"Well then what the hell else is?" Steve snapped and wrestled his shoulder out from under her hand. "Right, right, this is an experiment! I love those! Do you think they sit around and time these things, or is my life that much of a disaster where this kind of shit happens to me naturally? For fuck's sake!" This had effectively destroyed whatever dignity he had left in the conversation, so it was either he make a bunch of cynical comments or he burst into tears. And he absolutely would not do that in front of Claire.

His tirade was interrupted when he suddenly winced in pain and reached vaguely for his chest. "Ah... shit!" he groaned, then turned to lean against the table. He gritted his teeth and forced a few deep, shaky breaths. After a few moments he seemed to have made himself calm down, though he was still gripping the edge of the table so hard his knuckles were white.

"This isn't funny," he muttered.