Abby almost mutters an apology and catches it just in time. Ellie knows she's only doing a job, and she knows the sickly, bodiless feeling of a needle gliding in and out of skin all too well. There's nothing to be sorry about, it is what it is. Best thing she can do is keep Ellie talking, and distracted from what's going on at her hip. She's doing well, holding very still for Abby while she makes her row of strong, neat stitches. It will barely scar.

"Shit." She's not playing any of it off, just– she had that same, bitter feeling about the guy in the marketplace, like she should have known better. Opting to share what's on her mind for once, she adds, "One of them tried to kidnap me yesterday. Almost got me in the fucking spleen when it went south."

She was lucky Barrow was there and acted when he did. Really lucky.

She has to pause for just a second to breath in again, and steady up her hands. "They know what they're doing."

Compared to the Scars, they're abjectly terrifying.