[another water bottle. palamedes, you are a saint. vi owes you big time. she will take that water, uncap it and down it goes. not all, just half. deep breath. still tired, but this is better.]

That sounds like it would be weird. Hard. I ...was a small time leader when I was a kid. It was a long time ago, but I think I kind of get it.

Small time, but big responsibility. Were they your family? [and to maybe make the question less invasive, less painful, even, she will offer something up, too.] Mine were.