"Good. Thank you." Stiffly, like a wounded animal, Erin takes the towel with her good hand and binds her knuckles. Red seeps into the cloth.

"...I know I've probably distressed you. I'm not sorry, but... you didn't do anything wrong, SecUnit. At least not anything I can explain as wrong without putting you through several college degrees. I. Am going to go be alone. For awhile. I'll see you no later than 8 AM tomorrow."