User blog comment:Suparockr/List of Plotholes throughout the series/@comment-166.82.245.89-20120719070005/@comment-2249774-20120723212941

There's a lot of psychological b.s. I could state here, but much of it's already been said. Ignoring the indoctrination theory for the moment, I would say that another option is that Shepard has been ignoring all their feelings and loss for so long and that kid was sort of the "last" straw. The personification of loss, not being able to save people. S/he saw that kid die as they "ran" away from Earth. I would assume since we hear all those voices and whatnot that kid is supposed to personify everyone who Shepard has ever lost.