“Terrific. I’m buck naked. It’s cold. I’ve sliced my foot open. What else can go wrong?”

“You could have cracked ribs. The cut’s pretty deep: you could bleed to death. You might not be able to walk on the foot long. You could freeze to death if you don’t get out of the woods before nightfall. The wound could infect. You might run into the same four bastards again. Candra might not be waiting for you. An asteroid could hit the planet.”

“Not helpful.”

“Sorry.”

“Got anything constructive to add?”

“Nothing but the obvious. You’ve got nothing to bind your foot to protect the wound: vines might do in a pinch if you can find any. See if you can find a strong branch to use as a crutch. You’re going to need it. Keep your breaths shallow and regular: if your ribs aren’t cracked, the ligaments are at least sprained and there’s not much you can do about that. And, whatever else you may do, keep moving.”

“Do I think Candra will still be waiting for me?”

“Don’t you have other things to focus on right now?”