"Yeah, here." Howard digs through his kit and passes a pair of gloves to Cedric. "It's not as bad as it looks. Just, you know, got thrown into a wall. Concussion. Got shot too, but it's not serious."

He flinches even before Cedric gets a chance to apply the alcohol. Just because he has more trust in Cedric than he does in most people doesn't mean human contact doesn't scare him, and his nerves have been worn thin by the stress of the last few days.

"You know, it's kind of amazing. Everyone's baseline now and no one's died yet."