Part 5: Legacy of Pain
There was a slight knock to my office door just before it partially opened and liz stuck her head through the gap. "Milady is michael still home? I know he is supposed to go to the hospital later today and I can't find him anywhere. I needed him to move a few things."
"Come in lizzie, he should be here somewhere." As liz entered the room, I felt the pang of regret and jealousy at seeing the pregnant form of the older female, now in her final trimester. In retrospect, I was doubting my own judgment in allowing, encouraging even, michael (my property and life-long love) to impregnate liz, my female property. I wish it was me pregnant again by my male and not liz. But I agreed with the Male Control Board's request to have her breed before she reaches the cut-off age of 35, and decided michael should be the one to do it. Maybe soon I will be carrying the offspring of my michael again. "You're not trying to clean again are you? The doctor said no more manual labor until after the baby was born."
"No ma'am, I just wanted to rearrange the nursery."
"Again?"
She pouted at me "I'm bored Miss Justine. I've read all the books and magazine's on baby-care three times this week already, I just keep trying to think of ways to improve what I have, to better take care of the baby and serve you at the same time."
"liz you shouldn't have waited so long to find him, Adrianne will be here in a little while to take michael anyway."
"But I've been looking for him for an hour Milady."
"An hour? Usually he is underfoot, have you checked in Juli's room?"
"She was asleep last I was in there, but no sign of michael."
"Where didn't you look?"
"I only looked in most of the main house Miss Justine. But not the basement or the punishment room."
"Oh shit, that's right he asked if he should go clean up in the punishment room, but that was over two hours ago!"
I look at my watch not much time left. I walk over to the intercom and press the button for the punishment room, "michael?" I wait several seconds for a reply before switching to the global page "michael where the hell are you?!"
Again silence.
"Alright I have to go find him, he probably lost track of time. He is going to be late for the therapy group session if he needs to clean up. I should give him a paddling!"
lizzie looks at her feet (well in that general direction since her baby bump blocked direct viewing). She looked more like a young child, then the 33 year old female she is. "I did not mean to get him in trouble Miss Justine, honest."
I had punished her more than a few times when she first came to me as property, for trying to tattle to me about michael's doings. Not that there was anything to really tell me that I did not know for a long time, michael has always been an open book to me since we were children and I fully approved of the way he ran our home.
"It's fine girl, I am sure he has just got himself into some project down there, and has his headphones in as he usually does. Take some paper and a pencil and sketch out some of your plans. I promise michael will help you tomorrow."
"Yes Milady."
A short while later I open the concealed door to the punishment room. "michael, where are you boy?" I scan over the room looking for any signs of movement amongst the various restraint devices. Finally I spot the tote that michael stores the various cleaning and repair supplies for the devices in the room.
He has become quite adept at their maintenance and modification since we discovered this room. Actually it was michael who even realized something amiss in the basement. He noticed the basement rooms had a considerable smaller area than the floors above. Then while checking this out I discovered the hidden door. The room was only partially under the main house, and extended out under the detached guest house/garage.
When I discovered the video tapes and computer recordings from the rooms hidden cameras, I became aware that lizzie had been in the room as a teenager several times, and decided not to inform me of its existence when we took ownership of the property from her Great-aunt. Well I revealed to her that I discovered the room by leaving her restrained and at the mercy of michael, after he himself had spent a week in the various restraints, sexually deprived. Not easy on a male accustomed to making love two or three times daily. As I left I gave him instructions to have his way with her. (See Revenge 2 The Start of a New Tradition) The following week I set her genital device to apply mild shocks randomly to remind her she is to have no secrets from me.
When I reached the tote I found michael's Notepad-male lying next to it. 'Prepare to go to St Catherine's-75 minutes overdue!' I could hear the reminder buzzing from the headset attached to it. I silenced the reminder. Now I am worried, michael would not leave this lay, as a gift from me for the 5th anniversary of my ownership of him, it is one of his most prized possessions. I start making my way to the video room to see when he was here last, and where he went.
