His exhalation might read as a laugh. But it wasn't one. "Okay."

The right thing to do. Versus the easy thing. Versus the complacent or self-preserving thing. Versus even the right move. Versus…

"Okay," again, more softly, then he had to stop talking and focus on staying conscious. He couldn't stop it. He could only delay it. Until they got to somewhere where he could properly collapse.