The tumble caught John by surprise just as much as it had Joan. The sudden pull and sharp pain on his arm caused him to gasp. There was a flash of anger as well, the desire to strike out at the source of the pain. Even if he was free of the energy creature, it was hard to completely remove himself from impulses that had been a part of him for over a hundred years.

"It's quite alright," he said, giving her a slightly pained smile. "They are, after all, scratches. And I have been hurt far worse than this."