"My ears hurt." was his delayed reply. he lifted his hands and physically pulled his ears down. His pillow was damp from them and his hair so he chose to focus on this at first.  What he failed to remember until after he spoke, was he didn't bother to put on the salve nor the bandage to cover his bruise and he now lay naked, flat on his back with his mother standing near. He slid his hand over his stomach and curled to the side, but still facing her.  "I didn't dry... my ears right s'all."