I'm sorry -- I'm sorry, you said you didn't want to be the one taking care of me and I keep -- I can't keep it together around you. [ Akira raises his hands to his eyes again, but it doesn't really do any good; he realizes belatedly that he's already blinking too much to try to keep himself from crying, so he just chokes on a noise that's either a word or an apology or -- something, and then sucks in a shaky breath. ]

I'm sorry, I don't know why I can't -- [ Just fucking bounce back like he has every other time. Just keep going. Just do it. Just handle it. ]