Mike shook his head. How to explain it to the kid? Trying to escape was just going to waste his time.

"Wish it were that simple, kid. We're stuck here. You can try runnin' 'way from the Institute, but you always wind up back in your bed in the mornin'. Did it myself. Didn't work."

It was good to have Lee's optimism, but he needed a dose of reality to go with it. Quickly, if possible. That enthusiasm needed to be redirected to better uses, like keeping alive and saving others.