"...okay, I don't think even with me on hand you're in a state to do more backlash intensive activity right now. We didn't kill Arrakis in Casablanca and we probably won't kill it here, it's around for the long haul, gotta pace ourselves. I'll call in that your partner's under there and they'll see if they can spare someone - who is it -"

"Willowbark." Pause. "...I - I know she's dead, just - she told me to come back to her, and I -" am not finishing that sentence, apparently.

"Oh. You're sure?"

She looks back out at the rubble. "I saw it fall." And did nothing.

"Okay. Uh, who's your agent?"

"...Willowbark handled that stuff."

"...who was her agent?"

"She didn't have one." Tia handled her client contracts herself. Didn't like the idea of delegating that.

"...okay. Unless you object, I'm going to lend you my agent, rent a temporary silo near my partner's to put you in, and see about guiding you down there. In your opinion do I need to know your backlash for that to work?"

"No." (She's not supposed to tell people about her backlash.)

"And do you object?"

"No." (She's supposed to be careful about her backlash, and she - she can't -)

Her eyes water.

That's so understandable. He squeezes her hand, and calls Paula. "Paula, an esper named Willowbark went down to an Arrakis worm, I found her partner attempting to retrieve the body, can we get a rental silo not far from June's, we're compat and she's under a heap. I think I can still run with June but might need to schedule funny."

Willowbark's partner does not react to any of this.

"Thank you, Paula. She's - ah - what's your codename -"

"...Flywheel," says Flywheel.

"Flywheel. They were apparently working as independents so if she can borrow you for the immediate term? No, I don't. No. That was my thought also. Thanks, Paula." He hangs up. He's not very backlashed, getting a good combat esper situated to contribute to this clusterfuck is higher priority than him continuing to run around not attracting worms. "Flywheel, my car is over there and I think there's still a clear set of roads to the neighborhood in question. My partner can't do guiding while either of us is asleep, so I can cover both of you without cutting into anybody's dungeon or break time if you can. I realize I'm a complete stranger but I'm not going to be weird about it, would that work for you?" Will she accompany him to the car.

She doesn't see any reason why it wouldn't work for her. "Yeah." She will accompany him to the car. 

(There's still that bloody gash on her shoulder, but if it's bothering her she's not showing it.)

There's first aid stuff in his truck. "Okay to bandage your shoulder there?"

Oh, huh. "That's okay."

Antiseptic, bandage, there. Espers heal pretty clean. He gets in the driver's seat.

It's obvious that she's supposed to get into the passenger's seat. Seatbelt on, helmet in her lap.

Hand?

-she looks at it for a moment, then figures out what he wants.