"H'okay," Ellie says through a choking laugh, which given the circumstances is honestly an achievement, but it did get her to smile. Ellie holds out her arm for Clarisse to work on it, closing one eye when it stings.

"I'll take it," she assures her. They haven't managed to recover much antiseptic yet, but she'll keep an eye out for soap. Despite haphazard health care Ellie's always healed without festering, even when by all rights she shouldn't have. Some part of her wonders if the spores in her bloodstream also eat other kinds of infections.

Wouldn't that be something.

"A nice, shiny new scar."