Evelyn's fingers gripped the blindfold, trembling.
For a moment—one breathless, eternal moment—she didn't move. Just sat there on the edge of the operating table, holding the fabric that had been her constant companion for months without end.
"It's okay," I said softly. "Take your time."
She shook her head slightly. "I'm not… I'm not scared of what I'll see. I'm scared that I'll still feel it. That urge. That ringing in my head that tells me to attack you."
"You won't," Alexis said with certainty. "The pathways have been corrected. The connection between visual processing and threat response has been severed. When you look at Rey, your brain will process him normally. As a person. Not as a threat."
"But what if—"
"Evelyn," I interrupted gently. "Look at me."
She laughed, a slightly hysterical sound. "That's exactly what I'm trying to do."
"Then do it," I said. "Trust yourself. Trust Alexis. Trust that this worked."
She took a deep, shuddering breath. Then another.
