I'm pretty sure that politicians always count.

Morse code will only help so much with that. Not everyone understands it. [ He hesitates for a moment and starts digging in his tool belt, needing something to fiddle with while he figures this conversation out. ] Sometimes trying to take something like that on by yourself just makes things worse.

[ Anyway. He caught that "still here", don't think he didn't. ] So, your sister...?