[Cam's suffering hits home, more than Shepard would like to admit. It isn't just despair, it's guilt, and she remembers the days when she'd look in the mirror and see that scar, the never-ending reminder of all the people who died when she didn't.]

[She lets him talk, leaving her hand where it is and listening. When he leans into her, though, she abandons all pretense of quiet observation and pulls him into a fierce hug, not caring about the awkward angle. Her chest feels tight, and when she exhales, it's a little bit shaky.]

You needed help, Cam, you can't fight something like that on your own, you can't, it wasn't your fault, kid. You were trying as hard as you could.

[She feels a flash of anger, because why didn't somebody notice, why didn't somebody come and get him when he was sliding into that dark place. She pulls him tighter to her, as though she could protect him from this that easily. It's never that easy.]

They let you down, Cam, they put your hockey ahead of your mental health.