[He's tempted to just hang up now and be done with it - it's like this kid knows exactly where to slide the knife into the spaces of his rib cage, the precise angle to twist for maximum pain, and it takes Jason a moment to catch his breath, to collect himself enough to reply.]

Yeah, well, no accounting for taste or judgement. You know how it is when you keep getting punched in the head - tends to knock the wiring loose. Pretty soon even the worst calls start looking like they're a good idea.