What Jesse says confirms Ned's suspicion; Galen has done this sort of thing to Jesse before, and Jesse is willingly signing up for another round. Ned wants to think of it as romantic, as noble, as Jesse sacrificing a part of his happiness to keep his boyfriend and everyone else safe and happy. But at the same time, he is unsettled by it. By the precedent it indicates is in place.

"I hate this," Ned murmurs. He braces his hands on the ground at his sides and up spring weeds, stickseeds and sandburrs, goosegrass and poison oak. He doesn't seem to notice. There ought to be some way. Some alternative. Jesse shouldn't need to suffer - there ought to be a solution where no one is hurt. His inability to fix it rankles at Ned. "I hate not being able to help. You shouldn't have to-" Ned heaves a sigh. Lamenting the situation and his own uselessness isn't going to make any difference. It's just more annoying complaining.