This is all Greek to Victor, who has slipped her hand under the cuff of her sleeve and is now scratching at the scars on her arms, the way she does when she's unhappy. She's easy to read, when you know which language the book is written in.

"I'm distressed that I ended up hurtin' you to fix you. That it took me so long to find the thing that worked. But I'm glad you're okay," she says, simply, scratch-scratching away.