"Oh, no, no, no, no, no. She does NOT get to do that!"

Unfiltered rage overtook Anna without any form of warning. She jolted her body upwards, chafing her wrists on the chains that bound her down but hardly caring.

"She CAN'T take the fall for me! I didn't commit murder AGAIN just for her to throw her own life away!"

The woman stared at Anna, though she appeared unpassed by Anna's violent reaction. She even looked bored by it.

"I'm afraid you are simply upset." Her voice was steady, yet the firmness sounded forced, like someone telling a lie with their mouth full. "Clearly this whole experience has left you traumatized on a level that a lady of my profession is in no state to tend to. Your sister told us everything, calmly and coherently, which is more than I can say of you."

"Where is she?" Uninvited hints of spit managed to escape from Anna's dry mouth as she shouted, her arms tugging still harder on the manacles, and causing even more pain. "What have you done with Elsa?"

"I will reiterate that is not your concern. You ihave no control over any of this, so I would suggest you become content with that."

"I'll tell everyone the truth! I won't let Elsa lose her freedom when she did nothing to deserve it!"

"Such touching loyalty." The woman's apparent disinterest continued as she looked down at her nails. It was then when Anna got a better look at her, and noticed just how out of place she looked in the morbid environment of a prison infirmary. Her outfit was striking. Too striking. As though she was trying to emphasize just how professional she was to anyone who might inquire.

"Who are you? One of Fergus's goons? Did he send you to intimate me?"

The nurse placed a hand on the stranger's shoulder in an attempt to politely intervene.

"Perhaps it's time for the prisoner to get some rest, ma'am? I believe you've done what you came here for, right?"

"I DON'T NEED REST!" Anna jolted her body again, and had she not been manacled, she might have killed again in her current state. "I need you to listen! I shoved Merida! I heard her yell the cries only someone going through the inconsolable grief of sudden death can! And you know what? For the first time in forever, I actually feel like I did the right thing! She's the first life I've taken who truly, deeply deserved it. I only wish I had been able to look at the bloody aftermath of my work before I passed out!"

Anna's heart was pounding furiously. Suddenly she was frightened. She never knew she had such anger in her, nor did she know she could ever feel satisfied by the act of murder. And yet she was. She was proud of what she had done, and that terrified her.

"You done?" The woman's stare remained unaltered, as though Anna's outburst was merely an ordeal she had to sit through, like an uninteresting board meeting.

Anna was unable to speak.

"Good. Now it's my turn. You think your life here is bad now? You think that just because you have a life sentence that things couldn't possibly get worse for you? Well, I've got some bad news for you, slut. Offing a fellow inmate? That's a serious offense. Offing the daughter of the most powerful man in the kingdom? Well, you just opened up a can of worms from Hell. So now that you've gotten your dramatic little confession off your chest, I would suggest, in your own best interest, that you shut up about this subject for the rest of your miserable life. Because my superiors are quite content with your sister's version of this escapade. You should be too."

Anna swallowed, finding her voice again, although it was raspy now from screaming.

"Why even bother talking to me then? Aren't you having an investigation? Aren't I crucial to it as the only living witness to everything other than the warden?"

"Former warden, you mean." The woman was collecting herself, clearly getting ready to leave. "And to be honest with you, inmate, coming here was just a formality. You could tell me you shot every worthless officer that died here and I still wouldn't include it in my report. This story is over, Anna. You have no control over its ending."

She turned to the nurse, who now looked deeply uncomfortable.

"As soon as this bitch has recovered, I want her back in her cell. Lockdown applies to all prisoners. Even special cases like her."

Then, without warning, she shoved the man aside and grabbed a syringe from his desk. Despite his physical obections, she moved past him and jammed the needle into Anna's shoulder.

"AUGH! WHY?"

Anna immediately started to feel her eyesight fogging up. The woman bent down, moving her lips so close to her ears that no one except her could hear her whispers.

"Compliments of Lord Fergus."

And with that, she was gone. Anna managed to just barely make out the image of her leaving hastily as her world became dark once more and she faded into nothingness.