"Are you ready for your treatment, River?"
She's a replacement, wide eyes (deer in the head lights) just like all the others, for Victor who is a broken doll and all that's left to do is to toss him away.
(it's the attic for him or becoming someone new, another staff member that has no choices of their own)
"Of course, Topher."
and just like the many other times (and with millions more to come) she said my name with that smile, the one I wanted to know better then all the rest of her.
But this one, who is busy sky rocketing to the top of the list (and not just because of that pretty face of hers) faster then Whiskey and all the others, is another Echo in the making but I won't be the one to turn her in, not this time.
(if I did that she'd hate me and I doubt I could handle that, she is after all in my eyes perfect)
Besides I can wait those three years (that came into play the moment pen hit paper), spending every day with her but only I'll be here, be whole, before she is herself once again.
And then she can turn me down face to face, and my words will be hidden until she can truly answer them back (rather then being to overly trusting) with her thoughts and words, because when does the geek ever get the girl?
(the geek that gives a hand making people empty and is broken himself, now isn't that a catch?)
-
Three Years Later:
"Thank you for all your hard work, Ms. Tam, and from this moment on you're one free bird."
The papers were all signed (T's dashed and I's dotted) and in a matter of seconds with a push of a button, the one they all want but can't have because one sheet of paper, and she was one hundred percent herself.
And I got to watch, it was just like the other times but this time it was way different (my eyes waiting to catch that smile), as her eyes finally came to life after years of being empty, and I got to see the beginning of the smile I wanted for myself since day one.
(the one that I see and it makes me a little less broken)
"I know this isn't a very good time to be asking this, you did just stop becoming a doll and all but...will you go out with me?"
I held my breath waiting for a girl smaller then me (but just like any other couple cripple me with one finger) to take the heart I was holding out to her, the one that Claire had stepped on with just a few words, and crush it with just one word.
(no, no, hell no to the little man who helped to ruin my life with the push of a button)
"Yes, but my scientist (and all your shiny buttons that make me a super-model, make me sane) I get to choose the time and place, okay?"
"Okay!"
(this was the time to do a little dance because the geek just got the girl)
In just a second, when the world decided the geek mattered, the he deserved to get the girl, instead of crushing my already broken heart she put it in her pocket for safe keeping and took my hand in hers.
"Oh, Mr. Brink, you're going to love Serenity but I doubt they'll like you a single bit, especially Jayne."
(yeah you can tell since the first thing he did was give me black eye for asking his girlfriend out, oh joy)