"I don't know. I need to ask him, to find out." Guilt weighs down his words. Alistair wouldn't have gone through any of that if not for him. "I owe him such a debt, and I don't know that I can ever repay it."

And it's not like giving cheek means someone's doing well. He's certainly managed snark when suffering.

"At least I've some skill at seeing past deflective jokes. Takes one to know one, and all that."