Just Too Much (PG-17)

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 20th January 2013

Characters: Daizimi, Vorbojes
Description: They get into another argument and it ends in a different way.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 27 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Sebol
Rating: PG-17

"I wish you wouldn't leave your dirty socks all over. This is ridiculous.
You're worse than the children. I have to pick up after them and YOU." Daizimi
frowned and continued to grab stray clothing while grumbling.

"I'm sorry, alright," Vorbojes sighed. "I've been meaning to pick them up,
but I'm just so tired." Couldn't she see? Couldn't she see at all that he was
doing everything he could to provide for her and the children? That sometimes he
could hardly muster up the energy to get out of bed at all?

"You're tired? I'm tired. I get up and get the children ready. Then I get them
to lessons. I do all the mending, the sewing, the cleaning, and then I pick up
supplies. I go get the children. Then, I have to feed them and get their harper
work started. Look at my hands!" She shoved them in front of him and shook them.
"I have calluses and they're all red and ugly from the scrubbing."

Vorbojes felt his insides churning, knowing where this would lead to. "What
would you like me to do, then? Stop working and help you cook the meals we can
no longer afford if I did?" He had to try and reason with her, right?

"And why can't we afford them? You should be making more marks. You've been
doing this for so many turns I don't see why you haven't been more successful."
Her voice continued to keep an annoyed pitch as she walked towards the laundry
hamper. "Maybe Father was right-you can't provide for me and the children."

"I'm doing my best," Vorbojes said through gritted teeth, feeling a deep stab
of hurt at her words. That was nothing compared to the pain when she uttered
that next sentence though. How could she?How could she say that? After all he
had done for them?"Take that back, right now," he said, taking deep breaths to
calm himself. "I _am_ providing for you. It's just not ever good enough!"

"It's not enough period. When I have to mend and then use patches on the
childrens' clothing until they're threadbare before I can get the fabric to make
new things, something's wrong." **They shouldn't suffer because their father is
a dimglow. I should have made a better choice. I should have listened to father.**
"He told me and I didn't listen. I thought just because I loved you it would
be fine. I trusted you. You let me and the children down." She put down the
dirty laundry and began to fill the tub with water.

This is what Sebol had warned him about, wasn't it? He shouldn't let Daizimi
say these things. He shouldn't let her abuse him like that. "You can't keep
saying these things, Daizimi, you can't," Vorbojes said, putting all the anger
he felt at her betrayal in those words. He had to stand up for himself.

"Why not? They're true. I thought maybe you would try and fix it, but instead
it's still the old thing turns down the road. A husband is supposed to make sure
that his family has what they need." She had been taught that, for certain.
Never mind that her idea of needs was different than that of others.

"You have what you need!" Vorbojes finally felt the anger he should have felt
so many fights before. His brother was right. This had to stop, now. "You've got
a roof over your head, food on the table, good, clean clothing and a husband who
loves you. You once said that would be enough!"

"Don't shout at me!" she turned to him then, angrily watching her husband,
almost daring him to do anything else. She had always been able to keep Vorbojes
under her foot. Why was he talking back now?And for certain, she didn't like
that. "The children's' clothes need to be mended much more often than what is
proper. I may have sensible clothing, sure, but nothing I can wear to a gather.
Then again, we don't ever go, do we?" She shook her head at the things her children
would never know. Because of her foolishness, their marriage prospects were almost nil.

"Well, you're always shouting at me!" Vorbojes looked at the anger in her
eyes, something which only sparked on his own anger. Did she really despise him
this much? After all he had done for her, still did everyday? "So Gathers and
fine clothing are more important than the love from your husband?Is that what
you're saying? You're sorry you married me?"

"You don't love me. If you did, you'd make sure I had what I needed. Father
always knew mother wanted for nothing. I never had anything to ask for. I had so
many fine suitors that might have treated me better.." She shook her head,
disgusted. She had chosen wrong. **Now I have to lie in the bed I made. Unless
there's some chance he might die**

Something snapped. How could she say he didn't love her? Everything he had
ever done since their marriage had been for her and their children. She had no
right to say that. No right. Vorbojes felt the anger wash over him, unstoppable.
How dare she say that? She was the one that didn't love him! She was the one to
blame! He felt his hand tremble in anger and he did something he never would
have thought he could, he slapped his wife right across the face.

She was quiet for a moment, then she looked back at him, struck dumb by what
he had just done. And then she became even angrier. "How dare you! You swine!
You don't have the right to lift your hand to me when you don't even fulfill
your duties as a husband." She pulled her hands out of the wash water,
seething.

"You have no right to speak to me like that when you don't fulfill your
duties as a wife!" Vorbojes bit back, unbelief about what he had just done
mixing with his anger.

And that was enough. Her eyes got round and her cheeks got puffy and Daizimi
lost it. She had lived in squalor for so many turns and had given him two
children and now he was telling her she was not a good wife. She had fixed his
socks, washed his underpants, and made sure that he didn't starve. She wasn't a
wife! She came at him then, using her sheer bulk as a ram, though she didn't
really intend to knock him down. She just needed to make him realize what he was
saying. He would cower and apologize and she would punish him.

Vorbojes saw her coming at him with such fury, that his first instinct was to
brace himself and push her off. When she ran into him he pushed her back a
little harder than he would have liked.

And that sent her off balance. Her eyes were round for a moment and the set
of her lips widened some. She was flailing. Daizimi was falling sideways. As she
fell, her feet coming out from under her, she lost sight of his face and looked
up at the ceiling. Unable to stop herself, though, she hit the side of the table
as she went down and it knocked the breath out of her. Coming to rest, she was
quiet for a bit and then something strange happened. Blood was pouring onto the
floor. Daizimi didn't move as she gasped for breath. She had been holding a knife
when she fell. There she lay, impaled upon her own weapon.

"Daizimi!" It had all happened so fast and in a heartbeat, Vorbojes was on
the floor, eyes wide in shock as he reached out for the knife, pulled his hands
back and reached out again. "Someone help me!" he called out, not realizing
there was no one there and not knowing what to do. The children were still out
and there was no one else around to hear as he cried out. "Daizimi, I'm sorry, I'm
so sorry!"

She could hear him but she couldn't speak. It was just a gurgle before she
began to choke. Her body twitched in pain as the last dregs of blood went from
it, her eyes wide and white. Daizimi bled out then and expired, never having
dreamed of it on the day she had married this man.

Seeing the life fleeting from his wife's limp body, Vorbojes felt his whole
world coming apart. This wasn't what he had wanted to happen. This wasn't what
he wanted. With tears and a mad howl, he clung to her bloody body for a long
time, before he finally stumbled out of their cot like a mad man, looking for
help, for someone to tell him it hadn't happened. For someone to put him out of
his misery.

Last updated on the February 2nd 2013

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Just Too Much (PG-17)