Ernie didn't understand a word his friend was saying. It wasn't English, nor was it Gaelic (which were pretty much the only languages he could identify), and while he thought he heard 'Papa' in there somewhere, it could mean something else in whatever language Theodore was speaking. That is, if it was another language and not some sort of garbled tongue resulting from a head injury. The first step, however, was to try and calm him down.
"Theodore," he offered in his softest, most comforting voice. "I'm here. I'm not going to hurt you." He reached out tentatively, ready to spring back should his friend react badly, and gently touched a finger to Theodore's hand where it was held over his head.