Room 238, Wednesday evening

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Aeryn doesn't have class on Wednesday, which is probably a bad thing, since she spent most of the day thinking way too hard about some of the things she'd heard last night. She's not one to panic, and if it's something John's been dealing with for this long, she knows there's no reason to freak out. Too much, at least.

Still, there's thinking, which is why her textbook is laying open on the table, as it has been since she gave up on it. She did distract herself at one point by going to get takeout from Ching Tai, waiting on the kitchen counter. She has no idea why, it just seemed like the thing to do.

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She takes the carton and asks quietly, "Still all right?"

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"Mmm hmm," he says and peers into his rice.

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Watching him for a moment, Aeryn says, "You've been doing well." Seriously, she hadn't had any idea.

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He looks over at her. "How do you mean?"

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"I hadn't been worrying," she answers.

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"Oh." Still, he winces. "I know I should've told you, Aeryn. I'm really sorry for that. I just didn't think about it."

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"No, I know," she says. She shakes her head, and pauses, and asks, "Should I have noticed?"

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"No," he says. "Because it's only untolerable sometimes. And that's rare and I can control him. Most of the time, I didn't even know he was there."

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She really doesn't want to ask this question but, "How untolerable?"

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"It's okay," he says lightly.

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"John," she says.

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"Nothing I can't handle," he clarifies.

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"I realize," Aeryn says immediately with a nod. "I just want to know what you're dealing with."

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He sighs and turns to look at her. "I have nightmares a lot. Images...bad things. And sometimes they seem more real. Like I'm really there or I'm gonna be there."

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Aeryn pokes at her food, asking, "What are you doing in the nightmare? When it's like you're there." She's wondering whether that can really happen.

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That's one thing he hoped she wouldn't ask. "Stuff."

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Well, now she has to push. "What kind of stuff?"

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"They're just nightmares," he says sharply and stabs the rice with his fork.

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Aeryn's expecting him to start snapping at her, but she has to ask. "They're still causing you stress."

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"I'm not stressed," he argues.

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"Your food might disagree."

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He frowns at his food. "I'm not stressed."

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"It's all right," she tells him. She would be. She'd never admit it, but she would be.

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John frowns at his rice again. "I'm just tired sometimes."

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"Tired physically, or..." She's determined to get answers today.