Despite how he was feeling, Alec still managed a faint smile at the offered hand and took it without hesitation. "This latest? I'm still trying to get my head around. It's about a billion times harder with a hangover. Justin hasn't been mentally stable but he's been conscious of it and managed well clinically. After such a horrible ordeal, no one would expect him to be stable. His ups and downs haven't been extreme, though, and he's been asking for me a lot, even if he didn't always engage once I got there. For Jus, not engaging is a symptom so I could still monitor his progress. A lot of it was related to Mark's relapse with booze and Sash not waking, then not being himself once he was awake. If you factor that in, Jus has actually done really, really well, all things considered. But Mark... fuck, he's not dealt well with hearing Sammy has cancer and, well, he overdosed on some prescription meds, which led to him ultimately being diagnosed with Bipolar II after an emergency psych assessment. It's been on my radar for a little while, that maybe we were dealing with something more than cyclothymia with him but it all came to a head when Sammy was sick. But it means Mark has been fractured emotionally himself and Justin hasn't coped well Mark drinking again. Justin always blames himself. It's been hard with the people I love hurting so much. And lonely. Everyone's dealing with so much and even though we've all be on-hand to help and doing what we can, we've been like ships passing in the night. The night out with my RAAF mates, I wasn't going to go. Mark told me to, to chill out for a bit. I know even if I was there, this still would've happened. It's easy to fear Mark might've had a drink but I know my brother, and I know how he both parents his kids but also how his addiction exhibits because of them. If he knew he had to be there for Jus getting up from the wheelchair for the first time, there's no way he would've drunk, not even if he had cravings. He knows his relationship with his son is fragile even at the best of times. I just wish there was more I could do. Panadol would be good, babe. Any shot had feeling something that resembles human again." He squeeze Kade's hand. "I always needed you. That was never it. Not even remotely. My feelings for you have never changed. Other shit just took my eye off the ball."