That night, neither Nancy nor Ned slept. Nancy was up most of the night with an upset stomach, and only Ned was left to take care of her.
But the first night wasn't anywhere as bad as the second night was, and the third night was even worse yet. It was then that Ned realized what they were doing to her.
They were poisoning her.
They weren't giving her much at a time, but in the end, Ned knew it would all add up, possibly leading to her death. Whatever information they wanted from her, they were very determined to get.
Nancy must have realized the same thing Ned did, maybe a little sooner. The last meal they ate before Ned knew what was going on, Nancy refused to eat. The kidnappers had threatened her and threatened her, but she stood her ground bravely, taking the chance that their threats were idol. Fortunately, for now, they were.
Ned knew that she would be unable to keep it up for long. Because she was already very ill, not eating would have a poor effect on her health. Often, Ned would give her his food. But it wasn't long before the kidnappers found out, and the food supply stopped completely.
One of them had to remain calm in this situation, and that person would need to be Ned. But as more time went on, he finally realized the danger in the situation, and he could barely hide his fear; not for his life, but for Nancy's.
The kidnappers began giving her doses of poison with a syringe. After only two more doses, her health changed drastically. She developed a very high temperature; the lack of food and large amount of poison in her system made her dangerously thin; and she was very rarely conscious. Even when she did gain consciousness, she never stayed conscious for long.
The kidnappers left Ned untied unless they were dealing with Nancy. They trusted that he wouldn't attempt to escape, because if he did, they were sure to kill them both instantly. They knew he would never put Nancy's life in more danger. If he did manage to escape, they would kill Nancy the moment he left. And it was nearly impossible to escape with Nancy when she was in her current condition.
But Ned stayed strong. He needed to. Nancy was getting more and more weak daily, and Ned knew that although she tried to hide it, she was actually giving up hope.
It was horrible for Ned, having to watch his fiancé suffer like she was. It was frustrating. But it was their fourth night there that pushed him to his limit.
Ned had just laid down on the firm, cold concrete floor with Nancy in his arms—just as he did every night. He held her gently, allowing her head to rest on his chest, as he tried to find the sleep that refused to come. It was then that he heard the kidnappers talking. The first voice he heard was an unknown person, but they sounded frantic.
"You told me that you'd stop after a few doses. You promised!"
The next voice, Bernard's voice, sounded calm and sure as he answered, "Yes. I know what I told you. But we didn't expect her to hold out this long. Plans change. And right now, the plan is to take care of her once and for all."
"Then we'll get stuck with a murder warrant," the other kidnapper muttered.
"You knew that when you agreed to help me," Bernard growled back. His partner said something so soft Ned wasn't able to understand him. Bernard replied, "Look. She's almost dead already. We can finish her off within the next few days. The exchange for her fiancé is set for Friday. His family is supposed to drop the money off, and when they do we can get the money off of him, ditch her body, and leave town for good. All will work out fine. Trust me."
There was an exceptionally long silence. Finally, his accomplice softly said, "Okay."
--
Very early the next morning, Bernard and his partner walked into the room. Bernard managed to get Ned away from Nancy, but not without a fight. Ned found himself being held back for a long time while he watched helplessly as another strong dose of poison was given to Nancy. When they were done, Bernard let go of Ned; it took everything in him to not give the kidnappers what they deserved for hurting Nancy. But Ned held back, and both kidnappers left the room without a word. Ned went to Nancy's side once more.
He laid down that night earlier than usual. He held Nancy a little closer as he checked on her one last time. He finally closed his eyes and tried to let himself relax. All of his thoughts concerned Nancy.
He knew that she wouldn't make it much longer. Even if she was given medical attention, he wasn't so sure she could pull through. She was at the point where there was very little that they could do for her.
But he also knew that she needed to be given that chance. She needed the chance to live. The only way she would be given that chance would be if he did something. But what was there to do?
He sighed, giving Nancy one last gentle kiss.
It was then that he realized what he had to do.
