It's important to you because you've suffered a life of discrimination because of what you are. It's important to you because it's your secret, and you're the only one who should be deciding who gets to know about it. It's important because someone used it to humiliate you and degrade you here without having any context for it. Something like that?

I can guess why it's important, Duster. And I do care. It's why I haven't run about spouting it off. That wasn't the answer I went looking for. I'm sorry, I am truly sorry that's the one I found, and if I could take that part of it back, I would. I can't. So we're going to have to live with that. You, apparently, not trusting me to the end of days, and me thinking you're being paranoid over it.

Sleep on the bloody mattress or don't. You making yourself suffer because you don't trust me is just plain stupid, though. Stay hydrated and eat something.

[Unless Royce stops him, John will depart, frustrated beyond belief by the other man. But at least he's gotten close to the heart of what Duster's issue is.]