He tenses at that, goes rigid. He remembers it. He remembers everything. Can't forget that's the problem. Being locked up in there, alone except when they wanted to talk to him. And he doesn't want anyone to feel that, would never want it. And he'd liked Delta. They'd been friends, kind of.

"No," he says after a moment. "You aren't ours. Can't trust you. Carolina or me can take him." Carolina, not him. Never him.