His fingers on the chain tighten a bit because it used to be that seeing a healer meant seeing Sam. He sighs a bit.

"It's too late," he says. "It's been too long to heal completely. That means there's going to be a scar..." He sighs deeply. "At least Taas is already in too deep." He tells himself that Taas won't care, will still love him, but there's that vain part of his mind that sneaks in doubts.