It's so horrendously bleak. Lazarus doesn't know how to move forward, even with Nathan's valiant help and Micah's admirable patience and understanding. It's more than he could have asked or hoped for, and tragically, he suspects that it will not be enough.

Still, he is working earnestly toward respecting the choices of those he takes under his wing from a former life. Nathan drew the line when he meddled too much, and though it had been initially shocking, he's grown to appreciate that he had stepped forward and stated his preference. If Micah wants to know, he has to trust Micah, foremost, to know what he wants.

"I think that L was the first," he says, trying to continue where Nathan left off. "At least, the first of note. He was very precocious and was something like a savant for solving cases. The effort was to recreate that perfect storm, and I think it broke a lot of children. It didn't leave L whole, either, but... to him, and even them, perhaps it was simply normal. Anyway... this orphanage was competitive and L was supposed to choose a child to take his place before his death, but he never got that chance. A particular investigation claimed his life as well as the life of the orphanage's founder. He went by 'Watari.'"

He pauses, on the same lookout for echoes as Nathan.