Chapter 8 - Drag Her Away
"She stopped breathing without you."
"Oh, God. Oh, God."
"Stop it. You have no right. No right at all."
"I loved her."
"You loved her? You loved her? She was my blood. She was me, you killed me, you killed us both. How can you show your face to me? Were you there every time she needed help or support or comfort? She was born a minute after me, a minute. She couldn't ever be without me, ever. You took her away from me. You took her."
"I loved her, Polly. She loved me. I didn't take her. She wasn't yours for me to take."
"You took away my self."
"She took herself away Polly. She did. Not me. Never me." He took her in his arms. "Polly."
"She was never like you. She could never drag herself away. You know that. I should have tried harder. I should have made sure that she stayed away from you." T'Pol snarled at him.
Haynes sighed in irritated exasperation.
"For the love of God, Polly, stop this! She was your sister, oh yes. I have never met a more stubborn, wilful, temperamental female. She did this because she felt she had to, because she wanted to. Don't you see that?"
He looked into her eyes. "Polly, I am more sorry than I can ever say. I lost her too. I lost her without having had a chance to say sorry. Without having had a chance to explain and I needed you. I needed you after she died so much. You were the only thing I had of her, the only thing she left. And you wouldn't even look at me."
"I couldn't. I couldn't look at you" T'Pol freed herself from him and paced back, uncertainly.
"Look at me now. Look at me now." Haynes said quietly, barely breathing.
She looked up and Trip's heart stopped. Dead in its tracks. Her face was smeared with tears and yet she was as she had always been and always would be. Defiant and proud.
"Tell me." Haynes looked at her and looked at her, and Trip felt he couldn't breathe until she spoke again.
"I know. I know really." She said in a small, quiet voice. "I apologise. I know that this must have been difficult for you as well."
"More than you'll know. I loved you both so much. And then you were both gone." Haynes looked at her, wistfully and then pitched forward and scooped her up into his arms as they both broke down and cried. Cried for what they had lost and would never have again. Cried for all the days past, and the days that were to come and the day that they were in. Without her.
Trip saw all this and crept quietly out the room and down the hall until he eventually found himself at his own quarters. He sat down on his bed and didn't get up again for a long time.
"She stopped breathing without you."
"Oh, God. Oh, God."
"Stop it. You have no right. No right at all."
"I loved her."
"You loved her? You loved her? She was my blood. She was me, you killed me, you killed us both. How can you show your face to me? Were you there every time she needed help or support or comfort? She was born a minute after me, a minute. She couldn't ever be without me, ever. You took her away from me. You took her."
"I loved her, Polly. She loved me. I didn't take her. She wasn't yours for me to take."
"You took away my self."
"She took herself away Polly. She did. Not me. Never me." He took her in his arms. "Polly."
"She was never like you. She could never drag herself away. You know that. I should have tried harder. I should have made sure that she stayed away from you." T'Pol snarled at him.
Haynes sighed in irritated exasperation.
"For the love of God, Polly, stop this! She was your sister, oh yes. I have never met a more stubborn, wilful, temperamental female. She did this because she felt she had to, because she wanted to. Don't you see that?"
He looked into her eyes. "Polly, I am more sorry than I can ever say. I lost her too. I lost her without having had a chance to say sorry. Without having had a chance to explain and I needed you. I needed you after she died so much. You were the only thing I had of her, the only thing she left. And you wouldn't even look at me."
"I couldn't. I couldn't look at you" T'Pol freed herself from him and paced back, uncertainly.
"Look at me now. Look at me now." Haynes said quietly, barely breathing.
She looked up and Trip's heart stopped. Dead in its tracks. Her face was smeared with tears and yet she was as she had always been and always would be. Defiant and proud.
"Tell me." Haynes looked at her and looked at her, and Trip felt he couldn't breathe until she spoke again.
"I know. I know really." She said in a small, quiet voice. "I apologise. I know that this must have been difficult for you as well."
"More than you'll know. I loved you both so much. And then you were both gone." Haynes looked at her, wistfully and then pitched forward and scooped her up into his arms as they both broke down and cried. Cried for what they had lost and would never have again. Cried for all the days past, and the days that were to come and the day that they were in. Without her.
Trip saw all this and crept quietly out the room and down the hall until he eventually found himself at his own quarters. He sat down on his bed and didn't get up again for a long time.