Perhaps it isn't about being gentle, but about getting his attention. He's like a wounded animal. He's so distressed that he can't understand that he is being helped.

[Granted, it might be that they wouldn't have a chance to try a better approach with every room being empty. Though William did get the feeling of a presence here, much like that feeling when you knew there were other people in the house. Only these people were dead.]

Maybe he's done for the night. I mean there's a reason we're here at night and not during the day.

[There's a creek, but William ignores it, hoping it's just an old building settling on it's foundation. It sure as hell better be.]