificates adorning the wall behind the desk. He studied the golf trophy in the glass case, safely nestled among photos and books. Logan golfed, sometimes. He and Jeff had taken Jared and Jensen one time. They probably realized it was a bad idea when Jared tried to go swimming in the little pond and Jensen accidently let his driver fly out of his hands. At least it had hit the golf cart instead of the old man inside it.
“Jensen?”
“You wanna know if I ever fucked him,” he guessed.
Dr. Goldstein might have been shocked. He might have been appalled or horrified, or even offended. He didn’t show anything though. His beady eyes just stared impassively at Jensen, who stared back. He wondered briefly if the doctor ever tried to comb those massive eyebrows or if he just didn’t care that they were out of control.
“No, that’s not why. You two are very close, aren’t you?”
Jensen huffed. There was a play area in the corner, complete with blocks and crayons and a big paper-covered easel. Jared’s artwork was recognizable, even without the trademark signature he usually scribbled haphazardly across the bottom. It was a picture of the two of them accurate to every detail, despite it being in crayon.
“Jensen, I need you to focus on me. Can you do that for me?”
“Yeah, we’re close. I guess.”
Dr. Goldstein wrote something down in his little book. “Sonya says you met him last February, is that correct?”
Jensen nodded.
“And what was he like then?”
Jensen scowled. “Terrified.” The doctor scribbled some more, then looked back at Jensen expectantly. “What do you want me to say? He was fucking scared of everything.” Jensen shrugged.
“Was he scared of you?” The Doctor’s voice was too calm, too boring. He didn’t react to Jensen’s outburst. He remained calm.
“He was scared of everything. Course he was scared of me.”
“But he let you take care of him?”
Jensen narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t pimp him out, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
Goldstein nodded. He tapped his pen against his book in a maddening passive rhythm. “Jared showed quite an interest in a certain doll I have in my collection. Did you and Jared have much contact with women before you met Sonya?”
Jensen didn’t let the change of topic slip by him unnoticed, but he was grateful he hadn’t been pressed about Jared’s involvement in the trade. He didn’t know how much the Doctor knew but he didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
“We had enough. We ran with one. And there was one in the diner we used.”
“So Jared isn’t shy to be around girls or women?”
Huh. That was a weird question. “No.”
“Would you like to see the doll?”
Of course, Goldstein didn’t wait for Jensen’s answer. He just lumbered over to his desk and picked up a red-headed Barbie. Jensen barked out a laugh.
“Dude, is that Ariel?”
The doctor put the toy on the little table between them and nodded.
“Well, fuck. Yeah. He’d love that. He makes me watch that with him at least twice a week.”
“Jared likes the Little Mermaid?”
The doctor’s eyes were thoughtful. Jensen shrugged. Who knew what kind of messed up crap the psychologist was thinking now.
“He’s not like, mentally delayed, or any shit like that. He just likes Disney movies.”
“All Disney movies?”
Jensen shrugged again. He’d been promised this would ten minutes, tops. Time was slowly disappearing and it didn’t look like he was getting out of here any time soon. His own sessions with Dr. Byrne were bad enough, but he didn’t see how he was going to be useful here. He didn’t know what the fuck was going through Jared’s head any more than some stupid psychologist with a bunch of letters after his name.
“Does he show a preference for the Little Mermaid?”
“Yeah.” He thought back to the collection of movies sitting by the VCR. “Yeah, Little Mermaid’s his favourite.”
“Do you think that’s because he identifies with Ariel?”
Jensen sputtered. “You’ve got to be joking!” he cried. Dr. Goldstein wasn’t joking. His beady little eyes bored into Jensen’s head with cool indifference. His chubby hands clutched at his pen and his stupid book. He waited patiently for Jensen to answer the question. “No!” Jensen snapped. “He likes the fucking dog.” He paused, then smirked. “And the crab.”
“He watches the movie for the animals? Has Jared shown a preference for animals in his real life interactions?”
Jensen glanced at the wall-clock. It looked like a happy face, with the hands coming out of the nose. It looked slightly demented.
“Dude, I don’t fucking know.”
Dr. Goldstein nodded. “Ok, Jensen. That’s ok. I have here that Jared has mutism. Do you know of any situations in which Jared does speak?”
Jensen shook his head. The clock kept ticking. Thirteen minutes and counting.
“So Jared doesn’t talk anywhere, to anyone? That you’ve ever heard?”
Jensen rubbed his hands over his face. “Are we done? It’s just, Jay’s out in the waiting room. By himself...I just...can I go?”
Dr. Goldstein penciled something else in his stupid book, folded his hands on his thick lap. “Yes. You may go. You’ve been very helpful, Jensen. Thank you for having this chat with me.”
Jensen squeezed his eyes shut. With one last deep breath, he heaved himself from the deep chair, and bid the stuffy office a silent farewell. Just before he pressed the handle and slipped into Jared’s waiting arms, he paused and turned to spare Dr. Goldstein one last look.
“He talks to me. Sometimes,” he whispered and then stepped into the brightly lit waiting room.
Back to Master Post
Dr. Goldstein was an impressive man, obviously having eating more than his fair share of brownies when he was growing up. His meaty hands didn’t look agile enough to accurately hit the tiny buttons of his desk-phone. Jensen shook his head.