I start the replay of this morning, the cameras coming online when michael entered the room. I follow all his activities on the screens as he moved from the view of one camera to another as he worked his way through the room. I fast-forward it to the point where I see him in the area where I found the tote. I see him start polishing one of the wooden benches. He suddenly removed his headphones and looked around. He moved to what I believe is an isolation chamber that I had yet to really investigate. All I knew was that in the videos the males that went in always were carried out of it after a long gap in time. It scared me to be honest, but it was too big for me to get taken out.
I could see michael look at the control console next to the door. No don't tell me he went in to it. I release a breath I had not known I was holding as he walks behind it, I know there was a high powered electrical cord there I unplugged long ago. He returns and checks the console. He does not touch anything and the door opens, he passes through and it closes. I forward the recordings and the screen goes dark and the time stamp jumps and I am shown coming in. Oh shit michael is in that chamber and stuck in it for almost two hours!
I rush back out into the main room and over to the device, nothing could have prepared me for what I was seeing through the door's window. My beloved michael was naked, hanging spread eagle in the middle of the 7 foot cube. Each limb held out by an articulated arm extending from the walls, and two extended from the floor, one penetrating his ass the other holding his genitals. The clothing he was wearing earlier were in torn pieces on the floor around him.
I tried to slide the door open but it didn't even budge. The control panel! I step away from the door around the short wall protrusion between it and the panel. The panel was flashing red. I look at the display:
Unauthorized male in chamber!!
Security Protocol activated
Identity confirmed
Launching Level 1 Reconditioning Program for subject
Program Complete - subject Resisting - Engaging Punishment Functions
Female Authorization required to continue/cancel
I touch the screen and it changes to the shape of a right hand.
Confirm Identity, place hand flat on display.
I follow the directions, and get a loud, shrilling noise puncturing my ears.
Unauthorized Female Detected!
Please get authorized Female User to access controls!
Oh Shit! I move back to the door and bang on the glass and yell at the top of my voice, "michael hold on, I'll get you out!"
It looks like he tries to turn to my voice, but suddenly starts shaking in his bonds violently. "michael!"
I run to the intercom and press the global page button. "lizzie, get down here now!"
I am again standing helpless next to the door when she enters. "Miss Justine what is the matter?"
"michael is in here! What is it? It's hurting him!"
"Oh God, I don't know what it is. What happened when you used the controls?"
"Nothing it wouldn't recognize me!"
liz touches the screen and followed the same display I did, except when she pressed her hand down on the screen, it turned green and a Feminine voice emanated from the device. "Recognized: Elizabeth Hodlar."
"Okay, that's a step in the right direction! Aunt Missy must have set this up to recognize me if I ever decided to take up the offer to use the room for ryan. Give me a few seconds Milady."
The arms retracted from michaels's crotch and michael was released and fell to the floor among the scraps of his clothes. As the door slid open I went to rush in but liz's hand reached out and grasped my upper arm. "Justine no!" I was about to tear her apart, I could not decide which of her offences made me more mad; putting her hands on me, talking to me in the familiar, or that she was preventing me from getting to michael. But the scared look she had paused my tongue, and likely my hands also, long enough for her to point at the display. "The security system is still active! Just a few more seconds"
She pressed on the screen, looking like she was trying to figure out the right choices on a test. She turned to me, "Now go in."
I had dragged michael out of the accursed machine and I got down on my knees and pulled his limp body up to me. "michael baby, speak to me!"
For the second time in those seemingly unending minutes liz stepped in and almost found my wrath. Only when I noticed what she was doing did I remember that prior to her crimes against myself and michael she had been a trained medical professional. Skills and training that snapped into place in this crisis. "Pulse is good, pupils are slow but reactive. Bruising on wrists and ankles, and... oh dear Lord!"
"What is it?"
"Electrical burns on his balls." She lifted his hip, "And his ass! It was electrocuting him!"
liz and I both jumped when the intercom crackled to life. "Hello! Anybody home?"
I motioned and liz unsteadily rose from her crouch and moved to the intercom. "Miss Adrianne we're in the room, please hurry!"
liz had the door open waiting for Adrianne to come through when she arrived. "What's the matter liz?" Our eyes met from across the room and her hands flew to her face, when she took in the sight. I barely heard her exclaim; "Oh god no! liz is he..."
"Just unresponsive ma'am." By then they were both over michael and I.
