While it was good to know Anise and Luke hadn't come up empty-handed, being reminded of the possibility that they would have to cut themselves open chased what little of his appetite he had left. Even though everyone was pretty calm about the whole thing, several worries gnawed at the back of Claude's mind. What if they bled to death? What if they caught an infection and died from that?

Those inner questions made their conversation all the more surreal, and though Claude did his best to stay composed, he couldn't help the way the color began to drain from his face when Guy asked about a suitable location for an operation.

Of course, they had to discuss their options. They couldn't bank everything on the cryptic clues they'd found last night. There was a real chance they would have to take matters into their own hands, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. As he grew quiet, Claude focused his attention on Anise and waited for her answer. If there was any room that fit that criteria, he imagined it would be somewhere in the med wing. Maybe she and Luke had found a place like that too.