Dave silently watched Hera process the events, noticing how she gradually calmed down but remained oblivious to his presence in the room, too focused on her thoughts. Deciding to make his presence known, he spoke up, startling Hera and causing her to jump from her bed. She nearly fell off the side, but Zhane managed to catch her just in time, preventing a tumble.
Dave and Zhane silently watched Hera, studying her expression to see if her surprise was rooted in fear. To their delight, they saw that while Hera was indeed startled, her gaze quickly turned calm and resolute, like the little warrior she was. Both men unconsciously let out relieved smiles upon realizing that her mentality remained unaffected. Aside from feeling embarrassed and shy about what had happened, she seemed to be doing fine.
Zhane turned to Dave, while he was still holding Hera in his embrace, and reprimanded Dave for startling Hera. "What were you thinking, Dave? What if she had fallen off the bed?" Zhane’s tone was stern, chastising Dave for his yful behavior at an inappropriate time. He then helped Hera settle back onto the bed, casting another stern nce at Dave before doing so.
Dave acknowledged his mistake in startling Hera, his expression falling into a pout as he attempted to avoid Zhane’s intimidating gaze, which seemed more imposing than that of his own father. He moved closer to Hera in an attempt to offerfort, but Zhane quickly intervened, recognizing that Dave was encroaching on Hera’s personal space and could potentially make her ufortable. Understanding his error andck of sensitivity, Dave took a step back and silently offered Hera a reassuring smile.
"Feeling better?" Dave asked cheerfully as he poured Hera a cup of warm water to soothe her throat. Hera appreciated his gesture and epted the water, taking a sip. Sensing her difort, she felt her throat dry and burning, prompting her to quickly finish the cup in a few gulps, eliciting a light chuckle from Dave.
"Have you uncovered what happened? And Leo, is he okay? How long have I been sleeping?" Just as she began to feel thefort returning to her throat, Hera’s mind raced with questions, prompting her to inquire about the crucial details.
"Whoa there, easy now, dear. Take a moment to rest. We’ll fill you in shortly, alright?" Dave’s soothing tone apanied his gesture, urging Hera to rx. His hands were raised in a cating manner, attempting to calm her down. However, Zhane’s stern re caught him off guard, leaving him puzzled as to what he might have done to warrant such a chilling stare. Feeling the weight of Zhane’s gaze, Dave fell silent, waiting for the topic to be opened further.
After a moment of quiet reflection, Dave realized why Zhane had red at him. His eyebrow twitched unconsciously as he thought, <i>’He must have assumed I was flirting with Hera because of that "We’ll fill you in shortly"ment. Tsk.’</i> However, Zhane’s thoughts were far from what Dave imagined. Zhane was also focused on sharing information with Hera, but what bothered him was Dave acting so familiar with her and even calling her "Dear" when he was thest one to get to know her.
No one could really rival Dave’s thick skin, but Zhane decided not to dwell on it. He was about to update Hera with the information they had gathered so far when a knock at the door drew their attention.
"Come in," Zhane said sternly, his expression remaining indifferent though his brows furrowed slightly.