Karkat watches and waits, and once she starts, the process has him cringing too. It seems painful just to watch, with the slowness and the sounds. He doesn't know whether it's good that it's slow or not. Maybe it means more care to avoid further damage, but maybe it should have been done all at once like a bandaid. But regardless of should or should not, this is what they have to deal with.

As soon as she has it out, he sets to work. First he hikes up the side of the rope near her wound to cover it better, avoiding the area itself with his hands to avoid hurting her unnecessarily. Then he tugs the end his hand holds. His teeth serve as a stable point to help tighten it, and he works quickly to tie additional knots for security. It won't make it any easier to untie later, but he figures that's the least of their concerns in a place like this.

When finally he has it done, he lets go with his teeth and lifts his hands away. "There," he says, and he doesn't sound as confident as he wishes he were. If they had a better bandage it would be different.