Sam's shoulders untensed a little and his jaw stopped looking like he was going grind his teeth to stumps any second. He nodded, breathed out, ran a hand through his hair and nodded again, sighing.

"Fear's good. It keeps you smart and safe," Sam said, like he'd heard Dad and Bobby say a dozen times, or maybe it was Ellen Harvelle's voice he was hearing. "I'm not asking you to trust everyone on my say so. Just, if they're not attacking you or anyone else, but you're worried, ask me first?"