"What happened here?" She looked up behind me. "I never noticed this re-education chamber here before; tell me he didn't go into this."
liz was back down beside michael, once again checking him over. "That's a re-education chamber? It does not look like the ones I was put through Miss Adrianne."
"I would hope not, only about a hundred or so of this model was made, the MCB ruled it too barbaric to use on any males, and ordered production halted for a major redesign to make it fit into the humane treatment guidelines. The manufacturer eventually went bankrupt since they put all their money into the original production line and couldn't afford to retool. I thought they all were destroyed."
"Addie, help me get him upstairs."
Fortunately michael is not a large male, and Adrianne and I managed to get him upstairs to the living room with little difficulty. Although liz did try to help and I told her to stop because of her condition.
"Justine, I'm concerned he has barely moved on his own, let alone talked. Maybe we need to call an ambulance and take him to a hospital."
"It may be a good idea Milady. He seems to be in a deep shock or something."
michael suddenly curled up in a fetal position, trapping the arm I had around his waist, holding him against my own body. He tipped over on his side, my hand under him.
"michael honey, can you hear me? Get me free of him, and let's get him some help. OW! His grip just tightened!"
He began to shiver uncontrollably as Adrianne tried to open him up, but he remained curled up in an awkward hug with my arm.
"Miss Justine, I think he is fine, physically at least. Maybe he has suffered some form of psychological break from being so tortured. But I think we still need to take him to the hospital."
"liz! Be quiet, what do you know?" Adrianne snapped at her.
liz started to shrink away, but then seemed to think better of it standing proud "Forgive me Miss Adrianne, but I was a nurse practitioner, and I fear for michael's health, he is a brother to me in a sense and the father of my baby!" She held Adrianne gaze for a few seconds before breaking into tears.
Adrianne looked at me, regret obvious on her face. "liz, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking straight. Let me call Dr. Johvon let her know michael will not be there and get her opinion on liz's diagnosis. I'll try to be as vague as I can." She pulled out her cell phone and stepped out into the hall.
liz looked at michael, then at me, and hung her head sobbing. "Milady, I am so sorry, I just... with michael... and... and..."
"It's okay dear, Miss Adrianne knows you were just trying to help, she feels for michael just like you do."
"But it was disrespectful of me to talk to a citizen Female that way."
"You're darn right it was," Adrianne came back in, "you were also right to speak up; you of all of us have the best knowledge in medicine and anatomy. Johvon is on her way over; she is calling someone in to take over the therapy group. She hopes to keep this out of the hospital if at all possible."
"lizzie go check on Juli, I didn't grab the monitor when I left the office."
"Yes Milady, please call me if his condition changes before the doctor gets here." liz disappeared up the stairs, casting a worried glance to her property-brother.
"Are you alright Just? Can I get you anything?"
"What I need is my loving male back Addie. And my arm."
"Maybe a little 'stocking therapy' will help calm him? Like in the days of the trial."
"Don't play innocent with me Addie, I know you still let him play with your legs every chance you get, you like it as much as he does." I smile at her, before saying; "Give it a shot, it couldn't hurt."
A blushing Adrianne sat on the other side of michael and began rubbing her legs over the exposed portion of his back. "You little tattletale, telling your Owner when I allow you take liberties with my legs."
Usually the feel of stocking and pantyhose puts michael in a very relaxed state, sometimes even forgetting what he was doing. Sadly, in his current condition, he seemed oblivious.
Adrianne leaned in close to michael. "I think I heard him mumble something, your name maybe." She smiled and spoke in his ear. "michael, Miss Justine is here all you need to do is let go of her arm and sit up. I can hear him, but he is not talking clear enough for me to understand."
The gate buzzer went and Adrianne got up to answer it. "I'll let Cherish in, you wait here." She gave me a sly smile.
I stuck my tongue out at her, "Like I can go anywhere!"
Adrianne led in the 40ish African descended Female, and she came right over and started checking michael's vital signs. "Justine Solomon I assume, nice to finally meet you personally, I just wish it was under a better situation. What happened to my favorite training aid here?" She patted the side of his head. "Usually he blushes when I call him that."
"He unknowingly entered some re-education machine that belonged to the previous owner of the home, it kept him immobile and we believe it was electrocuting him for a few hours." Adrianne gave me a surprised look at my immediate admission. "Addie she needs to know the whole truth if she is to help michael."
