Caleb nods, and he makes his way out further into the shop. Tim's working on a multi-point inspection, so the car is lifted high enough to walk beneath it as he explores the different, surprisingly fine details of the car. His brow is furrowed, but when he sees Caleb, he gives him a nod and a smile.

"Hey, Kid," he greets.

"Hey," he answers. Don't jump right into it, Feelings Boy. Lead the conversation.

"What's up?" Tim asks. "Guerin send you out to get some extra training? Or you just bored of working on that rust trap he found for ya?"

Caleb huffs a laugh. "Nah, I just, um. Wanted to see how you were? You looked a little... I dunno, um." Shit.

"Ah," Tim says, saving him. "Yeah, well. That's how it goes when you're a grownup, Kid. There's always something on your mind."

"Do... you want to talk about it?" he asks. Tim smiles, and Caleb feels the gentle appreciation that blooms as a result of the question.

And, surprisingly, Tim does want to talk about it. He tells Caleb about his family, about the kids he just wants to raise up well, and the cancer his wife has been battling for years that finally seems to be in remission, and what would happen to him and his kids if she lost the battle. Caleb listens, and he feels the feelings Tim is offering him with every word. It's hard, but he does it, and he follows the threads of each emotion to the next, until he finds something that makes Tim happy, and he brings that up, slowly shifting his mood into something calmer, easier.

"I'd— I'd better get back to the car," he says once the conversation peters out. He feels hollowed out, and tries to reach out for Michael's red, tries to find that orange place again. "It was good talking to you, Tim."

"Hey, you too, Kid," Tim says. He gently claps Caleb on the shoulder and gets back to work on the car.

Caleb beats feet back to Michael's side and sags against the car. Jesus.