Chapter 129

• “One thing at a time,” Darren whispered against my head as we stood in the infirmary. Eira purified water last night, and it was being delivered to those affected. Darren was giving his dad a private moment with his mother. No one knew exactly how everyone would act once the brainwashing was completely lifted. However, we could imagine there would be a lot of tears and anger. Counselors were waiting with everyone to help them through the process.
• Dara, one of the prior waiting ladies, had volunteered to take the water first. To her knowledge, she had done little and felt that she would be able to explain how it worked without having a lot of trauma. She said that after taking the water, she remembered being ordered to stay away from the king. It even enhanced her fear of him. Lucky for her, she wasn’t a key player. She was brainwashed but didn’t do anything negative. She said she now remembered when she was brainwashed. She was only a teenager when she was taken. Everything had become clear within an hour of taking the water, so we could only assume it would be the same for everyone else.
• Darren and I were sitting with Alfred, waiting for him to wake up. The healers did wonders with him, and he was expected to make a full recovery. He had been administered the water through an I.V. When he woke up, he should be cured of the brainwashing as well, and I wanted to be with him when he opened his eyes. Now that I knew everything wasn’t his fault, I wanted to be there to help him. A familiar face. Darren didn’t like the idea. I think he was nervous because of my previous relationship with Alfred. I guess I couldn’t blame him, but I assured him there was nothing there now, and there couldn’t ever be. I hoped Alfred and I could maintain a type of friendship now. We had both been through a lot.