Connor looked up worriedly when she started coughing, but shortly resumed his work once he realised she was okay. Automatic reaction, he supposed. This place had lost enough people, he'd do what he could to make sure she wasn't next.
"They don't bite?" he asked curiously. "Abby'd get a kick out of a pet owl. Or else she'd start trying to teach Rex to bring in the post. That's just how she is. He'd do it, too," he added with a laugh as he thought of the little green dinosaur. "Silly thing, never actually acts like a lizard. I've even caught him sleeping at the foot of her bed." Did that make him sound like a stalker? Like he'd been watching her sleep? Oh, he hoped not, he felt weird enough in this place! "See? Just like a dog. Bet you don't have many owls who'll do that one!" Not that he was competing, he just found it kind of funny.
They were getting pretty deep for two people using stone not much bigger than their own hands. But if they were going to put a human down there, it had to go deeper. What a morbid thought that was.