His first reaction was terror. This car was his child. First thing he'd bought once he got his loans paid off.
But that was immediately replaced by respect when it became clear she knew what she was doing. And that train of thought better stop right here because a) she was a coworker, b) he was too old for her, and c) he had an actual brain injury.
Nope. Just gotta get to the doctor. Being impressed by a woman who knew how to handle a stick (okay, the phrasing could have been better) was superfluous to the situation.