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Gaius waited patiently as Tommy sat and thought; Whatever he decided was up to him now. So when the grin came, Gaius greeted it with a friendly one of his own, straight, normal teeth to contrast the fangs of Tommy. He held out a hand for him to shake, not thinking of the difficulties his companion might have with the act.

"I'm Gaius. Gaius Harper. And, if you ever get back into the village, I'm in Duplex 62."

Truthfully, with his water bottle gone, Gaius would have to head back to the village sooner than he'd been expecting. But Tommy seemed sorry to see him go. Gaius sighed, torn on the inside. "I should start back soon, it's going to take me a while to find my way... Even if this is an island, it's easy to get lost out here. But..." he looked back at Tommy with a friendly smile, "I can spare a little time, I guess."

Making himself more comfortable, Gaius shifted over to lean against the rock wall beside Tommy. "So... what did you do before you came here? I met a woman who was a mechanic once. Seems a lot of people have been taken from their lives..."

Oblivious to Tommy's instinctive hunger, Gaius listened, eyebrows raising slightly. "The Air Force? Really? I... I'd actually thought about joining, once... But I didn't want to leave my dad alone. Still... I've always wondered what it would be like to fly by myself." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I always figured I'd take flying lessons later, when I was settled and could take the time. Guess that's going to have to wait a while!"

"Colorblind? So, what, you see everything in greys?" Gaius tilted his head inquisitively. At the mention of Tommy's hands, he winced sympathetically, though didn't yet consider himself undergoing such changes. All this animal stuff was still too distant for him. Things happening to other people, not himself, though Tommy'd struck close to home. He reminded him of the kind of guys he'd hang around back in school or in the work force.

At his mention of food, Gaius frowned. "But I thought you said you couldn't eat anything...?" He stood up as well, though he let Tommy rise on his own, not wanting to intrude on his self-reliance.

Gaius nodded, grateful for the explanation. "I guess I can see how that can make problems..."

Since Tommy was standing up, Gaius figured he'd be moving to get food. Packing and shouldering his bag took only a moment and he was soon standing beside the guy.

"B-blood?" His face blanched. "I-I can't imagine trying that at all..." The very thought made his insides squirm. "But... I don't imagine there's any place you can find a protein shake out here... Maybe in the caf?" he offered hopefully, forgetting about the punishment Tommy'd mentioned. "It's a walk away, but we could get there in a couple hours if we push it."

"I dunno, shocked to unconsciousness doesn't sound like it can be good for you..." Gaius trailed behind Tommy a bit, keeping an eye on the guy. It was obvious he was still in a whole lot of pain, but he hoped the medications he'd brought were taking the edge off at least. He seemed better than when he'd first come across the guy in any case.

The going was a bit rough, with the uneven roots crossing the path at random. Gaius just hoped Tommy'd be able to manage the hike.

Gaius grunted non-commitally, hoping that Tommy's theory was right... for his sake.

Considering it'd taken a couple hours for Gaius to get out this far, they made good time. Having a steady pace helped, and Gaius wasn't taking a leisurely stroll this time.

"Wonder if they really do have cameras out here..." he muttered to himself at one point. It seemed unlikely with all of the foilage, but Gaius didn't know the extent of the lab's reach.

Motion sensors... The architect hadn't thought of that. Somehow, it made sense. They had to some kind of tracking means, at least.

He continued on past Tommy as he slowed and glanced back over his shoulder. "...You holding up okay? You don't look unconscious yet," he added with a teasing chuckle.