He didn't want to move. Didn't want to speak either, truth be told, but Rory wasn't yet feeling churlish enough to stay silent when Pippa had just addressed him directly. His first attempt to answer her taught him just how raw his throat was from crying. He supposed he could heal it, but somehow that didn't seem worth the effort either.

A careful throat-clearing followed a swallow, and finally he was able to get out, "Yes?"