The longer it all goes on, the more apparent it becomes to Meredith both that the smartest thing for her to do is keep quiet and that doing so is incredibly hard. She hates taking the taunts and commentary without snapping back even more than she dislikes relying on strangers who'd probably find it a relief if she just died and got out of their way. The reprieve from their company comes not a moment too soon, then. She's not sure how she's managed not to say something incredibly stupid yet, her nerves frayed by the tension and excitement.

"I thought we'd never get a minute," she says once they're away from the rest, turning to press her forehead to his shoulder for a moment as she walks. "This is really our best option?"