“Answers. The why and the who,” he quips.
A bitter laugh erupts from Bronnah as she glares at Eve. “Why? Money, and the Who, that would be the Chen. We know that already. It’s disgusting how they play with people’s lives.” She jumps up and moves away from the bed.
Eve moans and begins to pant heavily. Sweat beads on her forehead and she thrashes about again. Bronnah immediately soaks a cool strip of cloth and one after one, she begins exchanging the dirty ones for clean ones. She feeds her water with a ladle and sits heavily when Eve calms down.
Chase watches her tend to her enemy and do it with kindness and his love for her grows even stronger. When she reaches for the morphine, he stops her with a gentle hand.
“I need her lucid, Bronnah. No more drugs.”
Bronnah glances at Eve as she moans again and thrashes on the bed. “Chase?”
"I know it seems cruel, Bronnah. Without the ledger, we will never find out who is behind this. I need names. Especially a location. She may know where to find them. Eve is our last chance to catch them and save more girls from this future."
Eve starts to cough a horrible, dry, hacking cough and Bronnah rolls her to her side just as she vomits into a bucket. "Water," Eve pleads and he hands her a cup. When Bronnah attempts to roll her to help her sit up, Eve screams out.
“Damn,” Bronnah jumps back and Eve falls backward onto the bed. Her breathing has grown rapidly worse, and Bronnah checks for fever only to flinch when Eve latches onto her wrist.
“Drops,” she coughs out.
Bronnah is shocked by the power of her grip. “Eve, it’s not time for your drops yet. We have some questions for you.”
"It burns," she cries and releases her grip on Bronnah. Anger turns to weepy, begging, and from begging into rage. It's a vicious cycle that will not stop. Frustrated, Chase rips a sheet into strips with his knife and stomps over to the bed. His eyes seek Bronnah's, and he hesitates.
“Leave now if you can't handle this,” he states softly.
“Do what you need to do Chase, I’m here to help.” Bronnah keeps Eve from hurting them while he quickly ties her hands and feet to the four-poster bed. Her screaming is heard throughout the house.
Eve coughs and chokes, dry heaving now and Bronnah is forced to prop her on a pillow while keeping her strapped down. “I’ll kill you both! The Chen are coming for you! You’ll never be safe from them.”
"I need you to give me names, Eve. Tell me where to find the Chen, and I will give you your drops," Chase demands.
Eve goes still and then begins to laugh hysterically. Gone is the once exotic beauty and in its place, is a true monster. Bald on one side of her head with ribbons of scars and puckered skin, the vision of Eve burns its way into Bronnah’s soul.
Dr. Higgins rushes into the room with swollen sleep filled eyes and skids to a stop. “What is going on in here?” he demands.
Eve begins to weep and beg for her meds. “Please, help me. They won’t give me my drops, help me…” she begs. Dr. Higgins tries to rush to her aid, but Chase stops him with a hand to his chest.
“No. I need to question her, Doc, while I can. She’s wanted for kidnapping and …”
Eve begins coughing and wheezing while Bronnah rushes to tend to her. She lifts the bucket catching her vomit once more. "Please… I will tell you…just give me my drops!" Eve weeps.
Chase shows his badge to the doctor and pulls him quickly from the room, leaving Bronnah to deal with her patient. Eve attempts to lunge at Bronnah, only to look in shock at her restraints. Her tactics change as swiftly as her moods from rage to tears. “I’m sorry, help me, please…” she coughs and struggles to catch her breath.
Dr. Higgins returns and checks her pulse, attempting to calm her down. “It hurts so much... make it stop.”
“I’m trying dear, tell them what they need to know, and I can help you,” he urges.
“Stupid man!” She screams and spits at him.
The Doctor jumps away in shock while Eve glares at them with hatred glittering in her one good eye. She snarls, “I killed them. Jonas and the Chen. They were on the train coming for you. How stupid do you think…” she has a coughing fit and they are all alarmed when she coughs up blood.
Bronnah turns away, seeking comfort in Chase’s arms. “I can’t do this,” Bronnah whimpers.
“What’s wrong pretty girl,” Eve’s hysterical laugh has her turning back, “too much for you? This is nothing compared to what they will do to you. Mr. Chen himself is aware of you. You shouldn’t have stolen his property…” another coughing fit and Dr. Higgins jumps up to prepare a syringe.
“Human beings, Eve! Not property! Innocent girls and young women whose lives you tried to destroy.” Bronnah jerks away and grabs the syringe from the Doctor. Chase escorts him outside while Bronnah sits beside her in a chair and holds the needle up in front of her face.
"All for this, sweet elixir," she squeezes it and the morphine squirts on the blanket in front of Eve, causing her to scream in outrage.
“No! Don’t waste it… Oh God, it hurts,” she screams and struggles leading to another coughing fit. This time Bronnah doesn’t bother to help her. Instead, she squirts all the fluid into the bucket beside the bed while Eve cries and begs.
Eve goes still when Bronnah draws out a small brown glass bottle she stole from the Doctor's house. Her one eye flies open, and the screaming stops as Bronnah dangled the
