In the first few days following her "accident", it looks as though the worst complication to befall Ness may well be boredom—her arm is healing as well as can be expected under the circumstances, and Ness herself is taking the amputation in stride. She's allowed visitors, who she's happy to see, if only to reassure them herself that she's alright, she's not traumatized, she'll be rejoining them again before any ofthem know it—she particularly wants updates about the war, the Gallows, the work she's been unable to keep up with since being bedridden.

Throughout this period, she's following all of Stephen's instructions about how to care for her residual limb meticulously, sticking to the schedule of cleanings and dressing changes he prescribed even if she has to rope a visitor in to assist when Stephen isn't there to help himself. Ness is a dutiful and patient patient in most all ways... with one notable exception the longer Stephen keeps her in the infirmary: Anyone who comes to visit her without any particular agenda of their own will be treated to good-natured and easily side-stepped requests for work to do while she's out of commission. Nothing strenuous, she insists, or that she'll have to get out of bed to do! And if Stephen finds out, she won't snitch, she promises.