A typical person might have retaliated at some of those insinuations, especially said in that tone of voice. Or, at the very least, might have outwardly expressed some sense of being insulted or offended.

Julia, however, did none of those things. In fact, for a long time, longer than one would typically allow to pass, she chose not to respond at all, instead carefully letting everything being said to her run through her mind. With that to guide her, memories started to come back, vague flashes and hints. There had been commotion, a struggle. Something, she still didn't know what, that had compelled her to try to intervene against her better judgment...

... He could have easily left her for dead. The fact that he didn't was the one thing above all else that was beginning to strike her as the most strange about this whole situation. And so it became a natural choice for her focus for the moment.

Finally, she spoke up.

"Why?" Her voice was quiet, a strain to be heard, but it wasn't feeble.