Howard's watching Mystery Medical Diagnosis, his go-to program for 'it's educational but I don't have to use my brain'. Between the odd jobs and making up for four years of high school and a year of middle school, spoonfed learning is all he can handle in his free time. Without looking at Cedric, he says, "hey, how was your day?"

It's the cats that give away something is wrong. As if they can tell how upset Cedric is, they rush to his ankles and rub up against him. And that gets Howard's attention.

"Did you bring catnip or- oh my god." He jumps up off the couch and rushes over to Cedric. "What happened? Are you okay? Hold still, I need to check if your pupils are dilating right."

So sudden is his panic that it doesn't connect that Cedric should have already healed himself.