This actually almost elicits a laugh, but it's more like a wheeze, a grimacing smile that turns into a rictus of pain. If he had listened to even one single person who told him how awful his mother is, he wouldn't be here. He covers his mouth with his hand, gripping it, pressing the muscles of his face that have become sore from weeping.
"I think," he says weakly, "when she finds out what happened, she'll just." Another tear, which he wipes away quickly. "...she'll be angry with me, for failing. Again."