"You're both people, Ephemera. I know it's easy to forget that, when everybody's in armor and shooting at each other, but he's a person. He feels things, too. And he said he doesn't want to hurt you." Drake hesitates, squeezes back. "I believed him."

It was complicated, obviously, but he'd believe it too if Washington said he'd just been following orders. He's pretty sure that's the case. Drake can't relate -- he wouldn't follow an order to kill, one of the reasons he hadn't even considered the military back when the option was presented. Why he'd gone for cop instead. Ephemera and Washington were different. So his words, his opinion might not mean much. He knows that.

He keeps talking anyway, fingers stroking through Ephemera's hair.

"I know you hate him. But maybe the way to heal isn't revenge."