"Thank you for that Justine, I'll need to see this device to know what it did to him. They should only use punishment functions if he resisted."
"Given the nature of where it is Doctor, I can't say that is likely the case." I turned to Adrianne, "Get lizzie down here, the Doctor will likely need her."
"Your property female, why should I need her?"
"This house was owned by a member of her family, the controls had been programmed with her palm print sometime in the past. Something we did not know until we tried to get michael out."
"It has biometric controls? That is a rarity on these type devices."
"Miss Adrianne said you wanted me Milady?"
"Take Doctor Johvon to where we found michael. Help her, answer any and all of her questions."
She looked at me in shock. "Miss Justine?"
"Am I harder to understand with michael wrapped around my arm? Everyone is questioning my decisions! Just do it elizabeth!"
The use of her full first name told her there would be no more second chances. "Please follow me Doctor."
"elizabeth, where is Miss Adrianne?"
"Juli was awake and asking for 'daddy' so Miss Adrianne stayed with her."
"Alright go now."
I sat there alone, save for michael, clinging to me like an abnormal growth. I rubbed my free hand against the side of his head and talked calmly to him. Now I also could hear faint mumbling rising from him.
After a short while liz came stumbling in and went to her knees, crying her eyes out. "Miss Justine I'm so sorry!" My heart skipped a beat at the despair in her voice. "This is all my fault!"
"liz calm down, what is it?"
Doctor Johvon came in behind her. In a booming voice she yelled; "male, who is your Owner?"
I felt michael shudder "Miss... Miss... Miss Elizab... Miss Elizabeth Hod..."
I was in shock, I looked at the crying pregnant woman before me "Wha... what was he saying?"
michael sobbed and his grip on my arm got a little bit tighter "Owww! michael that hurts!"
I heard a whimper emanate from him, before he weakly stated; "Miss Justine Solomon."
Adrianne was now at the top of the stairs, drawn by all the noise. "You traitorous bitch! What did you do to him? After all Justine and michael have done for you!"
"Easy Adrianne," The doctor came up behind liz, knelt down and held her, "elizabeth did not do this. She does not have the access to the controls for program creation or editing. Her access only shows the running program and the ability to start, end, or progress the currently running routine to the next level. The routine michael was subjected to was written to entrench, in him specifically, that he is the property of Elizabeth Hodlar. I think he is fighting off the conditioning by literally holding on to the truth. The file date stamp is back in the time of michael's trial and its creator is the system administrator..."
"Judge Melissa Alphons!" Adrianne hissed out.
"elizabeth! You had no knowledge of this?"
She looked at me with eyes the size of plates. "I would never have accepted this, even if we would have succeeded. You must believe me Miss Justine. I couldn't even bring myself to hurt him to encourage him to attack me."
"No but you sure felt free enough to use the punishment device on him when he was helpless!" I was mad enough to spit fire, part of me believed lizzie, but I still did feel betrayed enough to be spiteful.
"Enough! This is not helping michael!" Doctor Johvon looked at Adrianne and I with steely eyes. Adrianne you know me well enough to trust my judgment?"
"I like to think so."
"I believe liz is telling the truth, her shock when we read the screen was genuine, and her pain at the revelation of what happened was as a direct result of her past crimes is real." She helped liz to her feet. "I am taking elizabeth and we are going to try to get the info I need. I suggest you both take this time to calm yourselves."
"Adrianne, please get her special collar. It is in the safe by the front door. Give the control device to the doctor."
Adrianne returned a few moments later carrying the baby monitor receiver from my office. "I need to take a walk to clear my head." She set the monitor down on the coffee table and gave me a hug. "Give me a call on my cell if you need anything. Okay baby?"
"Yes Addie, go, we both need time to get our heads on straight."
She kissed the side of michael's head and went out the door leading to the garden.
"Oh crap! Addie wait!" Damn, too late! I don't have any phones nearby, and both my cell and Notepad are in the office. I can't call her if I need her after all.
Then I was hit with the sudden urge to go to the bathroom!
