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She hums.“I don’t think you do.”
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing at it while I wait for her to say more.She doesn’t.Seeing me squirm gives her too much satisfaction.“Go on.”
“The fact that your punishment for socking Dr.B.didn’t take place right away is not the good sign you think it is.”
“Right.”
“Hydrotherapy… shock therapy… That’s not the worst of it.”
I get the sense she’s referring to Joy.“What is?”
“Do you know what Dr.B enjoys more than therapy?”
I’m almost afraid of the answer.“No.”
“He really enjoys surgery.Did he tell you that?”
“Uh-uh.”
She motions around the room.“And I don’t suppose you’ve been here long enough to realize.”
“Long enough to realize what?”
“When you stop being useful, you get the ultimate treatment.”
“What’s the ultimate treatment?”
“You see all those women over there drooling in the corner, Grace?”
My eyes follow hers.“Sure.”
“Well, they all didn’t come in here like that.”
“Oh.”I take a deep breath in and hold it, considering what she is telling me.“He can’t perform surgery without my consent.”
“Of course he can.”
“I get the sense you know more than you’re saying—” I tell her quickly, my voice a harsh whisper.“And what you’re saying is a lot.”
“Let me explain something, Grace.Something I’ve learned about the world… When influence is peddled, obligations are incurred.When obligations are incurred, favors can be expected.When the favors are owed, directly or indirectly, to the great doctor, you want to be sure that the people in debt are not, you know, running the asylum.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You can’t win this, Grace.”
“Speak for yourself.”
It occurs to me that maybe this is a trap.That anything I say to Elizabeth will be fed to Dr.Branson.Or worse, if thereisa worse.It frightens me that there very well might be.“You certainly seem to be doing fine.”
“That’s because I’m good at playing their game.You are not.”
“I’m not going to sleep with him, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
“Do you want to be like those other women, Grace?”She motions with her hand to the opposite end of the room.“Crying in a corner, unaware of who you are?”
“I doubt they’re unaware.”
“It doesn’t really matter though, does it?”
