"Take care you don't overheat, Miss Taite. The sun's mighty strong out here."
"Don't worry about me, Mister Ossulf."
"Hmm."
"I've got some strawberries from the garden. You want some?"
"Never had strawberries before. No, no, don't get up, I'll fit myself right here on the corner of the porch."
"You've never had strawberries! How is that possible? Here, take one right now. I insist."
"Don't think they grow where I'm from. Mmm. S'good."
"Aye, this is when they're the best, right out of the dirt and still warm from the sun. You can taste the sunshine, aye?"
"Taste the sunshine, indeed. You're a queer one."
"I'm all right with that."
"You decide if you're going to let the doctor experiment on your leg or not?"
"Oh, foot! Juice on my dress..."
"Don't go changing the subject."
"I'm not changing it! Look! Bloody red stains. Oh, well, it's hot enough. May as well go do some washing in the stream. Oh! Oh, ah...umm. Well, I'd like to think that something might help me get around better and not hurt so much. But I'm awful nervous about someone cutting me open."
"Mhm, as you should be."
"You don't think I should then?"
"I think a certainty is better than an uncertainty."
"...what do you mean? Oh, here have another berry."
"I mean, you know what you're dealing with now. You know your body, your leg, how it works, how to work with it. Someone puts a knife to you, all that is at risk. Something goes wrong, you might lose your leg. Or your life."
"...gods, I didn't think about it like that."
"And he's not a proper surgeon, is he? He said this was experimental?"
"Well, I don't know. I mean, yes he said that, but...that doesn't mean he's not a proper doctor."
"But he's not skilled at what he wants to do to you. That's my point. You'd be a learning experience for him. Hit or miss. Trial and error."
"...I guess so. But he said he felt confident that I'd be safe in his hands."
"Did he now."
"Why are you so...suspicious?"
"I just don't want anything bad happening. To you."
"I daresay, you'd better be careful, Mister Ossulf. Someone might think you have a heart after all."
"Oh, stop teasing. I'm being serious. Now, what are you sighing about?"
"...I miss Hultroth."
"Who's that? You come up with names out of thin air, I swear."
"I never had to worry about not being able to walk or climb on horses or anything with him. He'd just lift me up like a feather."
"Is he dead, too, like your parents?"
"No. I don't know where he is."
"You know, it's not a bad thing to want to be taken care of, Miss Taite. It's part of being a woman. Part of what makes husbands and wives go together."
"How do you know?"
"..."
"Did you ever have a wife?"
"It's too hot sitting here, Miss Taite. Go on, get yourself in some shade. Or go wash your dress like you said."
"Now who's changing the subject..."
