[He can see Kate speaking to him. It's pretty hard to miss given her positioning right in front of him. But with the flu it feels like he sees her mouth move long before he actually hears what she's saying.

Normally, even if he were ill, his answer would be something more even handed. A 'I feel well enough to work' type answer.

But before he can even consider a response, his mouth has already blurted out a defensive]

Why?