So Safe

Serenica was properly weirded out by this outburst. It was very much unlike her friend to voice things like this. He always appeared to have iron confidence in everything he did.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He sighed. "I wanted to die because of people who do not matter. No one but the boys, her and you and maybe Ed – well, no one else matters. And I was foolish for so long, now I do not know if I even have that many years left."

"Don't speak like that," Serenica said quietly, even though she was drunk and she wanted to scream. "You are only human. Those things leave scars. What happened to your family -"

"Was tragic, but not my fault, and still I took it as my mission to avenge the deaths – on myself. When I had a lovely wife and a wonderful crew, and every last man would have died for me. Some people have died for me, you know. And I still didn't see my own value. Don't ever be like me. Never forget your innate worth."