Haunted Wood This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off

Oh, okay!  Her voice pitched up a bit at the rasp in his voice.  Was he sick?  She reaallly wasn't feeling picking anything up, but he seemed intent on coming closer.  Now she did take a step back.  Cool, I won't bother you.  I'm just passing through.  Manners dictated that she stay in place and at least say goodbye, and it was too programmed into her to let her leave and risk insulting him.

The tail movement told her he was at least friendly, so her rush wasn't based on fear of danger.  She just remembered the last time she'd encountered the sick man in the cave... and the fever that had followed.  She had zero interest in repeating that.