[Nick pulls him closer, attempts to comfort him, and he tries to listen through most of it. It might even have calmed him down, if he were either a little more sober or a little less upset.

Instead, at some point around the end of that speech, something just gives inside and he wrenches away from his friend, though his balance being shot to hell means he falls on his ass nearly immediately. And then punches the sidewalk--once, twice. It's rather a miracle he manages not to break his wrist, honestly.]

...It changes everything, Nick. Everything!!

[He hugs his knees to his chest a moment, and when he looks up, his face is wet.]

Back'n April...when that guy...when Jack...when we 'ere lookin' for 'im...I thought. I wondered...wha' kinda monster'd just--just kill a whole fam'ly with kids. I, I thought...tha' kinda guy oughta, oughta get locked up'n never see th'lighta day again....

But it wasn'....he didn' do anything. They did it, an' they framed 'im 'cause he got in their way. How many....how many'a the guys we put away....didn' do 'nything? He--he's the chief'f police. They coulda made all sortsa fake ev'dence for people they wan'ed t'get rid'f. Coulda bribed witnesses, n'everything.

[He falls silent, then, staring at the dirt and grime of the pavement as if it held all the answers to the universe.]

...What'f s'all been a lie?

[A deep, shuddering breath.]

What, what if e-everything we've ever stood for's...only, ever, been a lie?