Bast tilted his head as he processed what Squall said, chin resting below the swell of the gunblader's shoulder. That disturbed light went out of his eyes, the cloudy look of his usual cheerfully stupid look coming back. The disturbance had passed for now. It seemed that as long as Bast didn't feel that his reality was being threatened, he was content to be harmless. That settled, he returned to snuggling Squall's arm.

"You're right. It doesn't matter. I couldn't be a silly character from a book. I'm as real as anyone. You're such a good big brother and so smart! What would I do without you?"

When the intercom dinged and the nurses came to move them away, Bast blinked puzzledly at Squall.

"What's going on?"