There's a flicker of shock as he's interrupted, but he barely feels Wilhelm's dirty nails dig into his skin as he takes hold of his arms. It's contact, for whatever that may be worth in this realm. It's a connection, where he's failing elsewhere -

Wilhelm says Erik and gone is the shock, replaced instead by what can only be interpreted as pity, even though it's fear and anger roiling beneath his chest.

"Look at yourself - you're dying with them! You can't help anyone if you can't see that!" he shouts back at him, frantic to gain some amount of purchase, some way to reach through whatever is clouding his mind. "Whoever is speaking to you, it's not your brother - please...!"