Apparently I'm sorry had been the wrong thing to say too, if Gallivan's reaction was anything to judge by. He'd completely crumbled, and Ford panicked. He knew Gallivan hadn't been doing well during this conversation, but he didn't know him well enough to have anticipated this, and he didn't know what to do next. He had an urge to put his hand on the other man's shoulder or otherwise offer some gesture of comfort, but they didn't know each other well enough for that. At the start of this conversation Ford hadn't even been entirely confident where he recognized the face from, so they were a long way off from Ford serving as a literal shoulder to cry on. Or they ought to have been — with Gallivan on the ground and his head in his hands it almost seemed like a possibility. If that was how this all ended, Ford wasn't sure he'd even have it in him to be surprised.
Ford took a breath and looked around. It was still just as deserted as it had been when he'd arrived out here, with no sign that would change any time soon. Gingerly, he lowered himself to sit down on the ground and leaned back on his hands, still a few feet away from Gallivan but now back on the same level.
"I, uhm. I know what that's like," he admitted with a pained look. He didn't want to go into any details (except so far as necessary to make it clear he and Cash had never been together) but he thought it was important that Gallivan have at least some bit of information to believe him sincere, rather than merely offering empty platitudes about things he knew nothing about in practice. And sincerity was necessary if he was going to get Gallivan up off the ground, which he had now committed to — of course Ford couldn't just leave him here.
"Do you have anyone else you can talk to about it?" he asked with a frown. "That helps, even if you have to leave out all the specifics."
Ford took a breath and looked around. It was still just as deserted as it had been when he'd arrived out here, with no sign that would change any time soon. Gingerly, he lowered himself to sit down on the ground and leaned back on his hands, still a few feet away from Gallivan but now back on the same level.
"I, uhm. I know what that's like," he admitted with a pained look. He didn't want to go into any details (except so far as necessary to make it clear he and Cash had never been together) but he thought it was important that Gallivan have at least some bit of information to believe him sincere, rather than merely offering empty platitudes about things he knew nothing about in practice. And sincerity was necessary if he was going to get Gallivan up off the ground, which he had now committed to — of course Ford couldn't just leave him here.
"Do you have anyone else you can talk to about it?" he asked with a frown. "That helps, even if you have to leave out all the specifics."
Set by Lady!