Silent To The Bone

Connor calls Dr. Z and explains that it would be a good idea for him to be present when the grandparents bring their lawyer to see Branwell. Dr. Z agrees and asks permission for Connor to be present. He gives Connor the job of informing Branwell’s grandparents of what is going on. At the meeting, Connor doesn’t want to reveal that he communicates with Branwell using flash cards and blinks, so he sits back and watches the meeting unfold, listening and observing everything. Connor watches as Branwell remains unaffected by the lawyer’s attempts to get him to speak, and when the lawyer plays the 911 tape, Branwell simply places his fist over his mouth and squints his eyes when the operator transfers the call to Fire and Rescue. Connor is glad to see Branwell standing up for himself; he thinks that he and Branwell have begun to need each other differently over the past few days.

Connor tells Dr. Z about the meeting, and Dr. Z seems relieved that Branwell didn’t talk to his grandparents. Connor thinks back to Branwell’s reaction to the tape and knows that he needs to get a copy and take it back to Branwell to find out more. He goes to Margaret and asks if she can get a copy of the tape, and she is sure that she can do so. Margaret also honestly tells Connor that Branwell is being investigated for manslaughter (accidental killing) or murder and that there is a chance that he could be charged. Connor insists that Branwell is innocent, but Margaret reminds him that Branwell himself has not stated that.

Connor remembers talking to Branwell about Tina once and asking if he liked her. Branwell answered that he did but that he didn’t love her. Connor then tells Margaret about the story of the day when Branwell met his baby sister. He came in from his flight and met his father, Tina, and Nikki at the airport. Likely due to nerves, Branwell shoved a gift at Tina and commented that Nikki was only his half-sister. Tina never offered to let Branwell hold his sister, and Branwell didn’t know that he had to ask. All of this put together caused Tina to have the impression that Branwell didn’t like Nikki. After hearing this, Margaret offers to have Connor stay for supper, as Branwell’s au pair, Vivian, is supposed to be coming over.

Connor makes a card that says “TAPE” so that he can ask Branwell about it the next time they meet. As he waits for his sister to bring home Vivian, he thinks about when Vivian first came into Branwell’s life after Nikki was born. Vivian was hired as an au pair despite being from England and already knowing English. Her job was to take care of the baby five days a week. Vivian was 20, and Branwell was about 12, and he developed a crush on her immediately. He marveled at her unique English vocabulary and accent and talked about her often. This eventually irritated Connor, but he never made it too obvious. After a while, Branwell started spending more of his time at home and less time with Connor. One day, he even lied to Connor and said that he had a sore throat, but Connor was certain that Branwell just wanted to stay home with Vivian. Branwell never let Connor spend much time around Vivian, so he looks forward to being able to meet her now.

The dinner with Vivian proves to be informative and unusual. Margaret comes into the house with Vivian, who Connor observes is short, well-dressed, and attractive. Margaret offers Vivian some wine, and Vivian decides that telling Connor and Margaret about her experiences with Branwell will be good practice for when she has to write a deposition. Margaret and Connor listen eagerly. Vivian begins by talking about how Branwell “accidentally” walked in on her while she was taking a bath, not once but three times. She asks Connor to light a cigarette for her, which he does awkwardly, and Vivian touches Connor’s wrist as he does so.

Vivian refers to Branwell as “Brannie” and goes on to say that Branwell had an “unhealthy interest in little Nikki’s nappies” (101). He always insisted on changing her and seemed to always wipe her for far too long. Connor suddenly realizes why Branwell always insisted on going home after school once Nikki was born. Vivian then talks about the day of the incident, where she awoke to hear Branwell calling for her in distress. She found Branwell in the bathroom with Nikki, and there was some blood on the floor. Branwell was shaking Nikki to wake her up, and Vivian stopped him. Nikki then threw up and was struggling to breathe. When Vivian asked Branwell what he did, all he could say was, “I…I…” (106). Vivian shares that she plans to go back to England once nothing more is required of her by the law. After the dinner, Connor wonders if he knows Branwell as well as he thinks he does. He has a dream about Vivian and realizes that he has a crush on her.

Connor gets a copy of the tape from Margaret and takes it to Branwell. When they meet, Connor hopes to make Branwell jealous of the time he spent with Vivian because Connor always felt jealous of Branwell before. Connor mentions lighting Vivian’s cigarettes, and Branwell shakes his head sadly. When Connor brings up the accusations of Branwell spying on Vivian in the bathroom, Branwell becomes angry and gets up to leave. Connor calls him back by pulling out the tape, which he plays twice for Branwell. Branwell puts his ear to the table and listens carefully, reacting at the same part as before, hitting the table with his fist. Connor knows that he needs to study the tape closer and asks his father to get someone at the university to enhance it for him.

Connor is on his way to Margaret’s house so that they can go Christmas shopping together. He stops on a suspension bridge that overlooks a gorge and watches couples as they hike the trails. Connor finds himself wanting to experience that for the first time and thinks about when Branwell started to feel this way. Connor’s reaction was somewhat negative, as he felt jealous of Branwell’s new interest in romance, and Connor wonders if that was the beginning of the distance that grew between them. He realizes suddenly that he is Branwell’s only connection to the world and thus should not be creating more distance or trying to make Branwell jealous like he did on their last visit.

When Connor gets to Margaret’s, he mentions how their dad helped with the tape, but Margaret seems less than interested. She and her father are distant and have been since he remarried. Connor wonders why Margaret doesn’t try harder to be close with their father, but Margaret uses a metaphor to explain her feelings. She compares love to an ivory carving that requires maintenance to prevent spoilage. She feels that her relationship with her father is beyond repair. Margaret also understands how Branwell felt when Tina became part of the family, as though he was being cheated out of some experience and left out. During their shopping trip, Connor secretly picks up a hair clip to give to Vivian.