[It was too much to expect, but it was nice to at least think that maybe Tucker would have. Still, it was hard to pinpoint time when he had been completely freaking out, unsure what it was, what had attacked them, what had dropped the guy, so he shrugged a little.] Not five. I mean, it felt like forever, but it was probably just like two or three. Next time I’m with him, I’ll make sure to keep a freaking stopwatch.

[Oh, come on, Wash, he sort of at least knew that. It wasn’t like he was Doc.] I’m not stupid enough to put my hand in there; I just didn’t want them to bite his tongue or chip his teeth so I tried to use my gloves? You know, not while wearing them. [But the praise, goddamn, that felt good, worked out the worst of anger and just replaced it with an easing calmness he had been lacking. He had done well. Fuck yeah, he had.]

We didn’t actually have “a while”, Wash; we should have been mowed down in that room. I don’t know how we weren’t. [Luck. Fucking luck, it had to be.] All he told me was that he would be kicked out of the camp if it got out. Which – by the fucking way – is stupid! In what way does that make any sense!? Fuck, this place is just dumb.