It was approximately that moment when Peter - or Higher Education, seeing as how the cat hadn't so much been let out of the bag as wandered casually into the room - felt his metaphysical-biological brain give a proverbial sputter and screech as several points of data attempted to occupy the same not-space. The sheer number of bad analogies and figurative devices colliding at once made it clear that this conversation was taking a turn for the worse, worse here meaning that he had absolutely no clue what was going on.
"...um."
He wasn't fond of not understanding things. Really not fond at all.
Grasping at more proverbs - this time straws - Peter raised an eyebrow and swirled his coffee again in the cup. "I really don't know why you showed up, coming from your perspective, but I still have 146 pages to go through today if I'd like to remain on schedule and that really doesn't leave time for...whatever is. Um. I'm busy. Concern, or whatever the sentiment you're currently feeling is, is appreciated, but not necessary." A few drops of hot coffee spilled over the side of the cup and onto his pants leg and he winced a little, putting the drink back on the table and wiping at the wet spot with his sleeve. "So that's it, really. From my side of the coin, as it were. Proverbially or figuratively."