I am not content with the absolution implied in these things happen, [ he answers, but he's careful to keep his tone mild and easy, the layer of cold raw iron that undercuts his feelings muffled beneath something purposefully delicate. Harold has started to catch on that Carver reacts very sensitively to tone. That is, at least, one of the things he is good at modulating.

Carver's scars are gruesome, and he grimaces before turning his attention back to the computer. It's not like he can see his own very well, so he's never had to confront them, exactly.

Calmly, almost distantly, not unlike he's experiencing some measure of shock himself: ] Just because I've chosen not to act on it doesn't mean I am absent of the desire for revenge, or the self-loathing that comes with survival.