I casually followed Jake back as if he were my playmate, catching up just in time to hear Tobias explain that he might be trapped in morph. After hearing about Tom, I just lost it.
<What the hell, Tobias? What is your problem?> I didn't care about the rest of the group hearing. <Do you know what's going on? Do I have to spell it out? These aliens, these Yeerks have Chapman and T- a lot of people, by the looks of things!> Sure, I could be insensitive and blow up at Tobias, but I wasn't going to bring Jake down any more, so I cut myself off before I could mention his brother. <If they're this close to us, there's got to be a lot more of them around! This whole organisation could be their army! How could you be so insensitive?> I yelled, referring now to Tom without speaking a name. <How can you fight them or those blade-aliens or even Visser Three stuck in the body of a bird? And don't go giving me some crap about talons or beak! Tobias, we need as much help as we can get!>
Then I softened slightly, remembering what he'd added about being happy. <I...I know life isn't the greatest, but now you can change into any animal that should at least help. And about nobody caring...we care, because we need you. It looks like we're a team now, fighting the Yeerks, so lend us a hand!> What I added was maybe underhanded, but I was mad and we needed all the firepower for whatever Jake was going to come up with. <Come on, look at Ax! He's millions of miles away from home, he lost his brother to Visser Three and he's already managed so much! He's got a human morph, he can more or less fit in, he's ready to fight and I think his knowledge is really going to help our cause! Why won't you help too?> I wasn't going to feel bad about being manipulative because right now, I was worried about Jake, mad at the Yeerk in Tom's head, scared and angry at Tom...