“And the last person is Nathaniel," she finished.

“And you are?"

Jane wasn't sure what to do. If these people were going to harm her, they could have easily done it by now, and the bandages around her waist indicated they had actually helped her. Maybe that was what she wasn't quite able to trust.

"Jane . . . Jane Collier," she whispered.

Her eyes had fallen on Nathaniel, whose face she had seen back in the alley.

"I know you," she said.

He smiled. He had a cute smile.

"We were getting worried," he said.

"You've been out for a long time. We weren't sure that Arthur was going to be able to save you. You took a pretty good shot there.” A new man walked up, a little older than the rest, but still quite fetching and wearing a doctor's smock.

“What happened?" Jane said, beginning to panic.

“How long was I out?

What were those men? Where “

“Shh," said Talia, placing one long finger against Jane's lips, bring the girl to a screeching silence.

"You have a lot of questions, and you might . . . have problems with some of the answers. But in response to how long you've been here, the answer is four days."

“Four days!" Jane said, sitting upright despite the searing pain. She tried to get off the table, but her body simply wouldn't allow it.

She also realized that except for a few well-placed bandages, she was dressed only in her undergarments.

“Where are my clothes?! I need ... to go. My jobs . . . God, I've probably been fired! And rent was due . . . oh God!" she said slumping back onto the table.

"I'll lose my place, or I'll have to . . ." Jane stopped, her shoulders shaking as tears began to fall. She had lost everything. She knew what Victor would demand of her in order to let her keep her apartment, and she knew she couldn't do it. She would rather die than touch him again.

Talia looked alarmed and moved to comfort the girl.

“Arthur . . ."

"I'll give her some tea that will help her sleep," he said.

"NO!" Jane screamed.

"No more sleeping! I need to get to work! I need to find a new place . . . to . . . to live," she said.

“Everything's falling apart."