Someone to Talk to...

[Vakhtang_Dalsazashvili 0]

Eva watched Tang as he took a seat on the station bench. "We don't have to talk if you don't feel up to it, you know" she said gently looking at him. She could tell by his expression that something he was told during his interrogation still bothered him.

 

Tang stayed quiet for a few seconds, before looking at her. "No, its okay." he said, his voice soft, "Its probably better that I talk about it, really."

 

Eva turned off her PADD, putting it down by her side before turning her attention back to Vakhtang. "What's on your mind?" she asked softly.

 

He looked down at the floor, not knowing where exactly to begin. But there was one obvious place. "I found out about the Vakhtang of his universe" he told her, looking back up at her. "He's. . . ." he paused. "He's not in Starfleet. He's back on earth. A conductor. . .of an orchestra."

 

Eva nodded slightly, not saying a word, encouraging him to continue.

 

He looked down at the floor again. "I don't know. . ." he said, his voice trailing off. "I guess I'd thought I'd have an easier time dealing with it, you know?" he took a deep breath. "It feels, like. . .like someone. . .I don't know." he let out a frustrated sigh, leaning forward and running his hand through his head. "It feels like someone stole the life I really wanted for myself, and is acting it out for themselves, if that makes any sense."

 

Eva rubbed his back gently. "It mustn't be easy to see the "what ifs", but this Vakhtang is not you. Each choice you made, lead you to the path you're on right now. Made you different from this universe's Tang. He is not you, and you are not him either..." she let the sentence unfinished.

 

Tang let out a grunt, "You're more right than you know." he told her wryly. "They gave me a new 'identity', one that will be of official records. . . .Yevgeni Markov." he said, the name tasting like a bitter fruit as it escaped his mouth. "Its like they told me. 'You aren't you anymore.' Like I'm some sort of impostor."

 

Eva placed a hand on his chin, turning his face towards her. ""What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet..." she quoted before adding: " You know who you are, deep inside, you do. The fact that there is another person in this universe that looks exactly like you does not change that." she added, looking him in the eyes.

 

Vakhtang eyes locked onto hers for a long moment. "When I saw you in sickbay earlier, I thought of our dinner a few days ago." he began. "Then I remembered how I didn't want that evening to end." he said, letting his voice trail off before speaking again. "It. . ." he paused, thinking of the right words. "It made me think about how that night would have never happened if I would have been living the life of this other Vakhtang." he told her. "And, it made me feel fortunate, you know? Fortunate to have been able to spend that evening with you."

 

Eva tried to hide how delighted she was with the comment, she smiled before answering."I thought I was the fortunate one."

 

Tang managed a smile of his own. "I guess we both were." he put his arm around her and pulled her gently closer to him.