A junior PI? Well, that sounds frightfully exciting. Having an upset, worrying father back home, who has no idea where his little girl has gone or what's happened to her - that's less exciting. In fact, it's horrible. Ned wonders what the scientists were thinking, kidnapping someone her age. Kidnapping anyone is bad enough, but at least in Ned's case, he's an adult, with no one to leave behind except his dog (and much as he loves Digby, it's not the same).

"I think I've had more than enough lunging these last few days, but thanks."

Ned slips into a friendly sort of silence after that, sitting up once his neck has healed and his head isn't spinning so badly any longer. He lets Veronica rest there undisturbed, keeping watchful for anything else coming from the woods, but they are undisturbed.