Cecil opened his mouth to say It's fine, Carlos. He failed to say this, and tried again with I understand, Carlos. This also being less than a success, he made an attempt at You have nothing to apologize for, Carlos, and that failed miserably as well, and he gave up.

"These things happen, Carlos," he said. (Actually, they didn't - he was fairly certain their case was unique, even among Hunger Games-related entanglements - but they were the exception that proved the rule, he supposed. That was what that meant, right?) "Though I think I should ask, before we--" Before we leave this place hand-in-hand and gaze into each other's eyes as we pass the cameras-- "...before we... leave, whether there is anything else you have to tell me."

This wasn't a tone he usually took, and especially not with Carlos. It was pointedly neutral, the kind of tone under which anything could comfortably sink. It was... professional.