(Revised 6/14/2022)
Chapter 7: A Minor Incident
Julie and Thelma ventured out to K-Mart in Donovan's truck that afternoon. It had been months since Julie visited this store. She shopped the food isles first, in hopes of a red canister of medium roast Folgers coffee. The large can was $25, only a few dollars cheaper than last December. She felt guilty picking out a Hershey's bar for herself, as Donovan insisted. They now sold for five dollars apiece. There were not any with almonds, which were Julie's favorite. But still it was chocolate and Donovan had insisted.
Other necessities on Julie's list were a bag of sugar at $6, coffee creamer, at $7.42, and several packages of noodles. She intended to make spaghetti this evening. The Parmesan Cheese was $8.13 at the grocery store. Julie doubted if Thelma had ever eaten human food. The woman's last meal was probably a human. Julie did not savor that thought.
Willie's trust in Thelma worried Julie. The reunited couple had not seen each other in years… How can he love her? She wondered. He hardly knows her. He loved Harmy.
Julie glanced over at Thelma who looked much younger in her human disguise than Harmony Moore looked before she died. Julie studied Thelma's face and the sincere expression she wore. There were so many questions she thought to ask but did not want to overwhelm the girl, who admitted she had never set foot outside of the Mother Ship until Philip brought her to the resistance base.
Julie realized that it would take a lot of work to teach Thelma to live like a human being, and Willie would be her teacher.
"Why do you keep looking at me?" Thelma asked
"Nothing… I was just thinking about you and Willie." Julie shifted her focus to the aisle ahead of her. "Are you ready to shop for clothes?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Thelma said, "I guess."
You don't even know your size, do you? Julie looked at her again, doubting if the K-Mart fitting room attendants possessed a tape measure. How would they feel about measuring a Visitor? Most Humans were still untrusting of the aliens, no matter which race they claimed to side with.
Moments later, Julie pushed the shopping cart into the ladies' apparel department. Racks were overstuffed with winter clearance bargains. During the war, people could not afford food, let alone clothing. The manufacturers still sent their products. A blue light flashed in the distance, near the lingerie department. Julie decided that Thelma needed panties, socks, and bras too. For that matter, she also needed shoes. She could not wear the black boots required by the Visitor dress code. Julie turned the cart toward the lingerie aisle but noticed Thelma was not with her. She had stopped to admire a blue blouse.
Maybe she does have fashion sense. Turning the cart back, Julie asked, "Do you like that one?"
Thelma traced her hands over the ruffles. "It will be nice to wear something other than red all the time, and not to be like everyone else."
"H-how much is it?" Julie was afraid to ask.
"How much?" Thelma questioned.
"The price tag."
Thelma found the garments ticket. "It says twenty-five dollars."
Julie looked at the forty percent off sale sign above and mentally calculated the items that were already in the shopping cart, along with the one shirt that Thelma had picked out.
At that rate, she won't have much money left for a few outfits.
"Why don't we start with the basics first, and maybe we'll come back to the shirt."
Thelma's pseudo brow furrowed as she fell in line behind Julie. "What are the… basics?"
"Panties, bras…. Socks."
When they reached the lingerie department, Julie tried to guess Thelma's sizes and realized the woman would need to take several sizes to the fitting room to get the right fit. The situation reminded Julie of taking Elizabeth shopping after her metamorphosis. Except Elizabeth trusted her.
"I like this one," said Thelma, picking up a pink lace teddy.
I can see the look on Willie's face. Julie giggled.
"Is it funny?" Thelma asked.
"No… Well, um, it isn't basic."
"But it's all connected." Thelma pointed to the garment's midsection. "See, it has underwear, and a bra all built-in together. I never had anything like this to wear under my uniform."
Feeling her cheeks flush, Julie said, "Because it isn't meant to be worn under the clothes, Sweetheart."
"Well, then why would one wear it?"
"To go to bed in," Julie answered.
"Well, that's stupid." Thelma flung the garment on the rack.
Julie shook her head and continued browsing the racks.
Three hours passed since Julie and Thelma's departure for the store. Donovan guessed Julie had decided to go to other stores as well, but her lengthy absence still worried him, after all, she had the only running vehicle which was his.
Donovan sat in the common room, glancing through the L.A. Times copy Julie had left for him. He turned to the help wanted section. Not that he could hold down a job with Sean's condition, but there was not anything listed in the way of media either, and neither were there any listings for scientists or doctors. He and Julie would have to rely on their field connections if they wanted to find employment anytime soon. Donovan found himself wondering what Willie would do for money to support him and Thelma.
