As he unfolded the towel, it took him a moment to recall any time he'd said such a damning thing, but he got there after a matter of seconds - and it only took him so long because that one time had been nothing more significant to him than a fleeting loss of temper. Well. That had been during a particularly bad evening, after an afternoon spent on the phone with the nation's Science Advisor, with whom the conversation had escalated until he sharply advised the so-called expert to reassess whether he really had a place in an Administration committed to science. It had not been a good time to deal with any overzealous accidents.
"Seventeen years makes you far more than anyone's tool." Especially not her mother's, but he refrained from finishing the sentence out loud. Now, more than ever, it hit uncomfortably too close to home. The waver in Emily's voice added to the feeling.
"You're still tired," he observed, pointedly draping the towel around her shoulders for her to use on her hair. "Perhaps you should stop thinking about the whys, and consider for a moment that arguing with me might not be the best thing for you right now."