"I'm sorry Lincoln, I'm so sorry." Michael's voice gave out despite the words continuing inside his head. He clenched his eyes tightly shut before opening them, only to clench them again. He had to find a way to stop the tears from falling. He couldn't let Lincoln know that he was upset; after all, he was going to be able to cope with this, Lincoln needed to know that he was strong.
He watched Lincoln gulp as the final straps were put into place and noticed that his hands were quivering. He hadn't seen Lincoln scared for years and the realization hit him hard, this was it. There wasn't going to be a phone call to say that they had uncovered the whole conspiracy.
He hadn't believed him, he'd thought Lincoln was guilty along with everyone else, and he had taken so long to put his plan together, so long to make sure that he had a back-up plan for each and every back-up plan that he hadn't given himself enough time to save him. He bit his lip, trying not to think that, if he had turned up sooner, they could have been in Panama by now.
Lincoln, his breath now ragged, managed to catch Michael's gaze, and he forced himself to smile, unaware that the gesture was making Michael feel worse. That it was making him feel weaker, more useless, that it was making him feel that Lincoln was still trying to be the older brother, trying to take care of him while he should be hating him, should be blaming him for not being able to save him.
He tried to return the smile but almost immediately gave up the attempt, he couldn't let go of the hold his teeth had on his lip in case the tears escaped.
Pope, looking increasingly solemn lowered himself down to Lincoln's level and muttered into his ear to ask him if he had any last words.
"I'm sorry Michael, I'm so sorry." The hood was shoved on with brute force and the switch flipped.
As he saw Lincoln's body began to jerk Michael felt all of his defences break down and he couldn't hold back from screaming out for him, all the fury and all the pain forced into one desperate cry.
His own body started to go limp, all of its energy temporarily expended and all he could think of was that he hoped Lincoln's death had been instantaneous and that the last thing he heard hadn't been how much his baby brother still needed him.
