Swearing in front of a woman is just not kosher on Barrayar, no matter what she says. Her swearing is also pretty shocking, but he's not about to berate her for it. There is not actually any reason a woman can't say whatever she damn well pleases, but it doesn't excuse him to be impolite.

"It's...sort of a ray gun that fr--kills nerves." Fries is a better descriptor for how it feels, but he'd rather not let on that it hurt. "Sort of a bell-shaped barrel. The center of the blast was right about here."

He gestures vaguely toward his lower torso.

"Spent the next year having surgeries to replace dead nerves with prosthetics. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. I'm just glad I can walk. People who survive nerve disruptor fire usually wind up...not like me at all."

His smile twists a bit.

"I met a guy who was hit in the head with it and lived. I guess his mother takes care of him now. Couldn't even talk. He's probably in diapers these days. So I'm pretty lucky."

All that babble to avoid any chance of depressing questions by radiating cheerfulness about it all.