The other girl skips back a step and sticks her tongue out at him but does not retreat. The distance from the refectory to the infirmary isn't too long, they're already almost there. "You're really gonna go in there all sticky like a baby? There's jam on you," she says, and closes in to start poking at Vena's shirtfront and hands with her apron skirt. The cloth is dry, so this doesn't really improve the matter. Vena does not react, trudging forwards with her feet dragging.

There's a lot of clear space around the infirmary building, the better to keep things relatively quiet for patients; the eavesdropper will be very obvious if she hangs around the windows or doors. She keeps glancing at that door in anticipation.