Chapter 3
The cupboards were bare, just like the ancient earth nursery rhyme.
T'Pol turned around, finding Jonathan staring past her at the empty shelves.
"I take it we need to go buy food."
She raised her brow. "Indeed. I was supposed to go to the market this morning, but it seems I forgot."
Taking a step towards her, he laughed slightly, "I thought that was my job."
At her questioning expression, he continued, "The forgetting part, not the going to the market."
She nodded in understanding then turned around to the counter. She picked up a large basket and turned back to him. "Would you like to accompany me to the market?"
"Of course, after you," he bowed slightly, raising his hand gesturing for him to precede him out the door once again.
A smile lit up her eyes, not gracing her lips. "That of course, would be the logical course of action, seeing as how you don't know where the market is."
"Ah, my dear T'Pol. Always thinking logically." He grinned.
"That is the only way to think, is it not?"
"Touché."
The walk to the market didn't take as long as the walk to the school.
In fact, it seemed to be right around the corner. It wasn't at all the type of market that Jonathan had been expecting. The market was located on a long street, scratch that, it was the street. Small carts filled with merchandise littered the sidewalks, and peddlers walked around carrying baskets in their arms. It reminded Archer of the pictures he saw of old Earth, back in the medieval times. The only difference was the actual merchandise. It was mostly modern appliances and such. They walked through a crowd of people surrounding a cart, and made their way to the opposite end of the market.
As they neared, Jonathan smelled delicious aromas. Vegetables filled carts, and meats hung on the sides of others. An actual bakery was at the very end, the door opened and the scents wafting out at them. T'Pol moved to one cart piled with green leafy vegetables and started sifting through them, looking for the freshest. She put a few bundles in her basket and moved on to the next cart.
Jonathan stood in the middle of the street looking at all the different foods and people. Most nodded their hellos as they passed, and he reciprocated, even though he couldn't place their faces or names. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality and he turned around.
T'Pol stood, the basket overflowing with greens, carrots and tomatoes, and some vegetables he didn't recognize.
"Would you like to pick out the type of meat you want? Usually you get chicken and steak, however I always let you choose."
He followed her to a meat cart, and watched as her nostrils flared slightly at the smell. He had to admit, the smell wasn't the most pleasant smell, even to him, and it had to be worse due to her heightened sense of smell.
"Why don't you let me pick out the meat while you go to the bakery and get the bread and stuff, okay?" He asked, moving her away from the meat cart.
She blinked a silent thank-you and made her way through the crowd to the bakery. He watched her go, disappear behind the crowd and suddenly felt a constriction around his heart. Almost as if he missed her, but he knew he would see her again. Shaking off the feeling he went back to the meat cart. After finding out that he had a tab with the meat man, Jonathan walked away carrying a brand new wrapped turkey and slab of steak.
As he was walking towards the bakery, he stopped as he saw T'Pol walk out. His breath left him as he once again realized how beautiful she really was. The sunlight beamed down upon her, casting her in an ethereal glow, like an angel. Her hair curled slightly around her tipped ears, and her top snugly fit to her frame. The wind blew slightly causing her hair to billow around her face. How had he lived with her for so long and not remembered it? It was a misfortune, heartbreak.
She caught sight of him and made her way through the crowd back to him.
Once she was at his side, he smiled down at her. "I missed you," he blurted.
She seemed taken aback for a moment and then raised a brow. "I was gone for less than 5 minutes."
"I know, but it was the longest 5 minutes of my life."
She averted her eyes and swallowed, then began walking. He ran to catch up with her. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"You didn't." She said.
They rounded the corner to head back to the house. Jonathan decided it was best to change the subject.
"So, who was that little girl? Madeline, was it?"
T'Pol looked up at him and took a breath. "She was the first child to be born here on this planet."
"You seem awfully close to her."
"Her mother and I are…friends. I delivered Madeline."
Jonathan stopped walking, his jaw dropping slightly. "You delivered her?"
T'Pol stopped and turned back to him. "Yes. Gabrielle, her mother, went into early labor, and there were no doctors around. No one else had any experience, and even though I had never birthed a child, I offered assistance. It didn't take very long for her to give birth. I suppose that the child and I have a certain bond."
