“You people are a bunch of fucking sickos, you know that?” Charlie spits out at us from the floor, turning over to his side as he continues working through the pain of Gina’s ball-busting kick.  “What, you think I let this guy’s sister die just to get my dick wet?”

                “You know you would,” I say back.  “You told me to enjoy my time with her.  That I should learn to like what Julia… does to me.”

                “So what?” Charlie challenges, steadily rising to his feet despite his weakness.  “You’re all so fucking depressed all the time, you can’t even look at what’s under your nose and take advantage of…”

                “WHY?” Brian roars out at last, the rage pent up to maximum as he lands a crushing blow on Charlie’s jaw that instantly knocks the man back to the ground.

                “God damn it, man, why won’t you believe me when I…” Charlie simpers, rubbing at his chin.

                “Beth didn’t do anything to anyone, ever.  She was innocent!” Brian cries, following up with another kick that gets grabbed by Charlie, toppling our friend to the ground.  Gina moves in to hit him again, but he’s ready this time, striking her in the knee and forcing her to back up before he can follow up again.  I help her to her feet and pull her back out of his range.

                “Now just hold up for two more seconds,” Charlie spits.  He holds his hands up to discourage us from approaching again.  “Use your fucking heads for once and look at what’s going on here.  From the sounds of it, Jackie-Boy’s supposed to be convincing us to grovel at Julia’s toes.  To show her we’re reformed or some shit.  Now maybe he wasn’t planning on doing that, but she sure as hell is expecting to see it when she gets back.  If you actually believe what you believe about me, how’s it going to look when she comes back in here and sees my face busted up on the ground?”

                My heart begins to sink.

                “He’s right,” I declare gravely.  Charlie may be spouting bullshit to keep people off of him, but unfortunately, he’s also absolutely right on this final point.  It’s time to switch tactics, however unlikely it is that they’ll work.  “We have to stop.”

                “I don’t care what Julia thinks I believe about her anymore,” Brian snarls, his eyes still fixed on Charlie.  “I’m not letting what this son of a bitch did go without taking a few teeth out.”

                “You’ve got a kid on the way that would prefer you didn’t get your head popped like a fucking cherry tomato, man,” Charlie points out, crawling a few inches further back and wobbling to his feet again.  “No matter what you think I did, you have to see that.”

                Brian’s fists clench, but he manages to take a few steps back as he shoots Anna another glance, knowing the bastard is right again.

                In the distance, I hear the flush of the bathroom toilet, followed by the high-pitched crash of water in the basin of a sink.  Julia’s almost pulled herself together again.

                “Listen.  You’ll all be able to stay in here as long as we don’t do anything else,” I insist.

                “And then what?” Brian demands, stumbling a few steps closer to me, still overcome with grief for his sister.  “I’ll be damned if I let that motherfucking giant psycho lay a finger on Anna or this baby.”

                “Push!” Kelly instructs loudly to Anna again.

                “I have a plan,” I say at last.  Gina’s hand shifts in my grip, and she’s clearly confused as to what the hell it is I think I’m doing.  Frankly, I empathize.  “We’re getting out of here soon.”

                “If beating this lowlife’s face off before Julia gets back here is off the table, then I don’t see how you can plan to do that without him getting in the way,” Brian snarls.
                “I didn’t!  I fucking… I fucking never.  Yeah, I said a few things about her pussy, and yeah, I wanted to talk to her alone because I wanted to kiss up a little so she wouldn’t squish me like a goddamn roach.  But I still want the bitch to go down as much as any of you,” Charlie defends.

                “Look, Charlie,” I say coldly.  “You want to show us you’re not here to screw us over anymore?  Keep your mouth shut and follow my lead when the time comes.”

                “Will do.  Just don’t expect yourself to get off easy after we get out of here,” he answers in kind.  “Once we get past Mega Bitch, all bets are off.  Clear?”

                “Crystal,” I say before returning my full attention to everyone else, forcing myself to drown out the sound of Anna’s cries.  “She’s out there puking up what I got her to drink.  When she gets back, I tell her you all want to worship her the right way, but to do it, you have to be clean and worthy enough to be near her.  Then we all say we need her to take us to the bathroom and wash.”

