So.. I'm twisting a knife in old wounds, but it's gotta be done.
Long story short, I found out that Shen was two-timing me. And when that house of cards came crashing down, she tried to commit suicide rather than face either of us or the truth. I knew then, that even though Raven was my family, my home.. that if Shen stayed, I couldn't. And I couldn't ask for them to turn her out on my behalf. So I left. This exchange occurred in the medbay of our ship just before we landed on Blackburne to take Shen to their medical pavilion.
Looking back, it still makes me cry.
*****************
Shen Jiutai stirs, her eyes opening...
Rae Overholt looks down at her. "Shen? Who did it?"
Shen Jiutai looks up and sees Sabrina standing nearby and a small smile forms on her lips, when she hears the Captain's question tears begin to pour from her eyes.
Sabrina McGee reaches down and puts a hand over Shen's..
Shen Jiutai rolls over and starts crying harder, "Why..... why did you save me?"
Ariel Liveoak blinks, her mouth opens in shock as a light begins to dawn.
Sabrina McGee whispers.. "We.. I.. couldn't let you go."
Rae Overholt shakes her head, "Shen, why?"
Shen Jiutai looks to Sabrina, tears flooding down her face, "You don't deserve me... you're too kind..."
Xiao Li is just staring in disbelief. “ … you have got to be rutting kidding me.”
Rae Overholt doesn't look any happier about this than Xiao li. "Why?"
Sabrina McGee continues, softly.."Were they coming for you?"
Shen Jiutai looks to the Captain, then back to Sabrina, "Jenna?"
Sabrina McGee bristles
Shen Jiutai: "you met Jenna?"
Rae Overholt: She bring too much back for you, or was she gonna get you caught Shen?
Ariel Liveoak whispers "wo de tian..."
Sabrina McGee: You could say that.
Shen Jiutai: "I couldn't live with those two parts of my life coming together, I.... I can't show my face. I had to save face..."
Rae Overholt: Don't make no sense Shen. You can live with killin’ a man for a crazy, but you can't handle two women meeting?
Shen Jiutai: I'm not good enough for either of you.
Rae Overholt: Well on my ship you save face by confronting things, not half-assed sepuku. Either way. It's gonna be fine, we're getting you to a doctor.
Shen Jiutai: "too good, both you and her... and what I did to her... I can't..."
Rae Overholt: Stay still. It'll iron out Shen. You just hang in there.
Sabrina McGee leans down and places her forhead on the bed next to Shen's body
Shen Jiutai: "I've lied, I've lived a life full of lies... you wouldn't want to be with me if you knew..."
Rae Overholt: I'm still your captain and you're still to follow my orders. You ain't dead yet.
Sabrina McGee sighs
Shen Jiutai: "This whole time, whenever I could... I would meet her, we've been together for two years. I was never in Jail, I was on Sihnon..."
Ariel Liveoak moves to the table and rests a hand on Shen's forehead, trying to impart calm and peacefulness with all her energy.
Rae Overholt: Not the first time someone's cheated Shen. Won't be the last.
Shen Jiutai: "...with Jenna... she...she asked me to marry her.... I ran away... that neckless I gave you..."
Sabrina McGee lifts her head up from the table, standing up and stepping backwards... "What?"
Shen Jiutai: "You don't deserve me..." Shen Jiutai breaks down into tears.
Ariel Liveoak gasps. "Oh dear." she says quietly, looking quickly at Sabrina.
Shen Jiutai: "I love both you and her so much, but I can't face the thought that something would happen... Something always happens..."
Sabrina McGee: "You mean to say.." pulling the necklace out from under her top..
Rae Overholt stands there, stone faced and silent. She's torn between helping a member of her crew live and keeping another from being hurt so bad.
Sabrina McGee breaks down in tears.. "Maybe I was ready to shoot the wrong one, then.. "
Shen Jiutai nods, "It's hers, I stole it... I don't know why, I guess I wanted at least to have you."
Ariel Liveoak reaches to Sabrina with her other hand, offering.
Sabrina McGee: "I.. I can't keep it then. It's not mine. It was never really mine to begin with. I was just holding onto it for a while.”
Shen Jiutai looks into Sabrina's eyes pleadingly. "Shoot me, please, I'd welcome it."
Rae Overholt: That's just nonsense talk.
Sabrina McGee: ::barely audible:: No. I couldn't do that to you.
Shen Jiutai: I deserve it, all you've known is a pack of lies...
Sabrina McGee: ::softly:: No free pass for you.
Rae Overholt: Shen, you just get well, we'll deal with the aftermath later.
Ariel Liveoak nods, agreeing with the Captain.
Shen Jiutai rolls over and hides her face
Ariel Liveoak: All things in their season...
Sabrina McGee unclasps the necklace and hands it to Ariel.. "Here. see that Jenna gets this back."
Ariel Liveoak slowly takes the necklace, looking at Sabrina with profound sympathy. She nods.
Sabrina McGee looks down at the floor and pinches the bridge of her nose between index finger and thumb
Ariel Liveoak puts her hands on Sabrina's shoulders and draws her in.
Rae Overholt watches, uncertain what to say in a time like this. "You wanna head out to the galley Brina?"
Sabrina McGee goes pliant and lets herself get pulled away
Shen Jiutai sobs
Rae Overholt puts a soft hand on Shen's head. “Mistakes aren't worth dyin for Shen, then you can't learn from them.”
Ariel Liveoak says quietly "Let out what needs to flow, dear heart. Don't hide it."
Sabrina McGee relaxes her grip on her wrench and lets it hit the floor... “Shen... I...” ::weeping::
Sabrina McGee turns and runs out of the medbay..
Rae Overholt looks at Brina as she runs out. "Brina.." She turns to Ariel, "What do you recommend I do? I think this is more your area of specialty than mine."
Ariel Liveoak: We have two wounded crew members, Captain. We need to care for both of them. I'll go sit with Bri... I think we should get proper medical care for Shen.
Ariel Liveoak goes looking for Sabrina.
Rae Overholt nods, hoping that Xiao Li gets them up in the air soon. She decides she'd better stay with Shen and let Ariel handle the emotional wounds.
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