Why does Crooks keep asking Lennie what he would do if George was gone?

A reason that Crooks keeps asking Lennie, "'S'pose George don't come back no more. S'pose he took a powder and just ain't coming back. What'll you do then?'" (71). Crooks says this because he knows if George leaves Lennie, Lennie will have nothing. George tells Lennie everything that he has to do, when to stop and when to continue on. I think that Crooks is just wondering, he isn't trying to get anything out of him he is just curious. Lennie responds by saying, "'George wouldn't do nothing like that. I been with George a long time. He'll come back tonight'" (71). Lennie knows George would never leave him. Lennie and George are like brothers Lennie and George have been traveling together for a long time. Lennie has grown trust in George and knows he will never leave him.