John thinks about that a long moment, begins slowly applying the cream to patches as he tries to formulate the answer he wants.

"Well," he says finally. "You know, it kinda comes with the territory. War-zones, danger. Impossible odds."

You do know what impossible means, don't you?

Yeah. Pretty sure I do.

This is who he is, this is what he does. Ianto shouldn't... He shouldn't expect better. John doesn't know if he can be better, it's too ingrained into who he is.