It's not clear if Hawke is hearing Ilska's objections. "We'd be grateful for you presence."

"When is the expedition planned for?"

She fills him in on the details.

Ilska continues to make her displeasure known with quiet growls and hisses.

Anders listens, nodding along. "I'll have things prepared by then. If you could give me a list of illnesses or weaknesses your men have, I'll work on some things to ease them."

His heart clenches at each of Ilska's displeased noises.

"We're pretty healthy on the whole, but I'll be sure to let you know."

"Thank you. If you need me at all in the meantime, I'll be here."

"Then I'll bid you good day," Hawke inclines her head slightly, and takes her leave.

Once she's gone, Anders turns to Ilska. "I'm sorry, I have to repay them. It's not easy to fool the Templars the way they did."

"How do you know it wasn't Karl and...Raeli? The elf. That managed it?"

She's not wrong. They could've, and that made sense. 

"I don't know. Maybe it was them, and in that case, I'm going to help Hawke in order to keep her silence. To protect you and Cia."

"You can't protect us if you're dead."

"I also can't protect you if this Hawke doesn't keep her silence. I'll be in the Gallows and risking Tranquillity every day. I would rather miss a few weeks without you than forever." 

Ilska looks away, angry and uncertain. "I- but-"

Anders wants to hug her, and promise that he'll never leave her. The latter he can't do, but the former...

He loops one arm around her and hugs her. "I don't want to leave you alone."

She leans into him, loops her own arms around him. "Just- come back. Cia-" Stops, doesn't say 'I can't look after Cia on my own, not any more', doesn't know how to express who important Anders is to her, even without everything he's done for Cia.

"I will. Nothing will keep me from coming back to you and Cia." He hugs her close.

That's not true, Ilska knows it isn't, but-

She leans a little more into him. She isn't going to be able to talk him out of this, she can tell that.

Anders hugs her for a bit longer, relishing the comfort he gets from it, before gently pulling away. “Come on, we better get back to work. Clinic won’t run itself.”

"Cia's gonna yell at us," Ilska sounds almost cheerful about that fact.

“Oh, Maker protect us,” Anders laughs. 

He heads back into the clinic proper, hugging Cia one armed as he goes past. 

Who pouts. "Aww. You had to go and spoil the effect of me yelling at you for abandoning me."

“Ah yes, the best defence against getting yelled at, hugs.”

"Honestly, think I prefer hugs. This way I don't hurt my throat yelling."

“You can heal that, you know,” Anders jokes. He opens his arms for another hug.