-----
We were already a few blocks away from the estate, and I was still crying, a bit light headed, and feeling sorry for myself. Idly I toyed with my Pregnancy Identicollar. It currently replaced the genital device, that could not fit me in my condition, as a tracking device and punishment delivery system. Albeit the punishment capabilities of the collar were considerably underpowered compared to the GD version, can't risk hurting the baby and all.
"Don't worry elizabeth, we will fix michael."
"I know Doctor, but it is just my past sins have come back to haunt me. Now michael is... well you know, because of it. It is a legacy of pain that I never wanted a part of. And Miss Justine will never forgive me, let alone trust me ever again."
"You really care about that, you care about both of them very much." She glanced over at me. "I can tell you did not take to the entire re-education process, even if they did certify you. These are your true feelings"
I turned to look out the passenger window, I wasn't about to admit to something that was going to get me sent back to a Re-Ed facility. Even if the way today has gone Miss Justine was likely to send me there anyway.
"Justine knows or suspects doesn't she?"
"Yes she knows. Almost from the time I came to her. Three weeks into my being her property she talked to me about it and said as long as I was loyal to her and michael, she would not send me back. She liked the idea that I was still part 'normal Female' deep down and not just a 'brainwashed piece of property'. That was her words for it." I looked over to see the piercing dark eyes staring at me as we sat at the red light. "When she has disagreements with her Mother, Miss Adrianne, or other Females she comes to me for my thoughts. She told me at these times to give my honest opinion not just agree with my Owner. Now she is likely going to have that last bit of the old me wiped out. The first time I deserved it, I tried to destroy something beautiful. I almost was sent back after Miss Justine found out I knew about the punishment room and never told her about it, fortunately she opted to use the genital device's punishment feature. Now I am innocent and she is sure to send me." The last bit coming among fresh burst of tears.
"Let's not borrow problems from the future, and worry about the here and now."
I caught a glimpse of the Heads-up GPS in the windshield directing a turn. "Where are we going Ma'am?"
"I thought you were smart enough to figure that out. Where is the one place we can get information on this particular device?"
"Well no one knows about the room outside of... No, that's not a good idea Doctor."
"We have no choice liz, it's her or we have all lost michael as we know and love him. Judge Alphons is the only one we know who will have the Mistress Password to the control system. I need that to get the settings used on him."
We stood outside the door; Doctor Johvon had made me go to the door ahead of her. I was afraid to ring the bell. "Don't worry liz, I have a backup plan, but plan A is to sweet talk it out of her." She reached out a pressed the call button.
A few minutes later the door opened rather abruptly. "What the hell do you want bitch!"
It was the reaction I dreaded, and expected. "Hello to you to cousin, I need to talk to Aunt Missy."
"Tough shit, she doesn't have time for the likes of you." She went to slam the door in my face and felt shocked it didn't move. Neither of us had seen the Doctor reach up to press her hand against the door.
"Miss Alphons, I am Doctor Cherish Johvon, it is imperative I talk to your grandmother Judge Alphons."
"Child that is no way to treat company... or family." My Great-aunt was now at the bottom of the steps. "You're the Cherish Johvon, clinical researcher in male-induced traumas."
"One and the same Ma'am"
"Please come in. I must say, I'm impressed with your credentials and track record, not so much with your political stance."
"Well thank you Judge, but sadly I am not here to debate politics."
"Just call me Melissa; I can't use the title Judge anymore. Tell me why you and dear Elizabeth are here for?" Aunt Missy turned to me. "By the way dear, I am glad that my pulling of strings with the Diversity Committee paid off."
I should have known they would not have approached Miss Justine without some prodding from someone. Under house arrest and she still has the power to manipulate things her way.
"We're here about the Fujomo-Cameron 1000 in the basement of your former home."
"Ahhh I see." A conspiring grin crossed her face as she looked over to me. "Who stumbled into it, the male, or his Owner?"
"It's not important who; I just need the password to have access to its systems."
"NOT IMPORTANT! They took away my Grandmother's freedom! They deserve whatever the chamber gave them!"
"Shut up Mary! Give us some privacy."
My cousin Mary left mumbling about being dismissed in her own home. She ordered lawrence, her male, downstairs. I would hate to be him, taking a beating for our appearance in her abode.
The Doctor cringed but tried to hide it. "Melissa, please just give me the password and we will be on our way."
