Eddie has a visceral (if entirely internal) reaction to the sight of River's scarring, inflamed marks -- signs of infection that they are. It's a moment of terror, such as his mother instilled in him, but the only real external sign of it is a hitch to his breath.

"At least I didn't set the table before you got here," Eddie says, hating how weak his voice comes out. But he looks up into her face, obvious concern on his own -- "It doesn't look good. How long has this been happening?"