[ She grins, and he takes it as the victory it is, his own smile flashing out stronger than before, crinkling up the lines at the corners of his eyes. ]

Where's the fun in easy?

[ The best he can do without reaching for her is to set his hand over hers on his chest once more, as he contemplates exactly how much he wants to reach for her. If he'd died, he'd have died regretting that he hadn't gone after her down that hotel room hall, when he'd heard her turn away.

Not much he can do about it now, when every shift he makes results in a wince of discomfort or outright pain. But it's tolerable, which is good, because there's a hell of a lot for them to do. ]

Look, I don't want your Captain to have to wait on me. I'm ready. We can have that, uh, comprehensive chat any time.

[ Even as his smile fades from his lips, it hangs around his eyes, warm. ] Besides, I'm sure the Enterprise needs you. You've probably got more important things to do than hang around a sickbed all day.

[ The way his fingers curl around hers probably gives up his own wishes, though – the last thing he wants is for her to go. ]