Aunt Missy ignored her and turned to me, "You know this is your chance child, the power in the home has shifted to you."
For the second time today, something in me just snapped into place, gone was the meek property female. In its place was the forceful Female self of old, at least in attitude if not opinions. "I don't want it. Please just give us the password, the father of my baby is a vegetable right now. I... We need michael back the way he was. We were wrong to do what we did in the past. To make michael into a mindless male puppet is wrong. He is a beautiful person, loving, gentle, and intelligent. In my first week as their, yes I said their, property, I saw more love between them then I saw in all the Females in this family since I was born. We had no right to try to end that for our own wants. God help me, I love them both for accepting me, even after the hell we put them through!" My lightheadedness returned and I grabbed Doctor Johvon's arm to keep myself steady.
Aunt Missy shook her head "Always one in the family."
"Look Melissa time is short, how would it look for your Daughters, Granddaughters and Nieces if videos of them cruelly beating their males into submission would surface. How many deaths occurred in that room? I'm sure their employers will not hold their positions until they are out of jail, and political backers may pull their support."
"You are not afraid to pull out the big guns. Very well, the password is brandon, b-r-a-n-d-o-n." My shock must have been apparent. "Yes child, the password is your grandfather's name. Now I would appreciate it if you would leave, I prefer being the blackmailer not the blackmailed. I think I need to relieve some stress myself, like my Granddaughter already is."
As we were walking back to the Doctor's car, I felt sympathy for Mary's poor lawrence; he was to be the victim of both sadists. I glanced at Doctor Johvon and could tell she was feeling the same as me. "liz, there is nothing we can do for him unless we witness the abuse, or he comes forward. I swear we are falling back into the same ruts as the men did before us."
-----
I was ready to burst by the time Adrianne came back, thankfully the intimacy we have shared in the time of michael's trial and since, and of course my urgency, allowed us both to quickly overcome the embarrassment of having her help slide my pants down and hold a bowl under me to pee into.
"You're going to owe me for this one dear." She smiled as she walked away with the bowl.
"Consider us even for you taking off in a huff and leaving me like this with no way to call for help."
"I apologized already, sheesh! Forget one little detail once and someone will make sure you never forget it again!"
I heard the front door open. lizzie stuck her head in "We're back Miss Justine. We're going downstairs now."
Adrianne came back drying off her hands. "Was that liz? Good news I hope."
"She seemed... confidant. Let's take that as a good sign." I took Adrianne's hand. "Thank you, you have been a big help today, I would have panicked long ago. I realized while I was waiting for you to come back, liz could have betrayed me when we found him and locked me in that machine with michael forever. Perhaps we were a little too presumptuous earlier."
"I think we both owe liz another apology later. Damn twice in one day from me, she is going to get an ego about that."
"She deserves it today; she is the only one among us that really kept her cool, at least until we pushed her."
Doctor Johvon returned twenty minutes later with liz in tow. "Okay Justine I need you to unlock michael's Notepad so I can download to it."
I punched in the password and she plugged the retractable cord from her own Notepad into his and began sending files. "liz place the EEG leads and headphones on him please." She turned back to me; "The program worked on harmonic subliminals, a specific frequency used to push thoughts into a specific part of the brain. I have written a counter-regimen that should erase the enforced thoughts by strengthening the original concepts in his mind he has struggled to keep. We just need to give it time to work." She took a deep breath. "Justine this may not work at all, or worse his mind may completely go from having the conflicting orders forced into it. I can't guarantee he will ever be the same."
I thought of having him think liz was his Owner or him as a broken male, it tore my heart out either way. "We can't just do nothing, if you feel this is our best option, do it."
She nodded and plugged in the wires from his head into her Notepad, checked the readings and pressed the play button on his Notepad. "Okay now all we can do is pray, the rest is up to him."
Adrianne took liz to the kitchen and came back with sandwiches for all and coffee for the three of us Females, liz abstaining from the caffeinated drink because of her pregnancy, drank milk instead. liz stayed by my side to help me with reaching the table.
I went to pick up my mug and realized I had more leeway. I gave a slight tug on my arm. "I'm free!"
