"I know. Extremis wasn't even meant for this kind of repair. It would only have made him worse; or kill him faster." He sank down and sat on the floor, back towards the work bench, removing himself from the view of the screens, removing his brain from the stimulus as though it was the only way to get him to think about something else. Of course, the moment he did that, he tilted his head towards Jasper, analyzing the structure of the crutch, wondering about the extent to which Jasper needed it. He'd obviously noticed it in Vegas. He hadn't asked about it then, either.
"I know what this kid is going through, Jasper. It was different for me, yes. But something is happening here that I can't see, and I should be able to. I've been where this kid is. Screwed over, left for dead -- all of it. I just thought that I could make someone else's life better. You know, be --" The words 'a parent' or something similar caught in his throat. It's how he'd explained it all to Pepper, really. He wanted to help Harry in ways his father never had. The kid deserved to have someone who could make a difference and that was all Stark had wanted to do, "--helpful. And all I did was make it worse. Anyway -- anyway -- I need your help."