"Wait, where are you having trouble finding food? Here or on the train?" It's a bit surprising either way, but he can't fault someone who's never been on a mission before for not being completely prepared for it.

The root finally slices in half under his knife, and he grabs the severed portion with both hands and pulls, throwing his weight against it and tearing a long, branching root up through the soil with a satisfying rrrrrip! He considers it for a moment, then tosses it towards the pile (of course there's a pile; he's been at this for a while) of cut and uprooted plants. That accomplished, he picks the trowel back up and gets back to work on the root system of the plant Jake is holding. "Once we're done here, I want to check you over. Just in case."