Richard gladly listens to her explanations.  He looks up to Maxie and smiles a knowing smile, “Hello Maxie, it’s nice to meet you.”  When he looks back down to Esmeralda he asks, “Do you think she’ll try to kill me in my sleep?” he smiles only slightly kidding with the question.  When she tells him that she has to be alive for the reward he smiles to her and says, “I’m not looking for money, although I should get back to my unit.  They probably think I’m dead or missing, but I do have a sense of loyalty, and they are the only family I have now.”  He looks around.  “First I want to help you get back on your feet.  Maxie tells me you wasted all your energy on me.”  Looking back to her from the cat he looks into her eyes to say, “Thank you, you shouldn’t have wasted yourself on a nobody like me though.  I have nothing to give you, only my help if you can use it?”