"Every little bit helps," Mina murmured. "I used to be a field medic, you know. Meatball surgery. I've done operations without ether, patient screaming the entire time." She gave Bruce a meaningful look. "Not something I would ever recommend, if you can help it."

The screams were terrible and Mina, with the fortitude of stone, still heard them sometimes, if she happened to let her guard down for a moment or two.

Which was probably why she rarely lowered her hackles.