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"You have to drink this tea."
She stares at the young man, wondering if he truly cares for her. In this asylum for old people whose wits wander, it is a rarity to see a volunter who really is concerned or acts like it.
"Ah, maypop," she croaks, "good for screaming old women, eh?"
He smiles just a bit. "Yes, it would do you good if you rest after your...outburst."
The old woman nods as she takes the hot cup into her hands. "I agree with you. My head hurts something awful. I heard it told that there was a girl who always had headaches."
"Really?" he asks, leaning slightly. He always listens to her stories and the stories of others, too. While she wasn't sure of his true nature, the old woman knows of his penchant for spoken words. "Why would she get them?"
"I'm not sure I remember correctly," she drawls, sipping the tea. "But I think it was because much was expected of her. She had to understand things no girl her age would care about. Would you believe me if I told you she could brew antidotes for all poisons by the time she was seven? This girl had her life planned, and then..."
The tea seems to be working on her nerves. Her face feels strangely numb. She is struggling make her mouth work.
"Everything," she finally says. "Everything went wrong."
END
