- As Merle and Edward talk, Eric plays with his tattered hare stuffed animal. It looks like he's had it since he was a baby.
- Merle tells Edward that she can't remember a time when Eric was happier or chattier about something—he was telling her about lifting the stone and all that. Merle assumes that Edward wants to thank Eric for his help at the end of the dig. Isn't that nice?
- But this isn't quite right. Edward explains that it was Eric who told him where to dig, and what they've found is spectacular; no one has ever seen anything like it. This find could actually make Edward really famous.
- Merle is pleased, but doesn't really get the significance of what Edward is saying.
- When Eric heads upstairs, Edward finally asks Merle what's going on with Eric. He doesn't want to sound rude, though, because he actually cares about the boy and wants to know why is he the way he is.
- Merle isn't offended at all, and she explains that most people never ask or just avoid them all together.
- Edward tells her that it's their loss and Merle agrees with a smile.
- She explains that when Eric was two years old he crawled out into the tall hay and was hit by a scythe that someone had been swinging to cut down the crops. He was knocked unconscious and they thought the might die, but he pulled through, though he was a little changed in the end.
- Edward wonders why Eric would have gone out into the long hay. Merle isn't sure, but she thinks he might have chased a hare—he was always obsessed with them.
- Merle's sad at the thought that she can't really communicate with Eric. He usually seems like he's off in his own place, on his own little journey in another world.
- Finally, Edward asks who hit Eric with the scythe. He can't resist—he just has to know.
- It was Eric's father, Merle's husband. But now he's gone because he couldn't live with himself. Poor guy.