Hope nodded, lowering his head withe very progressive word. He had been expecting a lecture like this, but that didn't make the reality of it any less unpleasant. It was like the beginning of their journey, traveling with Lightning and being a liability again. He didn't, however, shrink from the reprimand, even though the look on Squall's face might have made him want to. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," he said, because at the very least, he'd been keeping up with healing himself (otherwise, he was almost the first to go down every time, and that rendered him useless).

"I wasn't...um, trying to. It caught me while I was trying to head back. I'm sorry. I heard the bell but I couldn't find the exit. It won't happen again."