Jason's hand itched. Several weeks after Beth died, Jason's hands would sometimes itch. Other times, he would be certain a splinter or a plastic tag or something was tangled in his clothes. But he would never find anything. He would also get cravings for food he had never particularly liked before Beth died. But the food never tasted as good as he imagined. The scratching never stopped the itch.

He glanced down to realize he'd scratched too hard again. The fleshy part of his hand below the thumb was red and throbbing. Jason thought about Eddie Moreno.

He wondered if Eddie's hand ever throbbed, if Eddie had phantom pains. It wasn't the sort of thing Jason would ever feel comfortable asking Eddie even though he was an exceedingly gracious person, especially given everything he'd endured....

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