That got her a nod of weary understanding. "There's always some kind of trade-off, isn't there?" she replied, not for the first time feeling the notable absence of weight on her left side and wondering -- had it been worth it?

Who else, if not for me?

"Well, it's good to see that you're still doing so well, in spite of the unexpected parts. You look as though you're doing well, at any rate," she added, her lips quirking a little higher for a moment.