“Do you want to take a guess, Jensen?”
Jensen let his eyes wander over all the degrees and diplomas and certificates adorning the wall behind the desk. He studied the golf trophy in the glass case, safely nestled among photos and books. Logan golfed, sometimes. He and Jeff had taken Jared and Jensen one time. They probably realized it was a bad idea when Jared tried to go swimming in the little pond and Jensen accidently let his driver fly out of his hands. At least it had hit the golf cart instead of the old man inside it.
“Jensen?”
“You wanna know if I ever fucked him,” he guessed.
Dr. Goldstein might have been shocked. He might have been appalled or horrified, or even offended. He didn’t show anything though. His beady eyes just stared impassively at Jensen, who stared back. He wondered briefly if the doctor ever tried to comb those massive eyebrows or if he just didn’t care that they were out of control.
“No, that’s not why. You two are very close, aren’t you?”
Jensen huffed. There was a play area in the corner, complete with blocks and crayons and a big paper-covered easel. Jared’s artwork was recognizable, even without the trademark signature he usually scribbled haphazardly across the bottom. It was a picture of the two of them accurate to every detail, despite it being in crayon.
“Jensen, I need you to focus on me. Can you do that for me?”
“Yeah, we’re close. I guess.”
Dr. Goldstein wrote something down in his little book. “Sonya says you met him last February, is that correct?”
Jensen nodded.
“And what was he like then?”
Jensen scowled. “Terrified.” The doctor scribbled some more, then looked back at Jensen expectantly. “What do you want me to say? He was fucking scared of everything.” Jensen shrugged.
“Was he scared of you?” The Doctor’s voice was too calm, too boring. He didn’t react to Jensen’s outburst. He remained calm.
“He was scared of everything. Course he was scared of me.”
“But he let you take care of him?”
Jensen narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t pimp him out, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
Goldstein nodded. He tapped his pen against his book in a maddening passive rhythm. “Jared showed quite an interest in a certain doll I have in my collection. Did you and Jared have much contact with women before you met Sonya?”
Jensen didn’t let the change of topic slip by him unnoticed, but he was grateful he hadn’t been pressed about Jared’s involvement in the trade. He didn’t know how much the Doctor knew but he didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
“We had enough. We ran with one. And there was one in the diner we used.”
“So Jared isn’t shy to be around girls or women?”
Huh. That was a weird question. “No.”
“Would you like to see the doll?”
Of course, Goldstein didn’t wait for Jensen’s answer. He just lumbered over to his desk and picked up a red-headed Barbie. Jensen barked out a laugh.
“Dude, is that Ariel?”
The doctor put the toy on the little table between them and nodded.
“Well, fuck. Yeah. He’d love that. He makes me watch that with him at least twice a week.”
“Jared likes the Little Mermaid?”
The doctor’s eyes were thoughtful. Jensen shrugged. Who knew what kind of messed up crap the psychologist was thinking now.
“He’s not like, mentally delayed, or any shit like that. He just likes Disney movies.”
“All Disney movies?”
Jensen shrugged again. He’d been promised this would ten minutes, tops. Time was slowly disappearing and it didn’t look like he was getting out of here any time soon. His own sessions with Dr. Byrne were bad enough, but he didn’t see how he was going to be useful here. He didn’t know what the fuck was going through Jared’s head any more than some stupid psychologist with a bunch of letters after his name.
“Does he show a preference for the Little Mermaid?”
“Yeah.” He thought back to the collection of movies sitting by the VCR. “Yeah, Little Mermaid’s his favourite.”
“Do you think that’s because he identifies with Ariel?”
Jensen sputtered. “You’ve got to be joking!” he cried. Dr. Goldstein wasn’t joking. His beady little eyes bored into Jensen’s head with cool indifference. His chubby hands clutched at his pen and his stupid book. He waited patiently for Jensen to answer the question. “No!” Jensen snapped. “He likes the fucking dog.” He paused, then smirked. “And the crab.”
“He watches the movie for the animals? Has Jared shown a preference for animals in his real life interactions?”
Jensen glanced at the wall-clock. It looked like a happy face, with the hands coming out of the nose. It looked slightly demented.
“Dude, I don’t fucking know.”
Dr. Goldstein nodded. “Ok, Jensen. That’s ok. I have here that Jared has mutism. Do you know of any situations in which Jared does speak?”
Jensen shook his head. The clock kept ticking. Thirteen minutes and counting.
“So Jared doesn’t talk anywhere, to anyone? That you’ve ever heard?”
Jensen rubbed his hands over his face. “Are we done? It’s just, Jay’s out in the waiting room. By himself...I just...can I go?”
Dr. Goldstein penciled something else in his stupid book, folded his hands on his thick lap. “Yes. You may go. You’ve been very helpful, Jensen. Thank you for having this chat with me.”
Jensen squeezed his eyes shut. With one last deep breath, he heaved himself from the deep chair, and bid the stuffy office a silent farewell. Just before he pressed the handle and slipped into Jared’s waiting arms, he paused and turned to spare Dr. Goldstein one last look.
“He talks to me. Sometimes,” he whispered and then stepped into the brightly lit waiting room.
Back to Master Post