"It could be worse." Is that the saying? It's something humans conjured up to make themselves feel better about their circumstances, a platitude... but, in any event, I think it applies here.

[Clarke is entirely rational as far as Caren is concerned; since she's always surrounded by somewhat overdramatic circumstances, it has to feel quite terrible to be trapped here with nothing to do.]

I have few regrets for myself in this place; however, I do wish we had acted sooner. [There's no regretting a death you didn't cause, and still...]