Sophia noticed Tim's recurring movement to his arm. She couldn't tell if it was just some sort of reflex or something so she didn't comment on it. Instead she gently assured him, "You don't have to apologize, Tim. It's not your fault any of that stuff happened. If anything [i]I'm[/i] sorry. I shouldn't have even suggested we go there, wherever there was. I promise we won't go there again." As Tim buried his face in his hands Sophia felt utterly distraught. He wouldn't tell her what had happened in the bathroom, and she didn't want to push him. All she could do was offer him whatever comfort she could provide. She put her drink down on the coffee table and she started to say, "It's gonna be ok," while gently putting her hand on Tim's shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

As soon as Sophia's hand touched Tim's shoulder he jerked away as if burned. Sophia felt kind of hurt. She thought they had been making some progress in their friendship and Tim getting used to physical contact from her. But she knew that Tim was under extreme duress from whatever had happened to him, and she had to reason with himself that he just needed some space to calm down.

Sitting down on the couch across from him while keeping some distance between them, Sophia tried to soothe him by saying, "It'll be alright, Tim. We're safe in my apartment. We'll never go through one of those tunnels again. You don't have to worry anymore. Why don't we do something to take your mind off of it? I can put on a movie or a game, or you can read something or take a nap if you'd like. Whatever you think will help you feel a little better."