[He hadn't intended to make he his sounding board. With everything they'd both been through over the last few days back home, she had every right to feel the exact same way as he did. With everything that had happened back home, she had every reason to feel human again. He'd known his job was going to be hard the minute he'd agreed to it, even if he didn't know the specifics until after signing his life away. It was never going to be easy.

So why was he waxing nostalgic now for things he had a hard time rembering entirely? Things that came before the explosion... before he'd been recruited... the memories were there, but they were foggy and came complete with a mixture of emotions he hadn't quite figured out yet.

He watched as she approached him, not with a wariness in the slightest... just because there was something new and wonderful about her. She made a show of adjusting his bandages and he shifted to allow her a better vantage at doing so, never once pulling away from her motions. He'd halted the feed when he'd turned his attention to Marta, glad that he had after the conversation turned toward more personal matters.

When she offered to take him out to dinner, there was no hiding the momentary surprise that touched his features; and then he smiles lightly, warm reaching his eyes.]

I might have been out on the field for a while, Doc, but isn't this happening backwards? [His tone is light and teasing, the warmth coloring his tone and expression as his hand comes up to cover here as it rests on his shoulder.]

Which is to say, I think I would enjoy that very much. [It was something he was fairly certain they could both use.]