Ordinarily, when a knock comes in the middle of evening prayer, he ignores it--or would, if it happened often enough for him to have a policy for it. The first knock makes him look up from his shrine, but doesn't prompt him to move--but the fact that the second comes so soon at its heels, the fact that the tears are so very audible in Fern's voice, gets him up off his knees without further hesitation. Whatever would make Fern come and seek him out in his room, sounding like that, is worth putting any other business on hold.

"I'm right here," he says, even as he opens the door, "but whatever's the matter?"