Why was Wesley unable to let Dennis know the reason he wouldn't go Scott's funeral?

After Scott's funeral, Wesley reveals that he couldn't bring himself to attend because "he couldn't bear the thought…of seeing his lips shut, his hands idle, forever." Why was he unable to let Dennis know that that's why he wouldn't go?

Rift between them. A feeling of responsibility (gun), so close to the loss of Claire. Closeness with Scott, Wes is stoic and not exactly a stellar communicator. Maybe he felt he didn't need to explain especially to Dennis.

I wonder just how much of Wesley's tough man attitude was the result of his job as a prison guard.
He was a very closed man, didn't show his thoughts and feelings and didn't care to even try. I kept thinking while reading the book that he had to be a very lonely man. I think too, Dennis felt Wesley was abandoning Scott by not attending the funeral like he had been many years before.

I have never known someone who was a prison guard and had never thought about how they are trained. Of course they are taught to never show emotions, because that could be used by an inmate as their achilles heel. Wesley spent his life as a guard, not showing anger, fear, irritation, disgust, nervousness, and many other negative emotions. As well, he could only show pleasure, tenderness, or compassion in another setting. Is it no wonder that he was crippled emotionally?