Look, there's a reason, okay. [ Now she's sounding defensive, and draws herself upright again from where she's been sinking into a slouch. Proud. Still so much shorter than him, though. ]

I had to save my friend. [ Ah, but, that's about where it registers that he isn't lecturing her so far, and anyway, it's in the past. She huffs, deflating a little. ]

This wasn't long after Christina became a runner. She was the new arrival after me, the one I mentioned, and, well, pretty much my best friend from the day she showed up. She went into the maze with the others that day, but when they came back she wasn't with them and-- [ She trails off a moment, steadying herself again. ]

-- And one of the others said, I don't remember what exactly, but it came down to "good riddance". So I hit her.

[ Repeatedly. No regrets. ] And I wasn't going to let my best friend die out there just because they locked me up.