"L-Legoshi?" Your voice was extremely quiet as you entered the cold room.

"Melon shot him." Gouhin stated coldly. "Stole his gun and shot him when they were peacefully walking together. Now I won't defend why Legoshi thought it was a good idea to walk with someone he knew was a serial killer... But this is him now."

The amount of tubes coming off of the wolf were upsetting. "Is... is he going to die? Or, be a vegetable, or whatever..."

"It's not 'or whatever'." Gouhin gently corrected you. "What are you feeling?"

"Pain." Your voice shook. "I'm hurting for the way I treated Legoshi. And Louis. And for what my actions have caused..."

"First, it's certainly not entirely your actions. You didn't make Melon how he is. Second," He put a big paw on top of your head and you started to cry. "Pain is the only indiscriminate proof of life. If you feel it, then I know you're still here with us... Legoshi is already better. He's not in a coma any long, he's merely unconscious. It's up to his body to tell him when to wake up. I would let you stay longer... but you have one more set of people to meet. We have some time before that however, and I'd like you to reflect on why we're here."

It took a few minutes before you could formulate a coherent response; all the while stroking Legoshi's soft arm fur.

"I did all the the things I intuitively wanted to, eventually, but I could have done them better, earlier, more happily if it weren't for my guilt. And in fact, I wouldn't have done any of those things if I really chose to believe everything I thought about myself and my circumstances. And none of that was anyone's fault but my own. I blamed my parents, my friends, my society, my upbringing, and everything else for a while for why I couldn't do certain things, like advocate for myself. Blaming was the easiest thing to do, required no action, and no introspection. I would then turn around and blame myself by deciding that I was bad at relationships and decisions and I deserved what I got anytime anything bad happened to me."

"They're paradoxical, those feelings. You believe the world is against you, and that you don't deserve to be in your position and then you turn around and look in the mirror, disrespect yourself, downplay your abilities, and rationalize that the walls around you exist because you're not worth more. This is just unchecked emotion, no action or introspection required. It's lazy. So why are we here?"

"So I can take responsibility for my actions?"

"No." Gouhin shook his head. "So you can see the difference between something that is your fault and something that is not."

"Oh." Your voice was small and wavering.

"Not dating Legoshi? Your fault. That kid is obsessed with you. And I don't know why, honestly." He chuckled. "Bullet in him from your kidnapper? Not your fault. You were not involved in the situation in the slightest. Name something that is your fault."

"I'm here in the hospital instead of with my parents."

"And why is that your fault?"

"Because I'm not healthy and I'm choosing not to be..." You muttered.

"Good. Name something that is not your fault."

"That you don't like me."

"I have no feelings about you." Gouhin laughed. "But yes, you're right. How others feel about you is not your fault. You can influence it, but not often change it. Alright, exercise over. Come with me."