Joyce can't help it -- she makes a sound like a wounded animal, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. How recent had that last letter been? Before or after that -- thing had gotten inside her son and almost stayed for good? She swallows hard, trying to focus on what Sam is really saying -- that Will's okay, that he's himself again, exhausted and wounded, but himself.

So she exhales, a shaky, wavering sound and closes her eyes tight. "We had to burn it out of him. It -- god, Sam, I've never..." She never wanted to do something like that. She hates the monster for making her hurt her kid almost as much as she hates it for killing Bob.