Brogan felt a wave of emotions though he didn’t realize it was Ross doing it to him. He already had a reaction to Ross breaking down in front of him. He didn’t want to see the man in pain, though a part of him knew it was good for Ross to just get it all out, Brogan didn’t want him to be so hurt by all of this. Brogan suddenly realized that he was fighting back tears himself. He would not cry. He couldn’t cry. Because his job was not to be someone who cried alongside him, becoming a mess of emotions as well but rather a person who was suppose to help him wade through all of these emotions, make it out to the other side a better man. Or at least more complete.
“I know what it’s like to have regrets. But Ross, your life does not end here. You did not make some horrible decision by not trying to prevent it because you couldn’t. It isn’t something that you can change, as hard as it sounds, you’re going to have to learn to accept it.” And then move on. But first step was getting him to not sob every time he thought about his family. Which definitely would not happen over night.
Brogan patted him on the back which might have crossed some patient doctor boundaries in private practices or whatever, but at the SOMI, you couldn’t really work there without having to touch the patients at some point. Though it was usually in restraint and not comforting.