[ There's a long moment where Wash just meets her eyes quietly, not knowing what to say or do. He's tired of it, too, but mostly for Carolina's sake -- he can and should blame himself for things but feels like she's really gotten the brunt of it all and it's not fair. It's not. He's so sorry for it, but he can't fix it for her and that guts him. As always, Carolina is the one protecting him. Can't it be the other way around, just once?

He sighs, then leans forward and reaches up to grab the icepack off the edge of the sink and gives it a twist and shake to activate the cold. If she's not going to let him clean her other hand yet she can at least keep the swelling down. Even with her sleeves pulled down Wash can tell her knuckles are puffy and bruising. ]

I feel the same way. [ he finally says, trying to put it into words, ] But you seem to get blamed more than I do. Maybe because you were the leader, maybe because you were the best of us, I don't... I don't know, honestly. But I'm not going to let atonement kill you. Or let you kill yourself trying to atone.

We've left each other alone before, it didn't end well either time. I'm not leaving you ever again.