"No, that'll be fine." Dana would have refused such a dose if she'd expected to have to go through the aftereffects; energine would keep you going through almost anything, but you paid the price later--and she was also on rapid-heal, which made demands of its own. But both would be academic in a few hours. She watched Arden prepare an injector, her thoughts going to what would be happening to her shortly. She didn't know the details, no, but she was fully aware that it would be at least as painful as the attack--and more humiliating, because she cared about the Sandemans' opinions as she hadn't about the attackers'. Arden gave her the injection, then said, "It will take effect in a few minutes, and once it does, I will also have to start treating you as an oathbreaker. However, I told the Alanna that there was more to this than appears on the surface, and he has agreed to contact Torrance for the interrogation reports, then watch a copy of the monitor tapes from here that I will send with his warriors. That will probably have no effect, but this is an unprecedented situation; it could make a difference." She hesitated, then went on in a low voice. "I break custom by saying this, but I don't think you dishonored. I pray the gods will grant you a swift death, then rebirth as a warrior-caste Sandeman to you can earn a place in their ranks." Then she turned away, leaving the room before Dana could frame a reply. As the energine took effect and her strength returned, Dana clung to Arden's words. They meant there was still a trace of hope for her . . . if Clan-chief Killian agreed with the lady Arden. But that trace of hope wasn't all good; it was easier to hold fear at bay if you had no alternative to what you were afraid of. That trace of hope, tiny as it was, let the fear start to grow again. She began practicing one of the pre-combat calming exercises she'd come across in her studies of Sandeman, pleased to find that even with her lack of experience it helped. The next time she tried to stand, she felt almost normal. She had no idea how long it would take the Alanna warriors to get to her--she had no idea where she was, other than in a hospital--so she decided she had better get dressed. Doing so replaced what fear her exercises had left with sheer frustration. To begin with, bandages made clothes that had fit comfortably before so snug they would have been hard to get into even if she'd had her hands free instead of in casts. As it was, the effort of just getting them on, not to mention closing the buttons and zippers she preferred to magseals, was more of a challenge than she appreciated right then.