Her attempts to retract her hand were futile and she was forced to turn to Bennett.

He examined her hand meticulously, his thumb gently tracing her index finger as he asked, “How did you get hurt?"

“What?” Claudia responded, startled, her eyes falling upon her hand. Her fingers were slender, her skin smooth. Despite the dim audience Lighting, the injury on her index finger was evident.

She couldn't recall when she'd scraped it. The wound was minor and had already stopped bleeding.

“I'm not sure," Claudia answered, withdrawing her hand to inspect the wound.