"If you would prefer to take the risk, I will stay on as long as possible," Theodore said. He wasn't sure if he actually needed to run, or if he would be able to continue his life. He didn't know how the choice would be made, exactly, or whether it would be made for him if he simply took no action in the direction of taking the Mark. He suspected, considering the circumstances, that most people were not given as much of an informed choice as he was, perhaps were not even aware that there was a choice at all. "Though I think I will speak to one of my colleagues before any potential problems arise, just in case you change your mind."
He suspected that there was more she wasn't saying, that she might understand his position better than he had expected she would, but she had cut herself off, and he didn't want to press. This was very complicated, and he wasn't sure who he could trust. What he did know was that her father was ill, and he had agreed to care for him until he was back to health. He would only break an agreement with a patient if he felt he absolutely had to, but he had to give her enough information to ensure that she knew what she was getting into.