Alice's Asylum

Chapter Eight

On my second day in Depth, it was my job to inject the patients. I was supervised by the nurse and the bodyguards did the part of pinning them down. It sickened me to have to hurt them all but I did it as gently as I could and if it was someone who could understand me, I mouthed that I was sorry to them. They stopped struggling when I told them that. They looked at me with sympathy.

Mary was interesting. She was against the wall underneath her window. Mary's window was the only one that barely had any light enter through. I had mapped the whole asylum and above her window was a sheltered bit which hung downwards, blocking out any light. She was always in the darkness.

Her legs were pulled up against her chest, her thin arms wrapped around them. The bodyguards made a move as if to pin her but I waved them back. I crouched down in front of her, syringe in hand. I opened my mouth to say my silent apology but she shook her head very slightly.

"I know... I trust you..." She whispered. It was so quiet that only I heard it. I positioned the needle then slipped it into her arm. She didn't even whimper. She didn't even respond. She just looked at me and I looked at her. When it was done, I stood up and left Mary be. Her hands unlocked and all four limbs slipped. Her arms fell down by her sides and her legs slipped straight forwards. She closed her eyes. I watched her closely as I backed away. She opened her eyes and said just two words that shocked me. By this point, it was only me and her in the room. The bodyguards and nurse were waiting for me outside in the corridor.

"Thank you." She whispered. I stared at her, speechless but I didn't have time to think of a response before the nurse pulled me out by the back of my collar and slammed the door shut.

Thank you. They were the words you would say when you received a gift or a compliment. Not the words you would say when you had just been numbed. All I had done was give her a drug which pretty much paralyzed her. What could she possibly be grateful about? Then I understood. The drug numbed her pain. Numbed the abuse. Probably numbed her emotions too. She was addicted to it.