Out Of Office

This afternoon, much to my surprise, I received the following email in response to an earlier inquiry:

I am out of the office and will be returning on June 5, 2006. If you need immediate assistance and this is ______ related, please contact [Dr. Cook].

The respone came as a surprise for two reasons:

1. I had no idea this person was out of the office.
2. I was not informed ahead of time I would be their contact for "immediate assistance."

I'm not sure if I should be flattered or disturbed. Flattered, on one hand, because someone trusts me with their business without forewarning. Disturbed, on the other, because I was not warned, which could have resulted in an explosive situation. Either way, it's 4:00 pm on a Friday, suggesting that no one needed "immediate assistance." I should be in the clear.