A few days later, Pardi received a phone call from the Carvaress wing of the Adoy medical centre. ‘We have some great news. Orcille is recovering incredibly well. He is healthy enough to travel back to the Capital Region,’ said the scientist.
‘Of course he is. Orcille is as tough as they come. Put him on the first train. I will collect him from the train station tomorrow morning,’ replied Pardi.
Pardi had switched to a company phone for calls relating to Orcille and Adoy. He suspected Lily was bugging every device she had encountered, but there was very little he could do about it because he did not want her to know that he knew she was monitoring him.
In Adoy, Denise had been transferred to a better, more comfortable cell in a different building. Other than the bars on the windows and doors, it was more like a small apartment than a cell. It had a small bathroom, a bedroom, and a dining/lounge room. There were no cooking facilities. All meals were prepared for her. The cell had entertainment such as music, electronic games, and movie channels. The cell had no facilities for her to communicate with the outside world. She was allowed access to an internal courtyard for two hours a day. Here, she could exercise or just enjoy the outdoors. This area was intended to allow prisoners to socialise with each other. However, this was not an option for Denise, as she was the only prisoner being held in this building.
Denise no longer needed medical attention, but she was in poor health. The events of the past few weeks had taken a great emotional toll on her. Her rehabilitation programme was set to begin in a few days. She would meet with scientists and medical experts in daily sessions. Her behaviour would be recorded and studied. The cell was full of cameras to ensure her behaviour could be monitored anywhere she went. This gave her little to no privacy. She was allowed visitors once a week. They would be permitted to enter her cell. She was hoping Darius would visit sometime soon but was not optimistic.
Darius was not faring well. The Inquisitives were an important part of his life. Now his life lacked direction as he questioned everything he ever believed in. His biggest source of grief was Denise. She meant a lot to him. He struggled to believe she could be guilty of all she was accused of. As time passed, he started to accept that she was not the girl he thought she was. This made it even more painful for him. He had also stopped working at the clothing store. He spent most of his time playing video games and listening to melancholy ballads. He had become antisocial. He was unwilling to engage in conversation with anyone. His family was growing more concerned about him.
Demarcus was really concerned because he would be leaving home in a few months to pursue further education in a neighbouring region. He felt bad about leaving his brother when he was in such a bad mental state. Jacob and Janice were considering seeking professional help for Darius.
At the Cellrebrum Region Rehabilitation Centre, Vulay and Morgan had settled into their new accommodation. They were both given separate cells that were like apartments. These cells were much nicer than the ones they were held in in Adoy.
Medical professionals and scientists were closely observing them. There were several other new arrivals to the rehabilitation centre. These included Jewels’ and Pearls’ parents and Jarlint. The couples were permitted to live in the same apartment cell. Jarlint had his own apartment cell. The newest arrival was Arville. He joined as a new temporary staff member. He was being trained on how to interact with the prisoners. He was unaware of how closely he was being monitored.
The new prisoners were confused about why they were being treated so well. They were given nice food and drink. Furniture and beds were of the highest quality. They could access the most advanced technology. They were allowed into the larger compound for up to three hours a day.
Morgan and Vulay were kept separate from Jewels’ and Pearls’ parents because of their history regarding the girls. The prisoners were not allowed any interaction with the world outside the rehabilitation centre. They were told very little about how the centre operated.
