[ Jesse leans into the door a little, elbow hooked over the open window as the Hummer glides down the cracked stretch of road, cutting through dust like it’s carving a new route through the middle of nowhere. River’s voice is steady in the background and Jesse listens without interrupting. He lets out a sigh before responding. ]

Sober and stranded in another dimension. Dope.

[ He says it dryly, like he’s already filed that reality under “shit I can’t fix so I guess I’m living with it.” His gaze tracks the horizon. It all looks just enough like the desert he remembers to mess with his head, like this place is wearing the skin of something familiar just to make the knife twist deeper. ]

This probably ain't even the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me if I'm honest.

[ He lets that sit there, unexplained. Another one of those half-truths that says more than it hides if you know where to look. He glances sideways, studying River again. He’s not used to people like this: open, unbothered, still making jokes even when the world’s tipped sideways. But he’s not hating it, either. He tips his chin towards the piece of paper pressed to the windshield. ]

So...you're a doctor?

[ Jesse’s eyes linger, sharp with interest, like he’s trying to place this guy properly now that the adrenaline’s gone and the dust is settling. He still doesn’t know what the rules of this place are: who to trust, what’s real, what the hell they’re all doing here. But it feels like River’s the first person in a while who’s asked him a question without wanting something in return. ]