"Of course you don't, darling. It was a joke," he said, patting her hand lightly.
He didn't move his hand, though, nudging at hers till it turned over so that he could lace their fingers together and moving up so that he was on the edge of his chair, closer to her bed. "A hazard, hm? Can you maybe do me a favor and try not to run into this particular hazard again? Just for my peace of mind."
He rubbed his thumb lightly across the back of her hand.