Ed still had a kindness in him that hadn't been burned out entirely. For all his problems (and they were numerous, dangerous and diagnosable), Ed is not actually inherently cruel and his attentiveness does lend him to picking up when he can fix things. And he loves fixing and solving things, even when 'things' is 'people at less an optimal state'.

"How about, you finish up however much more you want and I'll put down clean sheets on the bed." He stands up (no hint of which knee might have been busted) and busies himself putting away the teapot and rinsing the cup. "Won't be a few minutes. If you finish, just put the plate on the counter, I'll deal with it after."