"I would say so. That's amazing T'Pol. I never would have guessed that." At her downward gaze, he quieted. "How many times have you told me that story?"
"I stopped counting at 315."
He took a deep breath and shook his head in frustration. "I hate this, T'Pol!"
"I understand. I don't exactly enjoy it either, Jonathan." She blinked and drew her lips into a thin line, then turned and continued on to their house.
The rest of the journey was made in silence. As they entered the house, Porthos jumped up and wagged his tail at them. T'Pol reached into the basket and pulled out a small bone. Leaning down she placed it in the pup's mouth and Porthos darted off with his bounty.
"I always get him a treat."
Jonathan nodded silently, and moved to help her put the groceries away.
He pulled out a bundle of greens and asked, "Where do these go?"
"In the top cupboard in the cooling unit."
They moved in unison, placing the groceries in their respective places, Jonathan asking where to put things, T'Pol answering.
Once the groceries were put away, T'Pol sat down at the table, her head resting in her hand, her gaze faraway. Jonathan watched her for a moment. She looked incredibly weary, more so than ever. His heart went out to her. This had to be harder on her than it was on him. He had an unshakable feeling that there was quite a bit more to the story of his past than she had told him, and he stood firm in his decision to give her the day off. He didn't need to know, since in a few more hours he would just forget once more. Silently he swore to himself. It just wasn't right, it wasn't fair. Here he was, living with a beautiful, intelligent woman, a woman he had been attracted to since he met her, and he couldn't remember any of it. Life really was playing a cruel joke on him. Tears burned at his eyes and he squeezed them closed. He hated the hand he had been dealt. He hated the hand T'Pol had been dealt. She could have had such a wonderful life; she could have been so much greater than she was now, now that she had stayed with him. Why? Why had she done that? She had given up everything to stay with him. He turned to find her staring at him, and he was moved at the emotions swimming in her eyes, as if she knew what he was thinking.
"Why?" he croaked.
"I had my reasons." She stood and moved to the opposite end of the room, sitting down on the sofa. Looking back at him, she continued, "I still do."
The cupboards were bare, just like the ancient earth nursery rhyme.
T'Pol turned around, finding Jonathan staring past her at the empty shelves.
"I take it we need to go buy food."
She raised her brow. "Indeed. I was supposed to go to the market this morning, but it seems I forgot."
Taking a step towards her, he laughed slightly, "I thought that was my job."
At her questioning expression, he continued, "The forgetting part, not the going to the market."
She nodded in understanding then turned around to the counter. She picked up a large basket and turned back to him. "Would you like to accompany me to the market?"
"Of course, after you," he bowed slightly, raising his hand gesturing for him to precede him out the door once again.
A smile lit up her eyes, not gracing her lips. "That of course, would be the logical course of action, seeing as how you don't know where the market is."
"Ah, my dear T'Pol. Always thinking logically." He grinned.
"That is the only way to think, is it not?"
"Touché."
The walk to the market didn't take as long as the walk to the school.
In fact, it seemed to be right around the corner. It wasn't at all the type of market that Jonathan had been expecting. The market was located on a long street, scratch that, it was the street. Small carts filled with merchandise littered the sidewalks, and peddlers walked around carrying baskets in their arms. It reminded Archer of the pictures he saw of old Earth, back in the medieval times. The only difference was the actual merchandise. It was mostly modern appliances and such. They walked through a crowd of people surrounding a cart, and made their way to the opposite end of the market.
As they neared, Jonathan smelled delicious aromas. Vegetables filled carts, and meats hung on the sides of others. An actual bakery was at the very end, the door opened and the scents wafting out at them. T'Pol moved to one cart piled with green leafy vegetables and started sifting through them, looking for the freshest. She put a few bundles in her basket and moved on to the next cart.
Jonathan stood in the middle of the street looking at all the different foods and people. Most nodded their hellos as they passed, and he reciprocated, even though he couldn't place their faces or names. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality and he turned around.
T'Pol stood, the basket overflowing with greens, carrots and tomatoes, and some vegetables he didn't recognize.
"Would you like to pick out the type of meat you want? Usually you get chicken and steak, however I always let you choose."
