When I hear topical shifts forward hidden risks it’s iterative, baroque in other words
oh yah pulled awake again.

That guy is the 1st to get a grip and hold.
Mr Peanut twisted once again to look up. I hadn’t expected it. On the other hand, what choice did he have?

There’s a term in telephony, ‘room tone,’ ordinary silence. My heart stopped altogether as I held my breath, then he answered.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Oh, em…”

“No. It’s not.”

“I would.”

“Well l—”

“You know what..”

“Promise..”

“Yeah, I think —”

What I heard while we both waited was room tone. The next five or six seconds would matter. In an hour he would walk us both down to clear our heads. He waited a moment more, then he said, “I’ve just noticed I haven’t said anything.”