The silver rims blink out in the darkness. The back of a hand brushes his cheek and pushes under his chin, but this hand still grips the handle of whatever sharp thing was pressed against Hei's throat.

The woman says something that sounds like "noon unit en..." in the tone of a low groan.

The hand disappears. The woman's fingers squirm out of Hei's hand. Depending on Hei's fortitude, this may leave him with a feeling of loneliness or even fatigue, but no longer panic.

"Ask Joffrey," says a voice that seems surprisingly far down the hallway. A distant pinprick of light shines; it's impossible to tell how far away it is.