He followed her to a meat cart, and watched as her nostrils flared slightly at the smell. He had to admit, the smell wasn't the most pleasant smell, even to him, and it had to be worse due to her heightened sense of smell.
"Why don't you let me pick out the meat while you go to the bakery and get the bread and stuff, okay?" He asked, moving her away from the meat cart.
She blinked a silent thank-you and made her way through the crowd to the bakery. He watched her go, disappear behind the crowd and suddenly felt a constriction around his heart. Almost as if he missed her, but he knew he would see her again. Shaking off the feeling he went back to the meat cart. After finding out that he had a tab with the meat man, Jonathan walked away carrying a brand new wrapped turkey and slab of steak.
As he was walking towards the bakery, he stopped as he saw T'Pol walk out. His breath left him as he once again realized how beautiful she really was. The sunlight beamed down upon her, casting her in an ethereal glow, like an angel. Her hair curled slightly around her tipped ears, and her top snugly fit to her frame. The wind blew slightly causing her hair to billow around her face. How had he lived with her for so long and not remembered it? It was a misfortune, heartbreak.
She caught sight of him and made her way through the crowd back to him.
Once she was at his side, he smiled down at her. "I missed you," he blurted.
She seemed taken aback for a moment and then raised a brow. "I was gone for less than 5 minutes."
"I know, but it was the longest 5 minutes of my life."
She averted her eyes and swallowed, then began walking. He ran to catch up with her. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"You didn't." She said.
They rounded the corner to head back to the house. Jonathan decided it was best to change the subject.
"So, who was that little girl? Madeline, was it?"
T'Pol looked up at him and took a breath. "She was the first child to be born here on this planet."
"You seem awfully close to her."
"Her mother and I are…friends. I delivered Madeline."
Jonathan stopped walking, his jaw dropping slightly. "You delivered her?"
T'Pol stopped and turned back to him. "Yes. Gabrielle, her mother, went into early labor, and there were no doctors around. No one else had any experience, and even though I had never birthed a child, I offered assistance. It didn't take very long for her to give birth. I suppose that the child and I have a certain bond."
"I would say so. That's amazing T'Pol. I never would have guessed that." At her downward gaze, he quieted. "How many times have you told me that story?"
"I stopped counting at 315."
He took a deep breath and shook his head in frustration. "I hate this, T'Pol!"
"I understand. I don't exactly enjoy it either, Jonathan." She blinked and drew her lips into a thin line, then turned and continued on to their house.
The rest of the journey was made in silence. As they entered the house, Porthos jumped up and wagged his tail at them. T'Pol reached into the basket and pulled out a small bone. Leaning down she placed it in the pup's mouth and Porthos darted off with his bounty.
"I always get him a treat."
Jonathan nodded silently, and moved to help her put the groceries away.
He pulled out a bundle of greens and asked, "Where do these go?"
"In the top cupboard in the cooling unit."
They moved in unison, placing the groceries in their respective places, Jonathan asking where to put things, T'Pol answering.
Once the groceries were put away, T'Pol sat down at the table, her head resting in her hand, her gaze faraway. Jonathan watched her for a moment. She looked incredibly weary, more so than ever. His heart went out to her. This had to be harder on her than it was on him. He had an unshakable feeling that there was quite a bit more to the story of his past than she had told him, and he stood firm in his decision to give her the day off. He didn't need to know, since in a few more hours he would just forget once more. Silently he swore to himself. It just wasn't right, it wasn't fair. Here he was, living with a beautiful, intelligent woman, a woman he had been attracted to since he met her, and he couldn't remember any of it. Life really was playing a cruel joke on him. Tears burned at his eyes and he squeezed them closed. He hated the hand he had been dealt. He hated the hand T'Pol had been dealt. She could have had such a wonderful life; she could have been so much greater than she was now, now that she had stayed with him. Why? Why had she done that? She had given up everything to stay with him. He turned to find her staring at him, and he was moved at the emotions swimming in her eyes, as if she knew what he was thinking.
"Why?" he croaked.
"I had my reasons." She stood and moved to the opposite end of the room, sitting down on the sofa. Looking back at him, she continued, "I still do."