"Valdis knows you don't mean to hurt her. She knows you can't help it." Honestly, he suspects Valdis probably already can feel it, which makes him worry even more about making it worse.

"You will," Max says, his voice is firm with the confidence she can't have in herself. "But you won't be able to concentrate on it until you can be in a little less pain. Last time I met you, you wanted lemon chicken. What if you come to the kitchen with me and I make you some? It will be just the two of us in there. I'll tell everyone else to stay out."