"She wouldn't, you're right. And Oliver wouldn't want you to kick yourself for this, either. I was out there, too. I could have caught up much sooner. I could have been ahead of you, and then I'd have been the one ambushed. It was chaos, Malia. Chance and chance alone. Any one of us could have been killed, and there isn't anything any of us could have done differently." He sighed again and shook his head, looking down at the notes again. He flipped the binder shut and rapped his fingers over it. "You've got a point, though... overthinking the what-ifs and possibilities is just more work we don't need. Best spare ourselves that."<br/><br/>He looked up and was suddenly aware of how close she was. It wasn't in his personal space, not quite, but it was closer than anyone had gotten in a long time. He looked into her eyes, down along her cheeks and nose, her jaw, her chin, her lips. Carson made himself look away and cleared his throat, slowly standing upright. "Are you hungry? I think a decent meal would help stabilize us. Help us think a bit more clearly."