With a faint smile Naoki preceded, though it wasn't his habit. He wasn't there to lead, but to support. (And then, sometimes, that's just what people needed.)

The tests took a while. Naoki put Sefton through all the ones he felt the boy would be willing to stand--that is, all the ones that didn't require someone else touching him--with the catscan being last, given it necessitated Sefton lying down for it and, frankly, the boy looked exhausted.

When Sefton inevitably feel asleep Naoki ordered the nurses to leave him there. There was no need to move him out of a room rarely used, after all.