Fresh Start

Chapter 33
Epilogue

The crowded room fell to a hushed silence as the committee chairman leant towards his microphone. In the months since the publishing of Dr Howe’s research there had been much controversy around the treatment system. The Special Select Committee on Regressive Treatment for Population Control was convened to look into the issues around the case, and today it was issuing its findings.

“I want to first thank all those who testified before this committee,” the chairman began. “We owe a special thanks to Dr Gregory Howe, who first brought the goings on at Camp 36 to the attention of the nation. He risked a lot in trying to right the many wrongs that took place there under the administration of a deranged individual.

“It is unfortunate that Rowan Belton took the cowards way out, rather than answer for the abuses he perpetrated on the system. But we can at least rest easy in the knowledge that he is incapable of doing it again,” he added, nodding to the back of the room.

There the man once known as Mr Belton sat strapped in a stroller, dressed in a pale yellow corduroy set of bib overalls, the elastic ankles of which fell halfway up his now thin hairless legs. Ro-Ro suckled away at a big pacifier in his mouth, plucking at the shiny buckles on his overalls, oblivious to the adult world around him of which he was no longer a part.

There was applause around the room and little Ro-Ro looked up from his buttons and spat out his dummy, looking up with innocent vacant eyes as all the people seemed to look at him. Ro-Ro did what he always did when scary big people looked at him and made him nervous. He pulled his foot to his face and popped a toe in his mouth to suckle away his insecurities. The crowd roared with derisive laughter and Ro-Ro smiled around his digits at their happy noises.

“There has been a lot of questions about the system since the actions of Camp 36 became widely known,” the committee chair continued. “People have questioned whether treatment should continue at all. It has been speculated widely in the media that this committee may have to shut down the entire camp system.”

The chairman allowed a pause for effect, looking around the audience, all fallen silent in anticipation. Only the sound of a silly little boy suckling noisily on his foot broke the silence.

“The speculation has been totally inaccurate. The treatment system is a noble and necessary public service. It will continue, under tighter scrutiny. We cannot allow the actions of a single dangerous individual to tarnish the whole system. We will persevere! And as a safeguard we will be creating a new Camp Review Office to monitor each of the camps. This new office will be headed by the best candidate we can think of, the man who risked his job for what was right, Dr Gregory Howe.”

There was again widespread applause. Gregory Howe, sat in the front row, nodded to the chairman. It was the best result possible and all it took was a rather large donation to a few key campaign funds. He glanced over his shoulder at Rowan, still drooling away in la-la land and felt a little sorry for him. But what could be done, there was always going to have to be a fall guy and that was never going to be him.

As the committee session adjourned Greg rose and strode down the aisle past where Millie was sticking her hand down Rowan’s overalls to check his diaper. He tapped his former boss lightly in the head in greeting, knowing the poor man hadn’t a clue who he even was anymore. “Bye-bye Ro-Ro,” he whispered.

“Bye-bye!” the man chirped back eagerly, grinning at the man who’d reduced him to this.

Greg continued out of the committee room and headed for his new office. It was a Friday evening but this was no time to rest. He had a whole system of camps to bring his methods into now. Rowan was retired, but his work had only just begun.