Were Despair still whispering in his ear loud enough to hear, it would be telling him that nobody cares to have him around, that he is so much worse at hiding and getting over his weaknesses than everyone else around him. He doesn't need Despair with him, however, to think those thoughts on his own.

Perhaps she's trying to humour him. "You know that I consider you...an ally." Sure, let's start again that way. "A trusted commander. And, if you will allow it, if I am allowed to even consider it, perhaps a friend." The word hangs in the air for a few breathless moments. "I would be a fool," he continues on with a renewed strength, "to dismiss that what I faced shook me in ways I dare not show anyone. To think that those I care for have gone through something similar, am I to just ignore that? I want to show my support, a solidarity, even if I don't know how."