He can understand that in a way, even though there's a little part of him that's angry for the same irrational reason. The thought that Raleigh had stopped trying, that the letter was written because she'd given up had certainly occurred to him and he isn't going to say as much, not when she's clearly upset that other people had said it to her. And what she's saying makes sense, too. The idea that infection is a battle that can simply be won by fighting harder is completely absurd.

And he wants her to be able to trust him. He doesn't want that to change, so he nods that he understands and scrubs his hand over his face again.

"It's just a scary thing to read," he says, then pushes himself up from his chair. "Come on. Let's go sit outside and I'll eat all your cookies."