All the frustration sweeps away from him when he sees tears in her eyes. He waits for her to find her center and stares at the back of the seat, then at the armrest, then at his knees. When she puts a hand to his arm, he moves it, not to pull away but so he's holding her hand back.

"You'd be okay, in the long run. You have Ian and John to take care of, so you can't fall apart. I was- I was writing you and Ian a note so you knew it wouldn't be your fault or anything you did or me moving out, and..." And honestly he'd realized the cats may run out of food before he was found, and that had led to panic, thinking about the obligations he had, and by extent the people, wondering who would send Barbara a basket on Thanksgiving, who would help Ian fix the water heater, who would call them on the phone every weekend, and how delusional it was to think they wouldn't miss him at all. "I'm sorry."

"Anyway. It was pretty much the least fun hospital trip ever. Activated charcoal kind of looks like a slushie but it actually tastes like despair."