Friendship. It was sweet.
The only thing I think might have helped the plot line was if it showed him trying to take the bandage off but the bird freaks out and pecks his hands or something along those lines so that more people understand that the bird won't let him, and when he finally does, why the claw/tentacle thing kills him, because it would then seem like the bird was trying to protect him all along because it can't control the claw thing.