Neal snorts. "I wonder if that doesn't come from the expectation that you're not going to do anything, or that they'll never get to know if you did. Seems as though it's been like that long enough here that even if you're being honest, they might think you're just trying to put them off."

He sighs. "Which doesn't make it more tolerable. But maybe more understandable."

...Christ who is he, sitting here trying to sympathize with people who would be annoying the hell out of him if he was in Malcolm's shoes. Neal shakes his head.

"...I think I know why I graduated when I did. I thought--I assumed--it was about trust, but I don't think that was it. Or it wasn't just that."