He still didn't understand, but it was clear now that she didn't intend him to. Not that she was purposefully trying to be obscure or difficult to read, he suspected, but they simply didn't have that level of rapport. Maybe it was his fault for being a touch too familiar. He hadn't done anything overtly improper, but he was trying to make allowances for her in ways that he might not have done for a stranger, and perhaps she'd picked up on that. He felt as though their time in the hospital together qualified them as more than simple acquaintances, but perhaps she disagreed — it had not been a life-altering few weeks for her, after all. He was just one patient among many.

"Of course," he said with a nod, his cheeks flushing slightly. He was sure that he'd ruined this interaction somehow, and equally sure that he wouldn't ever figure out exactly how he'd done it. "I'll write as soon as I can."

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