He should have realized what was going on. He should have, but it was Victoria, and she... confused everything for him, clouded his mind. Coming upon her again like this, seeing her again out of the blue, it was a miracle he could think clearly at all. He should have been able to reason it out, but there were tears in her eyes and that little break in her voice -- that voice -- and he lost whatever handle he had on things. His face fell, the hardness and determination in him melting away in an instant with the hitch in her breath. "Victoria," he whispered guiltily.
He nearly stepped back when she pushed forward, reflexively, almost like she'd shoved him herself-- but he caught himself and stopped, stayed, and then moved forward himself as if to catch her. "I'm sorry," he murmured hoarsely. "I was-- I was in the hospital, and then..." Of course he knew what giving up felt like. He'd given up on everything, lying in that hospital bed. Not just on finding her again, but on work, on Dief and Ray, on everything. He hadn't even wanted to live.
He stepped closer, staring at the floor. "And you were gone and I... couldn't..." He bit his lip, pleading with her. "No one knew where you'd gone or what had happened to you. No one knew anything. And to track you down..." He would have had to use police resources. He would have needed Ray's help. And he would have had to arrest her, at the end of it, or go on the run himself, or die.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, closing the distance between them, extending a hand to take her arm gently. "I'm so sorry."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-01-10 06:26 am (UTC)He nearly stepped back when she pushed forward, reflexively, almost like she'd shoved him herself-- but he caught himself and stopped, stayed, and then moved forward himself as if to catch her. "I'm sorry," he murmured hoarsely. "I was-- I was in the hospital, and then..." Of course he knew what giving up felt like. He'd given up on everything, lying in that hospital bed. Not just on finding her again, but on work, on Dief and Ray, on everything. He hadn't even wanted to live.
He stepped closer, staring at the floor. "And you were gone and I... couldn't..." He bit his lip, pleading with her. "No one knew where you'd gone or what had happened to you. No one knew anything. And to track you down..." He would have had to use police resources. He would have needed Ray's help. And he would have had to arrest her, at the end of it, or go on the run himself, or die.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, closing the distance between them, extending a hand to take her arm gently. "I'm so sorry."