[He's quiet while she talks, still not looking at her, but just a little bit of tension fades. Her point gets across clear enough even without her additional explanation, and he can't really argue; it's not like she's wrong.

But that's part of the problem in itself. He's so past stressed and upset that he isn't feeling anything in the way he should be, and when something adds to it, it just makes it even worse. He can't deal with any one part of what's happened and what's still happening, let alone all of it, and he's afraid that if he starts on even one thing he won't be able to stop it.

And that's really where his hesitance--beyond even just his normal desire to keep things to himself--comes in, and he tries to put at least that into words.]

I can't just step back and do nothing while people need help. I can't... I can't be aware of a problem that's happening right now and then choose not to do something about it, but there's just too much to do, and every time I try to accomplish even one thing, something always goes wrong.

[It's so exhausting and discouraging, because he just wants to help people, and not only can he not manage that but it seems to be so often that his intentions are taken to be something they aren't. And then, to add to it all--]

And if I bring something up, because I'm not able to do it alone, the first question I'm asked is why I haven't done anything to fix it myself.