[ He's like an amorphous creature trying to fit in a role he hasn't written, a character with a name and intent but no direction. All the veering around he does around the page can be as worrying as it is thrilling and clearly leaves it mark, has done over the years with murals of death and strife lashed across his long memory. ]

That's a lie. [ It needs firmly stating even as she covers his hands with her, giving as tight a squeeze as she can. ] You're not 'good for nothing'. Whatever happens, even if things are dealt with badly, people won't let you go through it alone. Being friends isn't about people-pleasing or always catching the other person, you have a responsibility to them to be okay.

... I need you to be okay.