“We will, I promise, just give it time. There’s a clock ticking somewhere. A loop is all patience—”

It’s a promise he can’t be confident in, but what else is there to do?

And then— “They’re coming. I—I’m sorry. If they do anything to me, don’t be afraid, I won’t be afraid.” And another oh-so gentle lie, but more of a truth than it should be: “There’s nothing they can do to me I haven’t felt before.”