She turned, before she could even catch his reply. She hurried out into the hall, speeding up until she caught Gus there with his first load of garbage. He sniffed, expression turning unreadable. “Something wrong?”
She shook her head vigorously, then squeezed past him. “I just need to wash off, that’s all. And maybe change my bandages. I don’t want to think about what’s getting into the wound right now.”
He nodded. “I think we’ve got some. Don’t use anything stored in here, or you’ll get… dragon rot. Or rabies, or the mange. Whatever kinds of diseases kirin can get.”
He set off towards the stairs, without another backward glance. And more importantly, without any sign he realized what had almost happened.