Habits are hard to break; Lazarus is on the opposite side of the coin, having spent years using substances to cope with feelings of helplessness and loss. Even though he's been to rehab, it is still his first instinct to medicate his emotions, and, being a mere human, he sometimes can't resist it. Ironically, in trying to hide his weaknesses this way, he shows a different and far more disappointing kind of weakness in front of someone he desperately wants to be strong for.

"...do you want to talk about what happened with Tony, Nathan?" he asks quietly, the inanity of the conversation beginning to reveal how distracted they both are by the elephant in the room. "Whether you would, or you'd rather put it far from your thoughts, I will respect it."