AtD translation: the inches

[Mike Jing]

P650.35-651.2   “By the time Jesse showed up, though, maybe it was beginnin
to soak in, we’re too old for it, no mess that getting out of it meant any
hope of getting out for good anymore—at best just for some breathin time
till the next one jumped us, maybe. And meantime the inches, it’s always
inches ain’t it, kept gettin shorter, all narrowin down, sometimes had to
schedule a week ahead just to pick m’nose.”

What does "the inches" refer to here? Is it the "breathin time" mentioned
earlier?