Howard tries to focus just on Barbara and whatever's immediately in front of his vision. It isn't easy - he knows this feeling, but usually it happens more when he's waking up from a bad dream or suffers some sort of shock to the senses. It's as if the periphery of his vision is falling away, tunnel vision. But it works, because Barbara is familiar, and Barbara loves him and he knows this, and she still will even if this becomes the greatest disaster the Golden Gate Bridge has ever seen.

Hal takes the hot dogs from Barbara, giving Howard a strange look. "No, he just called our names, but that doesn't mean anything, they're not uncommon names in these parts-"

"Do we need to call an ambulance?" Rose interrupts, a bit more practical and concerned.

But Howard's straightening back up under Barbara's hands. His face is flushed with embarrassment and frustration. This was pretty much not how he wanted to start this meeting off, although he guesses any chance of him looking like a threat to either of them has been pretty well dispelled. "Thanks," he whispers to Barbara.