Steven stands only a few inches away from Peggy, his eyes burrowing into hers.

"I may be your guardian, but I'm no saint. Do not expect a knight in shining armor either. I don't save people, quite the opposite actually. You've been here what, two years? I've been doing this for five. I know my shit and I told you the bitch did it to herself!" Steven's voice for some or other reason grew with anger. Which is odd as he knows that he's lying. So why the sudden abrasive behavior?

"That so-called 'bitch' just so happens to be under my supervision, under my care and whatever I say goes! So do yourself the favor and stop going against everything I tell you. Or need I report this situation to Marcus?"

"You know what," he begins, but something inside that empty head of his clicks and his tone changes. "Believe whatever you want to, but I have other shit to do. I don't have time for this." With that said, he turns around and walks to the door.

"Why the fuck did he tell her," I hear him mumble, clearly not wanting anyone to hear him, except I do. He exits the little room, slamming the door shut.

He must be off to confront Frank. It's the only thing that makes sense right now. But why get so worked up about the fact that he told Peggy? It's not like he cares. Why did Frank even tell Peggy? Isn't Steven his partner or something like that? So much questions. So little answers.

Realizing that it's just Peggy and me in the little room now, awkwardness takes over. What do I say? What do I do? Do I walk over and sit on the chair or do I keep standing here?

"Does he truly believe that I'm that ignorant?" Peggy questions breaking the silence even though she's mostly speaking to herself.

"If I ever end up needing a brain transplant, give me Steven's. He's clearly not using his," I joke, trying to change the atmosphere in the little room. Peggy gives light laughs while shaking her head.

"You can go and sit on the bed. You don't have to keep standing there," she says once noticing my awkward dilemma. I do as she instructs and sit on the bed facing towards her. "So," she drags the chair till in front of the bed, "tell me everything that happened."

Straight to the point huh. Well, if you insist.

She doesn't sit down, instead, she moves closer to me and starts to take a look at the bruises. "Okay... uhm. You were here for a few of the incidents. When you left to get those other tools, Steven attempted to strip off my clothing. I refused, wanting to wait for your return and ended up punching and kicking him, then I ran for the door. He shoved me into the wall and my body went limp. Then Marcus showed up, then you and well we know how that all went down. So-" I pause during my story, suddenly remembering something. It's a question that has been eating away inside of me for an entire day now.

Peggy notices my pause and stops looking at the bruises. Her gaze meets mine and I can tell that she's confused. She stares at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Uhm, when Marcus came in yesterday before you did, he saw my limp body and scowled at Steven," I begin nervously. Will Peggy answer my question or will she cover it up and tell me how it's of no importance?

"Serves him right. He knows not to hurt the girls and Marcus is extremely strict on that. I'm glad he got caught," Peggy says slightly amused.

"Marcus said that I'm worth nothing if I'm dead. What did he mean by that? I thought that he had no problem killing us? He made that very clear two days ago. I strictly remember him saying that we should 'pick the weapon and he'll make it long and painful'. So why get so worried about us getting hurt? And-" I can't stop my curious thoughts from flowing. My head contains thousands of questions and I have to get them out.

"Okay enough! What has gotten into you? You weren't this talkative yesterday. Is this why you're all bruised up? Because you wouldn't stop talking?" I can tell that she's trying to avoid my question, but I won't let her.

"I'll answer you if you answer me. What did Marcus mean?" I question. Peggy sighs in defeat. I guess she can tell that I'm being serious.

Sorry to disturb, but where the hell is all this confidence coming from? Can't answer you now Jess. Just let me be.

"Listen. I know you want answers, but there are some things I just can't let you know. If I tell you the consequences would be severe beyond measures... and I can't risk it," she mumbles the last part. Seems everyone is mumbling their thoughts out loud today.

What can't she risk? Besides, it's not like there's anyone else to tell. I'll get answers from her one way or another Jess.

"If I tell you exactly what happened to me yesterday, do you promise to tell me what Marcus meant? And I promise not to tell a soul. I don't have magical friendships here, so there's no one to tell anyway." I look straight into Peggy's eyes. I need her to trust me. She needs to know I'm being honest and truthful, that I won't go against my word.

Peggy stares at me for a while. I know she's contemplating whether or not to agree to what I just said. "Fine. I promise to tell you. Now speak," she says as she sits down on the chair. I tell her everything that happened, making sure not to leave a single detail out. From bumping into Frank, Steven knocking me into the wall, the punishment, how I fell on the staircase, every single thing.

During our version of good old story time, I can tell just how pissed Peggy is. Her body language might seem calm and collected, but her face displays a different set of emotions. She's livid. "And then I went into my room and he shut the door after making a comment about there being more punishments," I say ending my recap story. Peggy's face holds so much anger, she stands up and walks towards the door.

"No, wait! You still haven't told me what Marcus meant!"

"Wait here, I'll be back soon. Please don't do anything idiotic."

"But we made a deal!"

And just like that, she's out the door. Do I listen to her and actually wait here, or do I go against her and try to make a run for it?

Remember what happened yesterday when you kept trying to make a run for the door? Jess speaks up. If I can even call it that.

You're supposed to be helping me, Jess. Not reminding me where my bruises come from, I think back to her.

Fine. So run, get caught, go collect more bruises. Or wait till she comes back and gives you answers that could potentially be useful. Now there's the helpful Jessica I've come to know. Sarcastic, but helpful.

Where has Peggy even gone off to? Why does she care so much about my condition? Beside it being her job and all to 'fix me up', I sense that it runs much deeper than that. I have the strangest feeling she wants to protect me. Or have I become delusional in order to mask the reality of my condition in this place? Delusional enough to fabricate motives and reasoning. I decide to stay glued to the bed until Peggy returns. I could do with a few answers to my fifty thousand questions. 

Barely ten minutes go by and the door flies open. Peggy comes in extremely outraged and dare I say hurt. She slams the door shut behind her.

"You want answers. I'll gladly give them to you!" she says moving closer to the bed. 

Her tone soaks in anger as she spits her words directly through me. At a closer glance, I notice something different about her face. An unsettling change. The one side of her cheek is a darker shade than the other. Much darker...

"Who did that to you? Peggy, who smacked you?" I ask as I notice a hand-print forming on her cheek.

"It doesn't matter. Vivian, you have to stop! I know that Steven is an ass, but you make things so much more difficult than what they need to be. Your listening skills drop to an absolute zero when I try to warn you against these people," she says seriously.

"Why do you keep separating yourself from them whenever you speak of them?" 

She looks away as if hiding her face will hide away the obvious. "You're not one of them, are you?" She rotates her head back to me, still not saying anything. "Were you kidnapped as well? Are all the nurses here kidnapped?" I can see tears forming in her eyes.

"What would you know?" Okay, not the response I was expecting. "You're just another teenager who I will end up growing attached to only for you to get taken away from me. Just like the previous two." And a tear escapes her left eye.

"What do you mean?"

"How have you not put two and two together so far, Vivian!?" another tear escapes, "This is a life and death situation and only you can determine whether or not you live or die. It all depends on your progress and behavior."

These riddles are driving me nuts. 

"What does? You don't make any sense! Stop beating around the bush and just tell me what's going on here!" I yell in frustration.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE SOLD ON THE BLACKMARKET YOU NAIVE CHILD!!" Peggy yells as the tears roll down her face.