For their remaining moments in Burton's Cold Room, UnderWoman and Brian make plans:
They will go next door to The Evolution Store, with its A - Z of animals and minerals ranging from anatomic human models and thousands of iridescent butterfly wings to taxidermy tools and juvenile zebra skulls.
They will head north to the Bergdorf Goodman Men's Store, where trophy heads sport Burberry scarves and where the windows are dressed with "Fantastic Mr. Fox" sets.
And all of this is just south of the Central Park Zoo and the Alice in Wonderland statue. And....
UnderWoman is thinking she will get a line like "Let us go then, you and I" from Brian.
But instead there is a WILD -- afraid, agonizing, despairing, determined -- look in his eyes.
She takes off his Analog outerwear and rushes him outside.
He can hardly catch his breath.
She stewards him from the busy streets of SoHo to the relative calm of Freeman Alley, and into the sanctuary of Freemans, with its hunting lodge decor and hearty menu.
"Listen, UnderWoman," says Brian. "This is really all too much for me....The vague, horrific memories I am harboring; the unfettered hope I feel; the way these memories and hopes wreak real, physical havoc on my heart and brain.
"I know it will sound odd, but I was watching a 'House' episode on Sunday night. A firefighter had undergone so many physical and mental traumas that even the 'idea' of work or women put him into such a state that....Well, they decided that it was too extreme to induce a medical coma of indeterminate length. So they opted instead for a form of electroshock that would wipe his whole slate clean....
"I called Gregory House yesterday. He will be meeting me at Dr. Knowland's tomorrow. He thinks that erasing the traumatic memories might be my best, my only way out. But there is the risk that this will erase all of my memories.
"From my studies of, experience with and experiments in memory, I do believe that there are types of memories...and ways of making, storing and retrieving memories.. that render them indelible. I think it's possible that these kinds of memories live on...in cellular ways, and all ways.
"UnderWoman, I am hoping that you will help me make these kinds of memory today."
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