We checked michael over, his body was much more limber then it had been since he trapped me. Between the three of us we got him situated on his back, his head in my lap. lizzie giggled and teased me that now I was free, I did not want to be. She also went and got the ointments and treated michael's burns now that we could reach them.
I was absentmindedly rubbing his close cropped hair with one hand and holding his hand with my other when he gave my hand a squeeze. "Milady?"
That one word never felt so good in my ears as it did in that moment, I broke into tears of joy.
He reached up and felt the sensors on his head and Doctor Johvon reached out and stopped him from where she sat on the coffee table. "No michael! They need to stay on for now, the headphones too."
He shot me a shocked expression. "Milady, what is going on? Why is Doctor Cherish here?" He looked around the room. "Why is everyone crying?"
Doctor Johvon smiled at him "It's a long story kiddo, just rest for now. In a little bit we will find out what you remember and answer your questions."
"Can I have something to drink? My mouth is dry and I feel like I have not eaten in hours." He looked confused as we all broke down and laughed.
liz immediately gave him the rest of her most recent glass of milk, which he sat up and chugged down as he scarfed a sandwich from the plate. "Thank you lizzie, can you get me another please?" Smiling she ran/waddled to the kitchen.
"You rest a little while longer michael. Justine can we talk in private?" I nodded my agreement. "liz please monitor the EEG readings on my Notepad, call for me if something spikes."
"Ma'am I'm not allowed to use Notepads."
"liz for this I will make an exception, because you are just reading the display." I should lighten up her tech restrictions someday soon.
When we settled into my office, Doctor Johvon looked a little concerned; I hope she isn't foreseeing problems with michael. "What is it Doctor?"
"liz."
"What about her?"
"She's scared you are going to send her off to a Re-Ed over this."
"Well the thought crossed my mind in the heat of things earlier, but when I calmed down, and the events played out again in my mind, with the clearer head I saw liz could have taken advantage of me being in the machine, or allowing me to enter it before disarming the security system. I knew deep down she was innocent."
"That is another part of what I wanted to tell you, it is good she did stop you. The machine only had three profiles in it. michael, liz, and one for you. The rest were deleted on the day your and liz's were created. I checked the dates against the records on my Notepad; it was the week before you moved in."
"What do you mean?"
"Judge Alphons wrote subliminal programs just before she moved out and set them up that if you or liz entered the machine it would activate, then whichever of you entered you were to get the other to enter after your program went through. The programs were to make you essentially the property, and liz the Owner. The routine for liz also included lines to make her sadistic, to thrive on causing her property pain. And to eventually get michael into the machine to be reprogrammed with the routine that was created for him during his trial."
"So if lizzie hadn't stopped me..."
"You and michael both would have believed you were liz's property."
"Did she know?"
"She had no clue; the files had not been accessed until today by me, and were created while she was in your custody. I also want you to hear this."
She pulled a small voice recorder from her pocket and hit the playback button. I listened intently, liz's determined voice trying to convince the Judge to surrender the info, her pleas for michael's health falling on deaf ears. And then the Doctor played her trump card. "Thank you Doctor, this means much to me on so many levels. You risked your career for my boy, and proved that liz has fully accepted her place in my home and respects its structure. Not to mention returning to him his own mind."
The intercom on my desk clicked to life "Miss Justine, michael wants you, and he is not a happy male." The last part coming out barely more than a whisper.
I shook my head and thought out loud: "Now what?"
I took a second to take a deep relaxing breath before I entered and vowed to myself to maintain control. When I came into the living room michael was sitting there pouting, arms across his chest and a blanket across his legs. "What is it michael? What is so important?"
"Miss Adrianne won't let me go to Juli, or bring her to me."
"I told him not until the Doctor cleared him." Adrianne said from behind him, positioned between the couch and stairs.
"She's right michael." I cut him off before he could reply. He looked at me ready to cry. Oh the pain in those eyes...
"Why don't we let me continue my evaluation?" Doctor Johvon injected and took off the headset. "michael what do you remember of today?"
"Well I remember waking Miss Justine up..." he blushed, "in my usual manner. Then got up to make our..."
"How about after you went into the punishment room?"
He looked at her in shock and then at me scared. "Miss Justine... I did not tell anyone honest!"
Good thing he plays chess and not poker. I took his hand in mine. "Just answer her baby."
