"He doesn't seem to feel like it. There's no way to force it."
"Of course I didn't mean-" Marrow took his typical awkward breath.
Lori gave a slight reassuring smile. "I think he's angry with himself for making a sound at Barrow. He didn't mean to speak with you on the first day, either. He's used to having total control over his interactions with the world."
The blonde nodded slowly. "I wish I could think of something to help him."
"Can't you...that reprogramming thing? You said you were putting in fairly weak suggestions before. Couldn't you just input a series of commands to stay the hell away from Gabriel?"
Marrow looked vaguely horrified at the suggestion. His breathing quickened and he looked back and forth from Barrow to Lawrence several times. "Look, Lawrence, I care very much about Gabriel, and I don't want anyone, least of all Barrow, to hurt him. But you can't actually expect me... I can't... To my own brother... I would never..."
Lawrence took his turn to look shocked in natural succession. He found himself nearly stammering, "I never realized the suggestion was s-so...offensive to you."
Marrow calmed a bit. "I'm sorry...you wouldn't have any sort of comparable way of thinking about it, would you." He gave a sorry grin. "Think of it like this, Lawrence. Your mind, your thoughts, your feelings are the most intimate part of yourself. For someone to enter your head, without your consent, and forcibly alter them? I suppose the only analogous situation is rape." He winced. "I can't rape my brother."