It's easy to let himself simply be led into the apartment and he moves almost mechanically, Bear coming inside with him. The dog whines softly, circling around them once and then he goes to the couch where he curls up in a ball on the floor, waiting for them to join him. As he walks, John wonders if Bear is going to suffer because of this, too, if he's going to slip into some kind of depression. He's heard of dogs who do that, who die from broken hearts when their masters are gone.

"I'm alright," he says when she asks if she can get anything for him. He'd like to drink, but he knows himself well enough to understand why that's a bad idea right now. John would never think to describe himself as being depressed, but more than one psychologist has commented on his lack of self preservation.

"No, I'm not," he adds as he sits down. "I'm so tired."