She listens silently but attentively to his tale, through all its stops and starts, to the painful but inevitable conclusion. It's made more poignant by how disturbingly similar it is to her last moments with Caspar aboard her ship. He confessed the truth to her, too, when he was at the end of his tether.

At least she didn't have to hold his dying body in her arms. That would have been too much.

It's tempting to tell him that he has nothing to be sorry for, or even if he did, he's already paid his penance. But she's not sure if he'd believe her. If they were better friends, she'd offer him a hug. The most she dares is another gentle pat to his shoulder. "What happened to your friend? You said he was hurt, too?"