"Dad?" Sean called from his confinement room.
Donovan stood from his spot on the couch and lay the newspaper aside on the end table. He sauntered to his son's side.
He gave Sean a once over, noticing he did not look as pale as he did when he had first arrived. "How ya doing', Kiddo? Are you sick?"
"I need to use the bathroom."
Donovan hesitated to untie the restraints. "If I let you up, you plan to behave?"
"I'll pee all over the sheets if you don't." Sean grinned.
Holding out his index finger, Donovan commanded, "Wait a minute."
He stepped out of the room and headed to the bathroom, then knelt and checked under the sink and in the medicine cabinet and shower for any sharp objects like razors that Sean might be able to use as a weapon. But apparently, Julie was already a step ahead in her thinking and had put her things away. Donovan would have to ask her where his own razor was later. He returned for Sean, untying him, then holding his arm tightly as he marched him toward the bathroom. When they reached the threshold Sean stepped inside the small room. The door slammed in Donovan's face.
"I don't need you to watch me go to the bathroom!" Sean snapped.
"I'll wait right here for you," said Donovan through clenched teeth.
"Screw you!"
Donovan waited for the toilet to flush, and had not heard the water run when Sean opened the door and glared at him. He started to step out, but Donovan gave him a shove back in.
"Huh-uh. Not until you wash your hands."
"I'm not a kid anymore. You can't tell me what to do."
"WASH… YOUR… HANDS."
Sean just stood there, waiting for his father to move out of the way.
"Do it." Donovan motioned to the soap.
Sean picked it up and chucked it into the shower wall.
Donovan grabbed him by the shoulders, muttering, "All right, that's it!"
Sean ducked, and shot back up with a clenched fist, right to the right side of his father's face.
Jaw stinging in agony, (Ham Tyler said the kid could throw a punch) Donovan recoiled and grabbed Sean again, holding both of his arms down at his side.
"Let me go!" Sean yelled
Donovan faced him toward the common room. "March, son."
Sean followed the command and returned to his room, only to have his hands tied to the wall again.
"You know I'm not going to stay here. The first chance I get, I'm leaving," he said.
"Yeah, yeah." Donovan started to taste his own blood. He felt his teeth with his tongue. They were still all in place. A little blood seeped from the corner of his lips.
"I got you good, didn't I?" Sean's lips curled to a smile. "I bet you can't wait for Julie to come to play doctor."
Apparently, you missed what I said earlier, thought Donovan. But he had not missed what Sean said earlier, and that still bothered him.
"We're not together," Donovan said again.
"But you still love her," Sean said. It sounded more like an accusation coming from his lips. "It's too bad she can't have kids."
"Who'd you hear that from, Diana?"
"Yeah, she said she fixed Julie so she couldn't have kids."
Donovan wiped the blood from his chin. "What, when she tried to convert her as she converted you?"
"I'm not converted."
"Well then what are you when you've turned on your own species?"
"At least I know who the superior race is…"
"Oh, I bet you wish you were one of them now, huh?" The thought disgusted Donovan. Sean did not say anything, so he thought he would remind him about the pain the Visitor's caused. "Do you know that Diana also converted your mother and used her to get information from the resistance?" Donovan heard his voice growing louder and more agitated. "She had me convinced that she wanted to help me find you. I trusted her, Sean."
"So, what? You let Julie kill her to get even?"
There he was with his false accusation. Donovan thought he would try and set the record straight again, not that Sean would believe him.
"We were on a raid; your mother was injured. Julie did try to save her. You've got to believe me on that. I won't allow you to blame her for your mother's death." He dabbed at his face with the back of his sleeve.
"Knock knock."
Donovan turned to see Julie standing in the doorway. "I bought some Emitrol for him in case… Mike, what happened to your face?"
She stepped into the room and reached for his cheek.
He pushed her probing hand away. "Just a little disagreement. I'm fine."
"Look in the mirror, that is not fine."
"Oh, go on. Let her play, Doctor, Dad. She wants you," Sean said.
Julie fluttered her eyelashes, looking royally peeved off.
"Can it," Donovan told his son. "I'll be back to check on you in a bit." He closed the door behind himself, following Julie out.
She turned to him again, touching his face. "Do you want to tell me what really happened?"
"Not really."
"Can I look at it up close? You might need stitches!"
I bet you won't leave me alone until you do, Donovan thought.
"Certainly," he said.