Kem

Kem's injury exposes the systems that classify children by usefulness.

In The Godless Priest

Kem is a boy of about sixteen, a canal porter brought to Black Mercy with a rotting leg. A black filament circled his shinbone; feverish, he had agreed when a voice offered to "keep what belongs to you", and he admitted it only when Cassian asked for the exact words. With diluted poppy and his mother at his head, he chose amputation below the knee. The severed leg tried to stand and spoke of the diverted medicine before Ravel burned it. Afterwards Ravel taught him to name his phantom pain, and Cassian told him the agreement had not made the amputation his fault.

Kem later received a double dose of counteragent through an apprentice's error, and his passenger, driven out of his blood, offered to restart his heart under their old contract. He accepted. He survived but refused Ravel's apology and continued care and asked to leave Black Mercy; his passenger later reported that the re-entry had left route scarring that would make future separation dangerous. On the day the army departed he was seen practising walking while Miri criticised his crutch rhythm.

After the books

Survives and practises walking with crutches while still entitled to childhood. His walking with crutches is a fact of recovery, not a reason to make him labour.