Okay, something is—as if he didn't already know—really, truly wrong here. The little wire in his heart, not the one marked Star but the far weaker one marked Sun, that is its twin, resonates unsettlingly.

He takes a step closer, away from the wall, almost to challenge. "Or you could get up on your feet and punch me. Fight back a little, if you even have it in you. Look at you. You're a mess. I can smell you from here, you know." He can't.