The fact that Cass couldn't give a snappy retort immediately told Susan he still wasn't nearly well enough to be on the mend. She was glad, at least that he seemed to be trying the optimistic approach.
"Cass, there's nothing you can do," she said, seeing that he was pale at the news of Percy. He was trying to get up out of bed, when he was clearly in no state to even sit up. She sighed. "He collapsed in his office. And apparently he argued up hill and down dale with his sister." As much as she disliked Percy, she didn't want to see anyone this sick, having seen how bad Cass was. Apparently there were others even sicker, which seemed inconceivable.
She saw he was still eager to get up and out of bed. "Cass," Her hand was on his shoulder, encouraging him to stay there. "If you even think you can make it to the shack, they'll admit you, and you remember just how you hated it there after a while." She really didn't want to say that she didn't want him there because she'd heard that there were so many severe cases, and he could just get sicker.