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Chapter 26: Taking Leave
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"You don't need to keep hanging back, holding yourself to fit a certain mould, you know,"
It was Doctor Johnstone. She had kept her seat next to him, as all the others had begun migrating back to the common room. She sat idly next to him, her eyes tracing Alice's movements, as she fluttered from person to person, eager and welcome in every conversation, bouncing off the walls and having fun, laughing, giggling and sending beaming smiles over in their direction, Doctor Johnstone waving back to her, giving her own smiles, over the rim of her mug.
"It's not that. It's just hard to relate to this experience. All my meals before here were silent," Jasper explained, knowing he had to be careful.
"Are you happy here?" she asked back, taking another swig of her mug, leaning back on the table, relaxed, with slow blinks.
"Yeah…"
It was all Jasper could say. He was happy here. But to make sure that these people would live, he needed to leave and spare
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"So, how are you feeling? We found you lying down outside unconscious,"There was suddenly a lady in front of Jasper. She had the same pale skin and almost black hair of the little girl. Oh, the lady was the little girl's mother.Jasper blinked. "Did you see another man with me, wearing a lab coat with a shirt and tie underneath?"His voice sounded raspy, and he wasn't expecting to sound so broken, and pleading when speaking. Jasper blinked again, his vision suddenly becoming more blurry. He moved his head to the side, and back, watching the outlines, and colours of the woman stretch out, and wobble."No. You were on your own. Now, I need you to answer my question: How are you feeling?"The woman sounded concerned, and kept one arm on the little girl, who was fiddling with the edge of the pink blanket. Wait, this would be her blanket. Jasper was in her room right now, lying down on her bed.He blinked again, and felt two scorching, wet, itch
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