“Why are you even using this stuff?” I ask him for the second time. “You don’t need it. Don’t use it if it makes you uncomfortable.” He’s quiet a moment. “You don’t think I need it?” “Of course not. Why . . . ? Are you in pain? Do your scars hurt?” “Sometimes,” he says quietly. “Not as much as they used to. I actually can’t feel much of anything on my back anymore.”
