Pride with how he dealt with it comes later. He'll talk about it when he can talk. Right now?

Right now he's closing his whole hand over Ace's hand, and forcing her fingers to his pulse, to feel that his heart is beating. When he's sure she's felt that he puts her hand over his heart, then his damaged hand over hers.

If she's meeting his eyes, he's meeting hers. It means 'I survived, and I came back to you'.