"Sorry," I say, grinning a little blearily, 'cause I can already tell it was worth it. Pain or not, some of the desperation has bled out of him, that haunted and dangerous look in his eyes, and maybe it's not a perfect fix, but it sure as hell's a start.

"Come on, we better head upstairs," I say, resting a hand on his arm, "You wanna walk, or you want me to take us?"