I stopped. He waited until the last footsteps faded down the corridor.
"Boy." His voice dropped to something the walls couldn't carry far. "Whatever Brown told you your role is tonight." He smoothed his coat once, unhurried. "That's not why I asked for you specifically."
I held his gaze and said nothing. Outside the walls, people who had something real to say always got there eventually. You just had to give them the space.
"The girl has a complication. A medical one." He shifted in his chair. "A healer needs to be in close proximity during the teleportation itself. That's why I requested two healers. One for the team. One for her."
"Okay," I said. "Why me and not Sherry?"
He almost smiled. "She won't accept a woman. She was held by women. She won't let one near her, not voluntarily, not in a state like this." He looked at me directly. "That's why I need you. The girl healer is backup, in case."
He had nothing else. I nodded and walked out.
