[ the finality of lil's words ends that train of conversation fairly effectively, at least, and the silence that follows is uncomfortable -- at least for rick it is. looking from lil to nelson, it's hard to say which of them is more upset, and the nagging, distracting feeling that's been getting to him for a while now is finally too much to ignore, and he clears his throat carefully. ]

Look, I know I might not exactly be the brightest guy around here, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing something. You mind telling me what it is?