[she winces visibly. it's a pretty good bet anyone else they ask will give them a similar story, isn't it...]

yeah i bet. i kept pinching myself when they were leading us out of theat room we started out in but no good

[a welcome distraction catches her eye, though, something for them to occupy themselves with instead of just chewing the situation over and working themselves up. she points at a fine crack in the wall, which extends over to a corner where the insulating clay's starting to crumble.]