[He hates-- he hates-- that he feels a swell of hope. It's inevitable, just as inevitable as the way his eyes light up, but he hates that it happens nonetheless. He hates the fact he's got hope all over again, because he knows the chances are minimal at best.
He wants to ask two things. But this is a touch more vital, and so he swallows his more selfish question and says carefully:]
no subject
He wants to ask two things. But this is a touch more vital, and so he swallows his more selfish question and says carefully:]
What else, exactly.