[The wrist he cleaned first has stopped weeping and started congealing, and while Yuan has it, Kratos reaches back to turn off the faucet with his freed hand. ... This turns out to be a mistake halfway through, and he freezes, shoulders hunching and momentarily paralysed by the cramp in his back before he pulls his arm carefully back. His tone, for all that, is just as casual as if it hadn't happened.]

How many recruits do you have, in the base?

[He's seen enough of them to use names and bark orders in the training-room, but he doubts he's seen all of them -- especially if there's any element of their being rotated in from training missions outside the base.]

We can always pick up some of the staff instead.