[They hurt him in their own ways, all of the young that are struggling to come to terms with what the CDC expects of them. And if Garrus could take their burden on his shoulders, if he could murder in their place, he would. None of them have that luxury.
Once the doors close behind them, Garrus is turning and kneeling, bringing himself down to eye level with Red and putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.]
They will. They'll haunt you. But you won't be alone in being haunted. We'll all carry the weight together.
[No, it wouldn't hit everyone this hard, and some wouldn't be effected at all. But it's better to say 'all' than 'most' or even 'some.' Red doesn't need precision, doesn't need names. He needs comfort. Knowing that the burden isn't all on his shoulders seems like it would be comforting.]
And one day, maybe, we'll be strong enough to protect everyone we want to protect.
[Garrus is proud of Red, though. Proud of the way the boy's changed his tune since their walk in the woods, proud of how he's grasped what this place is going to require of them. He's not trying to hide from it. He's seeing its cost, its reality, and bracing to take that on.]
I'll be with you. Every step of the way, as long as I have any say in the matter. We'll take it a step at a time, but we'll take those steps.
[A gesture has the different CDC-issued guns appear on racks, ready to be picked from. Garrus will let Red choose which one he'd chosen before, and he'll take the same one for ease of teaching.]
no subject
Once the doors close behind them, Garrus is turning and kneeling, bringing himself down to eye level with Red and putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.]
They will. They'll haunt you. But you won't be alone in being haunted. We'll all carry the weight together.
[No, it wouldn't hit everyone this hard, and some wouldn't be effected at all. But it's better to say 'all' than 'most' or even 'some.' Red doesn't need precision, doesn't need names. He needs comfort. Knowing that the burden isn't all on his shoulders seems like it would be comforting.]
And one day, maybe, we'll be strong enough to protect everyone we want to protect.
[Garrus is proud of Red, though. Proud of the way the boy's changed his tune since their walk in the woods, proud of how he's grasped what this place is going to require of them. He's not trying to hide from it. He's seeing its cost, its reality, and bracing to take that on.]
I'll be with you. Every step of the way, as long as I have any say in the matter. We'll take it a step at a time, but we'll take those steps.
[A gesture has the different CDC-issued guns appear on racks, ready to be picked from. Garrus will let Red choose which one he'd chosen before, and he'll take the same one for ease of teaching.]
I'm glad you're here, Red.