"Yes Milady, well I went in and was tightening up the equipment you had me in this week, and polishing up what was dusty. I heard a beeping in-between songs on my Notepad. So I followed the sound to the big thing in the corner. Its display was flashing red and said 'Backup Power critically low! Restore Primary Power Supply'" He looked at me. "I promise Milady, I did not press any buttons. All I did was walk around to the rear and plug in the power cord. When I came back to the front the display was yellow and had instructions to connect the Backup to the charger inside the door. I went in and the door closed behind me. I tried to get out but something dragged me back from the door and pain shot through my testicles. I remember my head hurting, and my arms and legs held tight, too tight for me to get loose, and I was naked. Every time I tried to get free it felt like my testicles and butt were on fire. I think I heard you calling me at one point Milady, but it was so faint I do not know if it was real." He frowned, "Then I woke looking up to you."
"Nothing else?"
"No Doctor, nothing else."
"I found you in the device, lizzie and I got you free of it, and between myself and Miss Adrianne we got you to the couch. Where you promptly trapped my arm for hours and would not let me go."
"Why is Doctor Cherish here though? She is a brain doctor, not a body doctor." Johvon playfully slapped him. "No offense meant Ma'am."
liz took his other hand and kissed his cheek. "It did evil things to your mind, and she undid them."
"Yes, unspeakable things, and I do not want anyone to explain them to him." I looked at her wondering what she was thinking. "michael, I want you to keep a dream journal. Write down all your dreams you remember. Do this even before your..." She looked at me, "daily routine." I think we both blushed at that. The doctor removed the EEG sensors from michael's head.
Adrianne clapped loudly "Well all's well and such. There is a dog back at my apartment that probably needs to go for a walk desperately."
"I was going to invite you for dinner." I said as she kissed me and then michael.
"No dear, I should go. I will see you Wednesday for tennis?" I nodded my agreement. "liz walk with me to the door."
They walked out. "How about you Doctor? It will likely just be Chinese take-out or pizza. My cooking skills are..."
"Below adequate." michael looked at me with a sly smile.
I laughed "You got some nerve! The sad part is; he is being generous, and I don't think either of the two that can cook in the house are in shape to do so."
"I accept, and that will be fine. I will have to call my male and tell him he will be on his own tonight."
"Doctor Cherish, I did not know you had a male. You never mention him. I thought you were..."
"A lesbian?"
"Oh no Ma'am I was going to say a confirmed bachelorette, like Miss Adrianne. You know career before pleasure."
"Ahh. Well I did not look for a male until I had my schooling finished, and my son just moved in with his new owner two years ago. But I also try to keep my personal life separate from work."
"Your secret is safe with me Doctor Cherish." The smile left his face; I followed his gaze to see lizzie standing in the hall crying.
What now? "lizzie, what is it girl?"
"Miss Adrianne..." liz sobbed and I wondered what she had said to liz now? "She hugged and kissed me, and told me I did well today and she was proud how I stood up to her for michael's sake. She apologized for thinking the worst of me."
"I am proud of you too liz," I thought back to the Doctor's recording, "for what it's worth I do love you in my own way, not quite how I love michael, but you are very important to me, not as property, as a person. I have been a bit strict with you since you came to us; I think there will be more freedom to come for you especially with the baby coming soon."
Doctor Johvon smiled at me, she knew I meant what I said and her concerns for liz's future more secure.
Dinner was decided, and Pizza Castle made yet another delivery to my home. Something too common here the last several weeks. A now fully clothed michael ate almost a whole pie by himself, he was that hungry after his ordeal. He still managed to hand feed some cooled bites to Juli amongst his own feeding frenzy.
Dinner was also relatively quiet with little being said by anyone that did not involve passing a slice or condiment. But all that changed when liz walked around the table and wrapped her arms around michael. "Oh brother dearest!" liz's usual opening when she wanted something from michael. "Miss Justine promised me you'd help rearrange the nursery tomorrow."
He looked from her to me, I nod my approval, and he looked back to her. "Again?" He sighed.
Between the look on his face, and the little pout she gave him in response, neither Cherish or I could help laughing, which then spread to the pair of them.
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24.01.14
story continues in Revenge 6: Life and Loss
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