His sort-of double has the right of it, Dan knows, as soon as he says it. Probably something he knows himself, if he's willing to take it out and look at it.

He makes himself do it, acknowledge those times and compare them to this.

"You're right on both counts. Even after I got sober at home, the other way to stay sane was to keep myself distant from others, to keep their thoughts, all of the noise and the ghosts-- away. But things are different here."

The ring on his hand seems to flash at him.

"I meant to ask, how much you can feel about me."