Nero turned his head on the pillow and stared at him. "Because he was about to say something comforting."
Dax considered that for half a second, then nodded once as if this were, if not reasonable, at least internally consistent. "Fair."
Chris looked at him in disbelief. "That is not the correct response."
"It's an accurate one."
"That has never stopped you from choosing a better response."
"I save those for state occasions."
Nero let his head fall back against the pillows and closed his eyes briefly. The movement pulled at the lingering ache in his shoulders and down his spine, a dull reminder that even lying still had become irritatingly physical. When he opened them again, Dax had moved further into the room and was now standing near the bed with that same controlled attention he had been carrying for days, as if Nero might still burst into flames if left unsupervised for too long.
It was deeply annoying.
