Does George need Lennie?

George really doesn't need Lennie, although he does love him and values his companionship. George has always been capable of hard work and making friends a long the way. In fact, George himself often notes how different his life would have been without Lennie. None-the-less, he did love him..... that's a fact, but he didn't need him.

I think that George needs lennie to keep sane. But i need some quotes for this. help us out mate.