"Good enough." Rene responded.

"I can help you try and look for your laptop, check any places you might have lost it, or places you may have been, but from all you're telling me, it may be a lost cause." he told her.

"However, I think I have a laptop at my place that I don't use anymore. Which is to say, it's a couple years old, and I factory-reset it shortly after I stopped using it, but it should still work decently." he continued.

"I'd been planning to either scrap it for parts or give it to a shop to do whatever, but... I think letting YOU use it may be the best option right now." he reasoned.

"I refuse to let someone trying their hardest, with all the chances to succeed... well... fail. Not because of circumstances that are beyond their control." he told her.

"That, and, I'll be honest, I want to see you succeed in spite of your tormentors. They deserve to watch you surpass them in every way."

Rene just sighed in response.

"I realise this is suspect." he said. "I mean, someone you barely know is doing these things for you? You'd be well within your right to assume I want something in return, whether it be money or... well, less innocent means." he muttered.

"And I know my word doesn't mean much, but... believe me when I say that I don't want anything in repayment for you." he told her.

"I mean, not right away." he continued.

Then, before Kalin could make any assumptions, or say anything, he went on.

"Which is to say, if you feel you need to repay me monetarily for letting you use my old laptop, I'm willing to wait until you actually HAVE the means to do so." he clarified to her.

"I don't need it, or even necessarily want it, but if you feel it would make you feel better, essentially give me an I.O.U." he finished.

Rene nodded and smiled a little.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"Fair enough." he said.

"So do you want to continue to try and find your old laptop, or just cut your losses and come with me to get mine?" he asked.

"Or would you rather meet me someplace else entirely, and I bring it to you?' he then offered.

"Whichever one you're more comfortable with is fine with me."

Rene looked at her, and nodded.

"All right." he said.

"I understand." he told her.

"Welp, if you trust me enough, come with me to get it." he went on.

"Otherwise, pick a place for us to meet so I can deliver it." he continued.

"As I said, whatever's more comfortable for you."

Rene nodded again.

"Very well." he said.

"This way." he told her.

The two of them then made their way to a nice-looking car... not the latest model, but definitely one that was a pretty penny, and it was taken care of.

"Get in." he said, remotely unlocking it.

"We'll make our way to my apartment, and I'll get it for you." he continued.

"I live about a 20 minute drive away."

Rene just shook his head.

"Hardly an imposition when I'm the one volunteering to help." he said.

"No need to apologise." he assured her.

"Anyway, you'll need to have it boot up and set up and stuff." he then warned.

"As I said, I factory-reset it." he reminded her.

"Oh, and feel free to use my WiFi to help set it up and all that." he added.

"......" Rene was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"....so..." he then said.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Physically." he clarified.

"What you've pulled with the sleep deprivation is not good. Are you injured?" he asked her.

"Do you feel any pain anywhere?"

"Hm. I see." Rene responded.

He then narrowed his eyes and looked at her neck once more... specifically, what looked to be bruising under her scarf.

"Well, I AM a physician." he then told her.

"Would you mind if I gave you an impromptu check-up?" he asked.

"Just to make sure you don't have any bad injuries that happen to be stealth hiders?" he asked further.

"When one's last few days are essentially a blur, who knows what could have happened?" he then asked rhetorically.

'...huh.' Rene thought.

'That was easier than I thought it'd be.' he admitted. He figured she would have fought against him, or denied it, or said she didn't want to be a bother, or anything like that.

But she hadn't, and he was happy about that.

In short time, they arrived at one of the more expensive apartment complexes in the city, and he pulled into the controlled entry underground parking garage.

"I live up near the top floor." Rene told her as he parked the car.

"Gonna be a bit of an elevator ride up." he chuckled, turning off the vehicle and making sure the passenger side door was unlocked.

Rene hadn't missed that dizzy spell of her's, but didn't call attention to it.

"Rent." he replied.

"I'm considering getting out of this city." he told her.

"Granted, don't know where or when or any of that, but I figure I DO want out at some point... probably within the next 6 or 7 years." he continued.

"So renting is less hassle in the long run." he reasoned.

With that, the two of them made their way to the elevator, and began the ascent.