[ The moment he picks up a sword—a familiar weight to the Doctor, from long ago, and yet he's been so far removed from weaponry of any kind now—it appalls the Doctor enough to speak above the paladin's thoughts. He can hear Vanessa struggling in her efforts to reach him, and he loathes that, too. She shouldn't be mixed up in any of this at all, not for his sake. ]

Failure. They were all lost, everyone I loved.

[ The Doctor's softer voice rises above now, as he holds the sword and stands against a wall close to a doorway. He'd taken a winding path from the Gut's Bind, a few shortcuts, pushing through the crowd at The Crossing, to end up here. ]

I hurt you, I'm sorry. Don't come for me, Vanessa, please. I can speak with him, reason with him. Just stay where you are.