Zach was leaning heavily against the door frame when the priest opened the door, and the next moment he was stumbling inside, supported by the taller man. His eyes flicked briefly over the assorted books littering the floor, but most of his attention was on the man leading him across it. 

"I... I'm sorry," he rasped, slightly exaggerating how difficult his ribs made it for him to talk. "I didn't know where else to go..." He winced as he sat down in the chair, hand coming up to clutch at his ribs. He could feel the priest turning his head this way and that to get a good look at the bruised littering his skin, and he made sure to gasp when a tender area was touched.

"There was... I was," he swallowed, as if he couldn't bring himself to say the words. "I did something wrong. I thought they were going to kill me and I didn't know where else to go," he choked up a little, voice breaking as he let tears spring to his eyes. "I heard that you are a good man, and I don't want to be... I didn't know where else to go," he repeated, softer this time.