Madness
(part five)
"Susan...I don't want to do this."
"What?"
Susan and Roger were sitting in the Library. Thay had been there all day, searching for the spell that would end it all. Roger had been trying to think of how he would tell her that he didn't want her to end this pregnancy for some time now. After all, don't I have a say in this, too? he had thought earlier. He finally worked up the courage to tell her.
She stared at him from across the small table that stood by the window. It was dark outside, and the torches on the wall threw her face into shadow. He couldn't see her expression, but she sounded shocked.
"What?" she asked again, roughly pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you realize what you're saying, Roger? What else do you want me to do?" Her voice was a harsh whisper, and he winced at the sharpness of her words. Why was she treating him like a child? He was beginning to get angry.
"You heard me, Susan. Stop treating me like this is all my fault! I'm just saying that there has to be another way! Adoption...a spell...or something that isn't so drastic...I mean..."
Susan interrupted him with a hiss. "There is NO other way...can't you understand?" Her voice trembled as she said the last bit, and her eyes filled with sorrow.
Roger felt his anger fading, and this time he spoke softly to her.
"Susan...just listen to me for once, okay? Just please...let me try to find another way. Let me look, or think of something. Just please. Don't shut me out, Susan."
He saw tears well up in her eyes. "It's just that I'm so scared, Roger. I just want to do something, you know?"
He knew.
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I know, Susan. I'm here, too. It's me in this, too, remember? You don't have to go through this alone. Let's come back here tomorrow and try to find some other way. Any other way...please?"
She looked at him, and he could see the relief in her eyes.
"Okay, Roger. We'll do it your way."
They smiled tearfully at each other.
"Susan...I don't want to do this."
"What?"
Susan and Roger were sitting in the Library. Thay had been there all day, searching for the spell that would end it all. Roger had been trying to think of how he would tell her that he didn't want her to end this pregnancy for some time now. After all, don't I have a say in this, too? he had thought earlier. He finally worked up the courage to tell her.
She stared at him from across the small table that stood by the window. It was dark outside, and the torches on the wall threw her face into shadow. He couldn't see her expression, but she sounded shocked.
"What?" she asked again, roughly pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you realize what you're saying, Roger? What else do you want me to do?" Her voice was a harsh whisper, and he winced at the sharpness of her words. Why was she treating him like a child? He was beginning to get angry.
"You heard me, Susan. Stop treating me like this is all my fault! I'm just saying that there has to be another way! Adoption...a spell...or something that isn't so drastic...I mean..."
Susan interrupted him with a hiss. "There is NO other way...can't you understand?" Her voice trembled as she said the last bit, and her eyes filled with sorrow.
Roger felt his anger fading, and this time he spoke softly to her.
"Susan...just listen to me for once, okay? Just please...let me try to find another way. Let me look, or think of something. Just please. Don't shut me out, Susan."
He saw tears well up in her eyes. "It's just that I'm so scared, Roger. I just want to do something, you know?"
He knew.
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I know, Susan. I'm here, too. It's me in this, too, remember? You don't have to go through this alone. Let's come back here tomorrow and try to find some other way. Any other way...please?"
She looked at him, and he could see the relief in her eyes.
"Okay, Roger. We'll do it your way."
They smiled tearfully at each other.