"Maybe that's the best any of us can do," he says softly. "We get used to shit." He does reach out then, catches the point of Neil's chin on the tips of his fingers and gently nudges his head up. Suddenly the unfairness of it is hitting him like a fucking train, not his own situation, but Neil's, and that he has to be here now and that it feels like Mike is only compounding the hurt and that there's absolutely nothing he can do to make it go away.

"Neil..." He's not even sure what he wants to say. Maybe an apology deeper and more complete than he's been able to articulate so far. Maybe something that might help. Whatever the fuck that would be.