It's distant, but John remembers--and absently counts himself grateful that the lean period is over.

"I left for a minute." he replies, letting the joke pass with uncharacteristic lack of even deadpan repartee. "Couple days passed, here, three years on my end. Did some time, then got talked into going back with the promise of a pardon. I was captured...this happened during, uh, 'questioning.'"