[ she watches for his reaction -- nodding through it, too. until peggy offers scant additional details: ] He's not much willing to open up about it to anyone, really. But he's been here nearly as long as I have. Progress has been made. Slow; agonizing. I'd have warned you anyway on your first visit to the Starstruck. He sticks to the shuttle bay and if a fresh face startles him? Well, he's lashed out before.

[ she's circumspect in her explanation. that said, her tone isn't without affection. max is dear to her, in his own way. he'd been little more than feral when he'd arrived; since then, she's seen him take such leaps and bounds.

more importantly, however, peggy gets what she's been fishing for: sam's angle in all of this. friendship, certainly, but there's a professional edge to the inquiry. ]

What sort of help?

[ she needs it justified, perhaps, before she'll go on the record about steve. ]