[Rich has to think for a long, long time before he finally offers up his own response, his voice as gentle as he can make it.]

I can't help so much about the... being undead thing, but. I know what it's like to be given a bum deal when you're desperate enough to stay alive. If you need to talk about how that thing manipulated you, or need to deal with that part of the trauma...

[He shrugs his shoulders.]

I... I don't know. I'm figuring it out too, but I'll try to help.