"I didn't survive," Hailey answered simply. "I can still vividly remember what it felt like to bleed out, to feel my heart slowing down until it stopped. To know an eternity of nonexistence was rapidly approaching, and I'd never felt my lips pressed against...ahem..." she closed her eyes and turned away. "I was dead in the ground for years. Chong and Mertravius used dark magic to resurrect me and bind my soul to their whim, and now I serve their bidding." She shrugged. "Bit of a raw deal, but it beats the alternative, I guess."
She bit her lip; she didn't expect Dr. Zanasiu to care about Aimee enough to save her life. "You mean it, James? Maybe I underestimated you. Sorry if I'm a bit rude," she sighed, "I'm still not sure if I'm really me, or if metaphysically this second life is a brand new constructed consciousness with my memories that thinks I’m me. It makes me testy."
She flashed a lazy wave to the front desk as she headed for her car. "You wanna come with, Zachary? The life expectancy's not great, but I'll let you pick the radio station while we fly there. And you may miss a killer jailbreak if you skip out, because my offer still stands, James," she called over her shoulder. "You help me seduce Aimee, and I've got a lockpick and prime-location cell with your name on it..."