To Nathan, it has never been in question, even as uneasy as he'd been about Tony's agitation levels, even as much as the events preceding his departure had frightened him. He certainly is not going to say that Tony has to leave.

Having the attention off of him is good, and hearing people talk also helps a great deal. This is what is real and happening now, they're not dead, not going to suddenly drop around him. That . . . well he can't say what he'd panicked over hadn't been real. It was an Echo. It was something that has happened. But a long time ago, to a person he no longer is.

He's much steadier now, even if his index finger winding into his hair is a sign that he is not completely at ease. What it at least indicates is that he has gotten it down to a manageable level. He can deal with this much, a lower grade of anxiety he is much more accustomed to living with. And enough for him to feel vaguely embarrassed that this is the first way a new person has seen him.

"I'm sorry. I do not usually get this bad."

Nathan has had panic attacks before, but perhaps not as frequently as one might think for someone with his anxiety issues. When something terrifies him sufficiently, his brain usually tries to swing in the completely opposite direction and keep him from feeling anything at all.