Rory reached out, resting a supportive hand on Howard's shoulder while he caught his breath. It wasn't a pretty thing, thinking you were about to die. And Howard was still young enough that the shine hadn't quite worn off the sense of 'it just won't happen, it might happen to other kids, but not to me. I'm better.' that seemed to be the common mentality of the young of any race.

"Ok? Did he break any ribs?"

<Sakura, I found him, we're heading back up. Meet us at the extraction point. Did you locate Zouchi?>

"We'll be meeting her in a moment, we were looking for you." They wouldn't leave him behind, and that was that.

He didn't even glance at the guard as they left, unconscious or dead, it didn't matter to him. His mission and his job here was Howard.