[ That’s how Eddie feels about almost everything he does here: he just wants to help, and while he often feels like nothing he’s doing is particularly helpful (music only goes so far, and most of the spells he’s learned are minuscule in comparison to what others can do), he’s begun to realize that the smallest things can make a difference, and that desire to help has never disappeared. Reaching out to River was an extension of that. She’s a bit of a strange girl, way smarter than Eddie could ever dream of being, and reminds him of his Hellfire kids. Clearly the part of him that played shepherd to those odd little sheep is still alive and well. ]

Oh.

[ He looks surprised. There was obviously a recovery mission—they wouldn’t be here otherwise, but he had opted not to go. Maybe he should have; maybe the island wouldn’t be so mysterious and frightening then. Or maybe it would just become even worse. ]

No. I, uh—well, one of my friends was there last year.

[ Along with these corpses, he thinks grimly. Steve never did tell him what happened on the island, and Eddie felt it wasn’t his place to ask, but the fact that Steve could have been one of them is a thought that never truly settled in. But it sure is worming its way between his ribs now, settling right beside the guilt he's beginning to feel over dragging River along to this. ]

Like…kidnapped. It took a month to get him and the other back. The living ones, at least.