"Oh, god. I knew he hadn't come back to Six, but I thought he was just staying with someone else for a while..."
That's a lie. Stephen had a good idea of the individuals involved with the recent altercation Karkat had been caught in, having provided a diversion for it himself. It looks for all the world, though, like he's just realizing where Karkat must have been, and he's both frightened and worried.
"Yeah, I'll talk to him -- and if his leg hasn't been treated, I'm getting a doctor in here right now. Thank you for telling me about it," he says, already slipping his communicator out of his pocket. The thank-you is sincere: Karkat wasn't the most forthcoming of Tributes, and Stephen wouldn't have been surprised if Karkat had tried to hide the leg injury.
He pauses at Karkat's door. Stephen thinks about suggesting that any food Karkat liked could be brought up from the kitchens, and opens his mouth to do it, but Tabris's manner makes him hesitate. He closes his mouth and nods, recognizing that this is something she wants to do for Karkat personally.
"Is there anything you want sent up here?" he asks instead.
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"Oh, god. I knew he hadn't come back to Six, but I thought he was just staying with someone else for a while..."
That's a lie. Stephen had a good idea of the individuals involved with the recent altercation Karkat had been caught in, having provided a diversion for it himself. It looks for all the world, though, like he's just realizing where Karkat must have been, and he's both frightened and worried.
"Yeah, I'll talk to him -- and if his leg hasn't been treated, I'm getting a doctor in here right now. Thank you for telling me about it," he says, already slipping his communicator out of his pocket. The thank-you is sincere: Karkat wasn't the most forthcoming of Tributes, and Stephen wouldn't have been surprised if Karkat had tried to hide the leg injury.
He pauses at Karkat's door. Stephen thinks about suggesting that any food Karkat liked could be brought up from the kitchens, and opens his mouth to do it, but Tabris's manner makes him hesitate. He closes his mouth and nods, recognizing that this is something she wants to do for Karkat personally.
"Is there anything you want sent up here?" he asks instead.