I agree with the other replies. Here's what I would do:

1. Ask for a payment plan. Call back and re-ask for a payment plan. Simultaneously, find out what happens if you don't pay. (You might opt to say that you want to know because you are worried and want to learn the worst case scenario. That way, they won't feel taunted, but instead might feel sorry for you. That information, if reliable, might be used to plan ahead.)
2. Ask the supervisor, manager, etc. for a payment plan.
3. If it were me, I would try to find a 0% apr promotion on a credit card to pay the debt. (If you do that, make sure you make the minimum payments on the card each month.)
4. If 1, 2, and 3 didn't work, I would try to find a loan with better terms than the consequences of not paying the debt.
5. If all else failed, I would continue to call the creditor and try to work something out. (I personally would only do #5 until I was a month late on the debt, then I would stop. #7 explains why.)
6. If everything failed, I would still bring this up online on forums in a hope to find a solution.
7. In addition to #6, I would stop communicating with the creditor and collections if sent my way, unless sued. Here's why: Each state, I believe, has a statute of limitations for collecting a debt (and the clock starts over if you negotiate with collections - so I personally wouldn't speak to that creditor or collections after some point). Once that period of time is over, to my understanding, the debt can no longer be displayed on a credit report and is no longer legally collectable. This is called a, "Time Barred Debt." That is something everyone should be familiar with if you are not already.

Good luck! And I hope something reasonable and good happens.