For Mark the ability to withstand pain had always been his biggest strength, whether an emotional or a physical blow he knew he could endure it for as long as he keeps sight of his goal.

Though of course it becomes a problem every time one of the people close to him succumbs to it, he watched his father battle out the stress the economic regression brought to their company and though he succeeded in the end it left a huge toll on him, watched his brother suffer from drug addiction because of all the pressure inflicted on him and ultimately his best friend succumb into despair when she lost everything she held dear.

He watched her morph from a lively radiant girl who made even the darkest of days brighter to someone who radiated so much suffering people shied away from her.

Saw how hard she struggled to keep up with appearances when she knew people noticed but of course he saw through that, saw the tears constantly welling up her eyes upon mention of things connected to her past, saw how hard she struggled to put things back to normal but he knew that wouldn’t be easy.

After all, depression isn’t a weakness that you could simply snap out of.

And he hated himself because all he did was watch. He didn’t know how to comfort people or how to help lighten their burden, di