Verity took a step back, alarmed. She hadn't realized she was hurting Nicky, but from his reaction, she must have been. She swore, very softly, and leaned forward again to pull up his shirt. The skin looked normal, no swelling or discoloration, but she'd obviously done something.
"Alright," she said, her voice a little strained, "we don't try that again. The viruses must be hiding inside something. We can't just pull them." Gently, she lay a hand on the place where she'd been pulling. A lot of organs right around there. "We'll need a way to flush them out first. Let me work on it."