A was on his bed, staring dully into space. He didn't even hear the knock until Einstein scratched at the door and meowed at him. When Schrodinger meowed as well and patted his face with her paws, he noticed Einstein's now-frantic scratching and dragged himself up to answer the door.

It was perhaps the only person he could bear to see just then. "River," he said softly, and stepped aside to let her in.