"Your brain is very important," Autor says softly, offering her a new bottle of water. He checks her eyes with his flashlight anyway, trying to suss out whether she has a concussion, and determines that she's no worse for the wear.

But she scared him, far more than the monster ever did.

"I think we should ride back to the infirmary on my carpet," he says firmly, less an I think than a we should. "You need to take it easy now that you've bumped your head."