[ her grip reflexively loosens when Naoki's hand covers her own... and she looks down at their hands, realizing what she'd been doing in the first place. eesh. her eyebrows draw together, and she focuses her gaze on the water instead. ]

... he's better now. He didn't want to go to the clinic, so we've been taking care of him at home... he'll be alright. It was just... [ a pause. ] ... it was scary. [ for a number of reasons. also including the fact that Axel is a dead man back home, and the thought of him dying here, possibly never to return, is terrifying. ]