Bye Bye Baby

30

I couldn't believe I was doing this.

It was Mrs Wilson's idea. And of course it made sense to her.

She'd sent Erica upstairs to fetch Bruce. Erica came back with Dr Snow and Les.

The shrink came up to me, walking stick hardly touching the ground. She grabbed my elbow and dragged me over to the corner of the room.

"This is a terrible idea," she said. Erica must have told her what Mrs Wilson was planning. "You have to stop her."

"How?" I waited a second or two but she didn't say anything. "You're the expert. Show me."

Dr Snow clumped over to Mrs Wilson. I followed, stood close by so I could hear what they were saying.

"Bruce has been through an ordeal," Dr Snow was saying. "I don't think he wants to talk about it."

"You don't think it might help him?"

"No, I think it'll make it harder for him."

"Bruce says he's fine." Mrs Wilson's cupped hand drew an arc in the air next to her. Around shoulder height. "Somebody needs a haircut, I think." She was smiling as she looked up again. "He doesn't mind."

"But I don't think-"

"Bruce is doing it, Dr Snow. It doesn't matter what you think."

Dr Snow nodded, hunched her shoulders, then moved off to take a seat on the corner of the settee.