                “What good is that going to do?” Brian demands desperately as he returns to sit next to Anna while keeping a sharp eye on the mellowed Charlie in the corner of the hallway.

                “Because,” I say, holding my breath.  “There’s a hole in the bathroom sink wall behind the blow dryer stand.  I don’t think she remembers it’s there.  We get her to put us near it, I distract her while you all get moving, and we go.”

                I sense Gina’s hand twitching again at this statement she knows to be a blatant lie, but she manages to not move another muscle.

                “Right,” Brian says with a nod.  “And how do we know he won’t do anything while we’re getting out?”

                “Simple.  Julia trusts me.  Things get bad, I just tell her he tried to attack me, and then he’s not going anywhere anymore,” I answer confidently, knowing perfectly well that this won’t really save us if she manages to catch onto evidence that a new escape plan is afoot.

                “Great plan.  No flaws in that one,” Charlie drawls, rolling his eyes.  “I hope you people never treated anyone else this way that came through this place.”

                “Only the fucking traitors,” Brian retorts.

                “PUSH!” cries Kelly again.

                The attention in the room is suddenly redirected again as Anna grunts and lets out a final glass-shattering cry for so long that her throat is shredded hoarse, and then she collapses, her neck going limp against the folded handkerchief bedding.

                The baby’s cry wails out as it fully emerges, persistent and defiant in the face of the nightmare it’s been born into.

                “ANNA!” Brian shouts, dropping back to his knees and lifting her head onto his lap.  “C’mon, c’mon, stay awake.  Look!”

                “You did it, Anna,” a wearied Kelly states, scooping up the goo-drenched and screaming baby into her arms for warmth.  “She’s all right.  She’s breathing fine.”

                “C’mon, Anna.  Stay awake with me,” Brian pleads softly, watching with relief as Anna’s eyes open halfway.  “Did you hear?  It’s a girl.  We have a baby girl.”

                “Girl,” Anna repeats meekly with a nod, utterly spent well beyond the point of normal human capacity for pain and weakness.  “She’s okay?”

                “She’s got healthier lungs than my baby sister has back home,” Kelly declares reassuringly, attempting to juggle the length of the umbilical cord while wrapping the baby in an unbloodied part of the cloth.  “She’s fine.”

                “Good.  Kelly.  T-T-Thank you,” Anna whispers, closing her eyes again.  “I’m…”

                “Yes?” Brian asks.

                “I’m tired,” she whimpers.

                “I know,” he says, trying to keep his voice from choking up.  “But it’s okay.  I’ve got you.”

                “I know,” she repeats back.  “But…”

                “What?”

                “I don’t think… I’m coming with you.”

                Instantly we all understand, and a collective knot forms in all of our stomachs.  Worst of all, we can see in her face and hear in her voice that she’s right.

                “No.  No, no, no.  You are.  You are coming with us.  I’ll help you, carry you, I’ll do whatever it takes.  We’re all getting out of here soon.  Jack found a way,” Brian explains hurriedly, as if he realizes his time with her is running out quickly.

                “He did?” Anna asks optimistically, her volume dropping as she opens her eyes wider to see me in the corner.  “Thank you, Jack.”

                “N-No p-problem,” I mumble stupidly, forcing a smile and nodding solemnly.  Gina clasps her hand with mine again.

                “Gina?” Anna asks next.  “Where are you?”

                “Over here,” she answers, biting her lip.  “Here, Anna.”

                “Keep fighting, sweetie,” Anna grunts, coughing painfully.  “You’re so strong.”

                “I will,” Gina utters.

                “Brian,” Anna says with a hard swallow, disoriented again, her words frayed by dehydration and loss of blood.  “Brian?”

                “Yeah?” he answers, short of breath as his eyes turn red and wet.

                “Take care of her.  Don’t… don’t let her…”

                “I won’t,” he vows.  “Nothing will ever touch her.”

                “I… I love…”

                “You too,” Brian whispers as tears spill down his cheeks and into Anna’s hair.  He clutches her head to his chest as she closes her eyes with a final sigh.