Counterfeit

-thirty--

--thirty- 

CHARLESTON WAS GONE. They had taken him away from me. 

Two custodians entered the room seconds later, and again, it was like they had been waiting for the moment. It was like everyone had known, everyone had predicted what would happen, except me. 

I tried to make sense of everything, starting with the fact that I almost touched him and that I would have if the door didn't open. Did I almost die today? I wasn't even sure of anything anymore, only that without even realizing it, I had become petrified to lose Charleston. 

And that now I had. 

Finally, I looked up at the two custodians, feeling like I was in some kind of shock over what had just happened. But some of that fear seemed to go away when I saw who was standing in front of me. It was Alistair. Next to him, Gus. 

I wanted to throw my arms around him, figure out if he was actually there, or if I was just hallucinating it - a side effect to the new medication, perhaps. But I couldn't do that, and he knew it, too, so he spoke. 

"Hi Pippa." 

I forgot he used to call me that. All I could remember was that Charleston brought it up when he was trying to achieve the impossible task of shortening my name. I wasn't really called 'Pippa', but I loved when Gus used it for me. It made me feel special - like there was a part of me that was only for me, a part of me that no one could ever taken away or contain. 

I had missed him a lot. "Hi Gus." He smiled his warm, aged smile. Half of my worries seemed to fade away.  "Alistair." I nodded at him, again, offering a smile. 

"Y-you okay, P-P-Pip?" 

"I don't know." I decided just to be honest. "I don't even know what just happened." 

I didn't expect an answer from either of them, but they shared a look with each other, silence as it seemed they contemplated something. 

"Guys?"

"I t-think she, she, she k-knows." 

"Know what?" They were talking about me like I wasn't there.  "Guys?" 

Gus sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I bet you've been wondering where I've been, Pippa. Am I right?" 

He was. I nodded. 

"I don't know how much Charleston had explained to you-" 

"You know Charleston? Wait, what is going on?" I was so confused that I felt like I would pass out again. Everything was overwhelming, and now that Charleston wasn't here, it was difficult to breathe. 

"I do, that's correct." Gus informed me. 

I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at it in frustration. I wondered how many more secrets there were. How much there was that I didn't know about. Suddenly, I felt the taste of salt on my lips. A tear. Everything was collapsing in on me, bursting out. 

"Pippa, you're okay." Gus consoled me, ushering me to take a seat. I didn't sit back in the operatory chair - I felt like I had been in it too many times, lately. I made my way over to the corner of the room, falling onto a cold, metal bench. 

"We're j-just trying, trying to e-explain every, everything to you." 

"Is that alright?" 

Though I wanted everything to slow down for a while, I knew that it couldn't. More so, I knew that it was important that I listened, for Charleston's sake at least. "Yes. That's okay." 

Once they were sure I was ready to hear them, they continued. 

"The day Charleston arrived, I left. But you wouldn't have known that until the next lot of treatments. That was a few days later, am I correct?" 

"Something like that." I answered. 

"Has Charleston told you why he is here?" 

Was here, I thought. 

Charleston had told me not to trust anyone, but I don't think he had meant the same about Alistair and Gus. In the space of a few seconds, I had to figure out what Charleston would do. Figure out if he was really working with Alistair and Gus. 

I was terrified that I was wrong, but something told me to trust them. "He told me that he was sent by my father. That he came to get me out." 

Alistair had known that Charleston was giving me medicine after hours. He was even the one to give it to us. And Gus, well, was the first friend I made here. That said enough for me.

He nodded at my statement. Gesturing between himself and Alistair when he spoke. "Thelonious sent us, too. We're all working together on your plan." 

The mention of my father's name informed me that I had made the right choice. They wouldn't have know it if they weren't being truthful. 

"Plan? Everyone keeps mentioning this plan I created, but I don't know anything about it! It's driving me insane." I didn't mean to lash out at them. I was just exhausted of the darkness I seemed to be floating around in, unaware. 

I sighed, hardheartedly. "I'm sorry." 

"It's okay." Alistair slurred, his assurance taking a weight off my shoulders. 

"I just want some answers, and every time I get some, I get ten times more questions." I paused for a moment, gathering up some strength. "So I made a plan. One that I don't remember. Why?"

"You're not supposed to remember it." Gus replied. Was he even making sense? For a split second, I wondered if I was yet to wake up from fainting; thought that maybe this was all part of a dream and I would open my eyes and Charleston would still be here. Hope, I told myself. That was delusional hope. 

"J-just trust usss w-when we te-tell you thingss, Pippp. You're not su-supposed to under, understand everything at t-this point." 

"Like what? What am I not supposed to understand?"

"Well," Gus pondered, "like he isn't just a friend that you made here." 

What? I looked to the door, the place where both their eyes seemed to drift to. Gus continued.

"He is someone you recruited before you came here." Impossible.

 "He is a part of your plan."

I looked back over at him. It all seemed like it wasn't new information he was being told. Was it true? Was he more than just a friend I had welcomed into our group when was a part of the new Harvest? Was he somehow involved in the plan that I knew nothing about?

I gulped. Inhaled sharply. "Patrick? "

-thirty--

Chapter thirty already? That's insanse!

A longer chapter for you, my lovelies. You deserve it.

Do you guys remember Patrick? He's MiKinley's friend (and Pip's obvs, but mainly he's with Kin). Actually, he's more than just a friend, more than just another Insusceptible in The Dormir. He's a part of Pip's plan. The plan she doesn't remember.

I feel like crying when I read your comments. You are beyond incredible. They're all so personal and moving and they fill me with such joy when I read them. You guys generally care about Pip and Charleston and what happens to them, and as a writer, I couldn't ask for more. You inspire me every single day to continue their story, and truly, form the corners of my heart, I am so grateful for every single one of you. May God bless you richly.