Ed relaxes a little, the hand doing the job because sometimes, for a psychological problem, you need a psychological solution. And thinking that the sound is being blocked is enough for the sound to actually be blocked.

He reaches out, touching the skin with the ink before he thinks about it and presses down to feel the ink, feel the scar tissue. Traces the letters, especially his own 'e' represented in it. He nods at the question and then comes to rest against John's chest, one ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat.