"....yeah, I know." Azazel replied.

"Just.... doesn't have to be dinner, too." he said.

"I just think we should go out some time for a really nice outing." he reasoned.

"I guess being at the doors of oblivion made me realise we haven't done stuff like that, even though we've been saying we should or will." he continued.

"...yeah..." he then mumbled.

"Maybe it's a bit sappy..." he admitted with a small laugh.

"But it's what I think."

Azazel laughed in response, but then looked ready to almost throw up, causing him to stop.

"...oh, laughing's a bad idea..." he mumbled.

"But yeah." he said. "Yeah, that sounds good." he said.

"We'll talk more on it later." he agreed.

"....never thought I'd be THIS happy to be alive..." he then mumbled.

"Life is strange and mysterious..."

"That's one way to put it." Azazel replied.

"But I have a unique perspective in that regards." he added with a light chuckle.

-Even later-

It had been some time, and Hal was finally beginning to stir.

He'd regained the majority of his colour, and was looking far more alive, but this was the first sign of him actually showing signs of life.

"Ah..." he muttered when his eyes opened.

"What the...?" he asked, as the fog in his mind slowly started to clear.

Hal looked over towards Angela, and sighed.

"Like hell." he said.

"But... better than back in my... office..." he went on, before something came to him.

"Ah!" he exclaimed.

"Oh no!" he said.

"I'm late!"

"....eh?" Hal muttered.

"Uh... postponed, huh?" he asked.

"Might... wait, I have a feeling it's been postponed because of what happened to me." he said.

"...what DID happen?" he asked her.

"Can I please get some details?"

"....Hollie..." Hal said quietly, biting his lip and hanging his head a little.

"I see..." he muttered.

"So whatever happened here got to her, too." he commented.

"How is she doing?" he asked Angela.

"Will she recover?"

"...well... that's good, at least..." Hal said quietly.

"At least she'll be okay." he said further, looking away slightly.

"Damn..." he muttered.

"The fact that this even happened at all." he continued.

"...how could I have let this happen...?"

"......." Hal was silent, and then sighed again.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"All right, fair." he said.

"Just... still can't help but feel it's my fault." he went on.

"...thank you for being here, Angela." he then said. "I know you're supposed to be on leave."

"......." Hal was silent, and thought for a moment.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Well........ hm." he repeated.

"I mean, I feel like my insides are roiling like a storm." he told her.

"I feel weird fluctuations in power and strength, between my norm and weaker than my usual levels." he continued.

"Not sure if those are anything to be concerned about or not, though."

"Hm." Hal muttered. "I see." he said further.

"Well... I suppose that makes sense, then." he admitted.

"Admittedly, I don't know a whole lot of what's been going on." he said further.

"...if I've been out of it for a while, who's been placed in charge of the Unit?" he then asked her.

"Ty." was Angela's response.

"....well. Fine, then." Hal replied, sounding satisfied.

"All there is now is to wait for Hollie to wake up." he finished.

"...if you need to tend to others, don't hold back on my account." he then told her further.