He's used to keeping an eye on more than one person at once; when Laerryn jerks back, he immediately turns towards her to make sure it's shock and nothing more, that there's nothing she needs from him. (He's at his last reserves of magic; he'll burn him in a second, to make sure she's all right.)

But in the periphery, he catches that movement.

"What happened? How do you feel?" Even as he asks, he's glancing back, and -

"Laerryn." His voice has gone hoarse again.