— No.
BUILDING 55
— Do you know who I have next door?
— Where am I?
— You’re in a military barracks. Do you know who I have next door? You’ll never guess.
— Oh God.
— Shh. Guess.
— Thomas, what have you done to me?
— You’re locked to the post there, but it’s okay. It’s just to keep you safe.
— Oh Jesus lord Christ. Thomas, you have lost your mind.
— You know what’s so funny? I didn’t even need the chloroform with you. You never woke up. What the hell are you on? It couldn’t be just Paxil and wine. You must be mixing it with something else.
— Thomas, don’t do what I think you’re going to do.
— What do you think I’m going to do?
— I won’t say.
— You think I’m planning to kill you or something?
— I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m here. How did you get me here?
— You don’t remember?
— I don’t know if I do.
— Of course you don’t. You were passed out when I got to the house. It was the easiest thing. I put you in the van and then on the cart and that was that.
— Oh God.
— Stop. Don’t moan like that.
— Oh God oh God.
— Enough of that. Please.
— I can’t believe this.
— Believe it and let’s get started.
— Thomas, why would you do this?
— I know it seems extreme. I’m sorry. I really am.
— Jesus Christ.
— But you know I’m a principled person.
— Oh God.
— And this is the best way to get some things resolved.
— Oh Thomas. Please.
— Stop that. Don’t blubber.
— I’m chained here like a dog!
— I’ve chained everyone the same way.
— Thomas, this is how you treat your mother? Seriously, how did you get me here?
— I’m capable of lots of things you wouldn’t even know.
— Like kidnapping.
— Mom, I can do extraordinary things. I brought an astronaut here. He’s still here. I did that myself. You’re the fourth person I’ve brought. You know Mac Dickinson, the congressman? He’s here, too.
— Oh no. No.
— See, you can never give me any credit.
— Thomas, you’ve really lost it. They’ll catch you and put you in prison for life. Is this why you were at the house? I heard you skulking around and figured you were just taking something from the garage. I saw your car.
— Then what? You passed out? That is the best. That sums it up.
— Thomas, why did you do this?
— I had to. There was a vise around my head and now it’s easing.
— I blame myself.
— For once you do.
— What does that mean?
— It’s just amazing to hear you accept blame for anything.
— Like what?
— Like what? Like what? There you go. You’re back to denying the calamity all around. How do you do it?
— Ow. Damn it, Thomas.
— You shouldn’t pull on that.
— Thomas, see what this is doing?
— Then don’t move. It makes the shackle feel tighter. The whole setup works best if you just sit in one place. Especially at your age.
— Look at my ankle! It’s already purple.
— It’s not purple.
— Thomas, it would work best if you just unlocked this whole thing and we could really just sit and talk.
— Guess who I have next door.
— No, I won’t. I don’t want to know. An astronaut. A congressman. You told me.
— Yes, I have those guys. But guess who else?
— I don’t know, Thomas. The idea of you kidnapping all these people makes me want to vomit. I can’t believe my son would do this.
— You act like you had nothing to do with it.
— You’re saying there was something in my raising of you that would make you into a kidnapper? That is absurd.
— Absurd? Mom, everything you did brought me to this place.
— See, you were born ready to blame others for your mistakes.
— No, Mom. No.
— Thomas, it’s the truth. I’ve always felt the same way. I knew you were screwy. Always. You were screwy out of the womb. You were screwy as a child, screwy as an adolescent.
— Well, that’s a nice coincidence, because I have a remnant of that period in the barracks next door.
— Who?
— Think of sixth grade.
— I have no idea. Not Mr. Hansen.
— I knew you knew.
— You kidnapped Mr. Hansen.
— He was a lot easier than the astronaut. Almost easier than the congressman. He was so pliant. Weak.
— Son, I hope you didn’t harm that man. They’ll kill you if you did anything to Dickinson.
— Of course I didn’t. He’s an honorable man. Like me, like Kev. You don’t get the point of all this at all.
— That’s right, Thomas. I don’t.
— So do you remember sending me to Mr. Hansen’s house?
— I know you went there. I don’t remember sending you there. Now Thomas, let me out of this.
— Of course you sent me there.
— All your friends were going. Thomas, please take these handcuffs off.
— All my friends? Hardly. Don Banh went. He’s the only normal kid I remember ever going there, and he went because his mom spoke no English and thought it was the way to get Don better grades. You know Mr. Hansen targeted kids whose parents were absent or incompetent in some way?
— I don’t know where you get this anger.
— You don’t think I have anything to be angry about? Mom, what kind of parent lets their son go to “math overnights”? Doesn’t that seem irresponsible?
— It didn’t seem irresponsible at the time. You begged me to go. You begged me.
— No. No. No. No. No. You came home one day and you’d heard about this “opportunity” to go to Mr. Hansen’s house for enrichment. You thought it would help me, would get him to like me. You remember what you said? You said, “You could use a friend on the faculty at your school.”
— I didn’t say that.
— Then how the hell would I remember it after all these years?
— Your memory has always been given to opportunistic revision.
— You’re such a monster. Just the way you can say things like that. You know the statements like that I have in my head? Opportunistic revision! Jesus, that’s the one talent you have — saying nasty, nasty, unforgettable things.
— If I say I’m sorry will you let me go?
— No.
— Thomas, I’m worried about you. How long have you had the astronaut and the congressman?
— So you believe me.
— Of course I do. That’s what’s so scary.
— Well that’s a start at least. I didn’t think you’d believe I was capable of it.
— I know you are. I knew it when you burned the hospital.
— See, why would you say that? I didn’t burn any hospital.
— Thomas, please.
— Please? Please what? Who said I burned that hospital? I was never accused of that.
— Thomas.
— What?
— It adds up. You’ve kidnapped me. You’re capable of radical acts. Now it all connects.
— I can’t believe you’d make an accusation like that in your position.
— I’m your mother.
— But you’re shackled to a post.
— I’m still your mother and I know things. Children are utterly transparent to their mothers. I knew every time you did something. When the playground down the street was graffitied, I knew it was you. Your handwriting was obvious.