It is at this moment, the door opens and Dave sticks his head in. Just before that slap which will haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life. "Hey John, how is she-" He trails off, his mouth forgetting to shut for a moment then clicking shut without a sound. There's nothing he can ever say to bridge this gap of awkward. Fact of the matter is, he really wants to just retreat right the hell now.

But life has taught Dave Strider that when he attempts to back pedal or flee, there will be something blocking his treat. Right now it's his own frozen brain that can't seem to let go of the doorknob.