Though the distance between the kids and those on the path was close enough that regular speaking tones could be overheard if the kids had been quiet enough, Static Teen was too self-absorbed and in-the-moment to be interested, and too rowdy not to keep even curious Stretchy Kid from following. Cyclops, however, positioned a little back from the kids, was making a point to keep aware of what was going on behind him. Jean's words had been spoken in a respectfully low tone, which he didn't hear -but he just managed to catch Ryder's. Immediately he looked back, controlling himself enough to keep the stare he cast at Ryder from being a glare. Like Jean, it wasn't like he was expecting a cordial response. In fact this fell pretty much in line with expectation. But it got under his skin that someone who Jean had actually been [i]caring[/i] for these past three weeks, who she had only empathy for, was speaking so acidically to her. That being said, Cyclops wasn't about to potentially make things worse by starring daggers at an every-right-to-be-angry kid who could back up their threats if they wanted. . .[i][b]If[/b][/i]. Ryder's reference to the medical "picking" confirmed she'd been awake enough to at least process what was going on. Yet not taking it for what it was, she had [i]taken[/i] it. At this point Cyclops' eyes shifted behind his visor towards Jean. It could've appeared as though he were still staring at Ryder, if not also for a subtle shift of his head. Contrarily, a first direct impression of Ryder wasn't being cemented in Jean's mind; she was thinking of the one she'd just made -feeling she could've mind-zapped [i]herself[/i] in realizing what she just did now, having brought this up. The way the mental waves she felt from Ryder had shifted...They had been. . ."peaceful" wasn't even close to the right word, but there had been a certain. . ."distance" within them. A promising distance. And Jean should've kept hers. Ryder was right. How could she not have read this situation correctly? No- how could she have gotten it this wrong? Even without that full breadth of context, Cyclops could tell Jean wasn't offended by Ryder's response but embarrassed, as he eyed the shift in her body language. The steadiness of Jean's gaze faltered, while she made to recompose herself; thoroughly put in her place. [color=#7393B3]"Jean acted in accordance with making sure we didn't overlook anything in your medical treatment, while avoiding further discomfort as well as could be under such circumstances,"[/color] Xavier spoke up. Not sharply. Yet certainly correctively. Was this completely true, or something of a hypocritical statement? They had, after all, discovered the "something" imbedded deep in Ryder's brain, and confirmed her DNA matched Xavier's. Yet scans of her entire body was just prudent when 1. -in the immediate concern, nobody had actually witnessed what went down before Ryder finally did back in the forest; she could've had injuries beyond those that were known or readily discernable, and 2. -in the forward thinking concern, what else could her body tell them about her that was imperative to know? Likewise and to that end, they had needed to draw blood for such reasons as typing to replace what she'd lost, and to understand specifically where she was health-wise. Jean's attention shifted to Xavier before landing back on Ryder. While she appreciated Charles' support, the truth was Jean could've spoken up in her own defense had she not been of the mind that such a response was unlikely to make a difference.