Looking In
It wasn't just the sobs that made his heart wrench.
No, it was more that fact that he couldn't step through the doorway to comfort the one crying. He could only lean against the wall just outside, and hope it stopped soon, before his self control gave out, and he burst into the room.
Fortunately, this didn't happen all that often, so he had plenty of time to mentally prepare himself for the emotions that would assuage him even from all the way across the building. This was especially useful for when the emotional breakdown just so happened to occur when he was somewhere public. It never helped your reputation to collapse to your knees in the middle of the mess hall, he knew that from experience.
He sighed, fighting every instinct he had, all of them telling him to just step across the threshold and be there when he was needed. Unfortunately, he didn't quite trust himself, and besides, it really wasn't his place.
He listened silently, clenching his fists to keep himself from covering his ears when he heard a soothing female voice trying to stop the frantic tears. Even as the first tinges of disgust seeped into his mind from the room, he was blocking the emotions out, not quite desperate enough yet to believe what he was feeling. As the sobs continued, he could feel his own eyes welling up.
But what was really awful was how much of an effect a few tears could have on him.
Well, that, and that it was Leena Fujimura that was the one in there comforting the angsting pilot instead of him.