Sergeant Parker enters the SRU gym, ready to do some last minute training before the inevitable hot call. His eyes scan the room and he notices that two members of his team aren't present.

"They went to the gun cage, just in case we have that hot call soon," Ed says, referring to Sam and Jules. With his eyes, Ed let the Sarge know that there was nothing going on between the two young constables. Greg wasn't too sure, but that conversation would have to be placed on hold until the shift was done. He was still thinking about the confusing 911 call as he told himself to get on his stationary bike and clear his mind before the usual, unavoidable call. He notices how well his team operates, how they always look out for each other, and thinks about how a majority of their hot calls recently have been situations in which the subjects involved lacked that kind of support, that unity, and how raw the world can be when one is alone. Greg continues his exercises with his team, his pedaling feet matching his rotating thoughts.

25 minutes earlier...

Sebastian's feet slowed to a stop and he allowed himself to find a tree stump to rest on. Zack sat down next to him seconds later. Zack reached over and gently pried the gun out of his friend's hand. Nobody spoke for a long minute.
"You know I'm always gonna be here for you, no matter what," Zack said softly. "And I know you think that I'm just saying that, but I really mean it."
"I'm not worth your time and energy," Seb responded angrily and defeated. "I know you're here, but you shouldn't be. I shouldn't be here," he said as he turned his face away from Zack and rested his eyes on the pistol that lay a couple feet away. Zack gathered his thoughts before he spoke again. Man, I hope I can get this right, please god let me get through to Sebastian, I have one shot at this and if I can't get through-

"Seb," Zack started slowly, making sure he was making eye contact with his friend, "I know you probably think that I shouldn't be talking-"
"So don't," Sebastian interrupted.
"-and I'm not here to give you the cliche 'you have so much to live for' speech-"
"Because I don't," Sebastian mumbled as his friend continued talking.
"-so I'm going to talk to you from my heart. I know I haven't been the best friend, or even a very good friend, and I'm sorry." Zack took a deep breath before he continued as he made sure his friend was listening. "You like to think that when you're gone, things will be better. That when you're gone, everyone will suddenly remember all the good things and say to themselves 'how did we let this happen?' The reality is that if that does happen, and I hope to god it doesn't, memories fade away. People fade away. When you're gone, the memory of you goes as well. It's kinda like what happens when you go on holiday, you go camping and don't have your cell phone with you, but I still know that I can call you when the holiday's over, but if you were to go on permanent holiday I wouldn't be able to call you, ever. In life, you know the possibilities, the options that are there, that life can change, for better or worse, and I know that's not completely reassuring..." Zack trailed off. Sebastian had calmed down considerably, he hadn't interjected any more comments into his friend's speech, but both guys were nervous.

He's seriously talking to me right now, giving me the same goddamned speech I give to myself everyday, the same fucking speech that makes me so angry and guilty and as he thought, Sebastian began to clench his hands into fists, digging his fingernails into his palms as he tried to reason with himself and with Zack. Zack rested his right hand over his friend's left in an attempt to mollify Seb's anger.
"What do normal people do?" Sebastian asked before Zack had a chance to continue.
"What do you mean?" Zack replied, confused by the question.
"Do normal people ever feel like shit? What do they do when they get so..." Seb paused, searching for the right word, "...frustrated with life, with themselves?" Sebastian muttered the question under his breath, more to himself than to his friend.
"You know how I feel about normal," Zack started.
"There's no such thing," the two friends finished.
"But seriously, I guess everyone has their own way of dealing with things in life."
"Yeah, I seem to be doing a great job coping with the world," came the snarled, sarcastic reply. "Man, I'm fucking awesome." Zack's confidence in his ability to help his friend started to diminish and he became worried that Sebastian would snap.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that yes, there have been times and there will be times when life gets you down, when you feel so alone and confused, I'm not trying to deny that. I'm trying to say that there will be silver linings, there will be good times. Even when you feel like you can't seem to find anything good, even when you feel so broken, just know that-"
Police sirens cut through whatever words Zack wanted to say. The look Sebastian gave him was something he'd always remember.
"You fucking liar! You sold me out!" Sebastian raged as he stood up to retrieve Matthew's gun from the other side of the tree. "How could you do this to me?!"