Holo-Man

Don't Tell: Don't Leave

Lister walked into the medical bay where Aria sat by an unconscious Rimmer once more. It seemed to be the norm for Rimmer to be completely knocked out for the time being. It was safer that way.

"Hey." Lister whispered softly. "Spacing out, are we?"

Aria perked up a bit, and softly chuckled. While staring at Rimmer she told him, "Kryten said there was no sign of Rampancy before I got here. It's me... He didn't know how or why it's me, but..." She bowed her head. "Just my luck..." she intoned.

Lister stood by her to comfort her. "You didn't know. There's no way anyone could've figured this would happen. But we'll sort it out."

She let out a sigh. "There's only one way to sort it out." she said, regrettably.

"Do you really have to go?"

"Lister, the longer I stay, the more he'll deteriorate." She turned to face him. "You thought what happened earlier was bad? He's going to get much, much worse."

"How much worse can he get? He already hurt you and Kryten. He almost killed you."

She tilted her head to the side; she went back to watching Rimmer. "He didn't know what he was doing."

"Well, he does know he's a complete nutter." He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "He had to have some idea of what he was doing."

She nodded, and sighed. "He just doesn't know why he's doing it..."

"So why not tell him?"

Tears started to fill her eyes. It wasn't as simple as that. How could she tell someone she barely knew, yet cared deeply for that she was slowly, ultimately and unintentionally making him unstable? At this stage there was no telling how he would react. "Were it so easy..."

He grudgingly smiled. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Through the sadness she was somehow able to chuckle slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just a tad." Lister nodded. "I mean, if you are... you'd care enough to tell him about all of this, right?"

She put on a Sisyphean smile, and wiped away the tears. It didn't matter; she still cried every time she looked at Rimmer. "It's not that easy. I mean, if—" She had a hard time talking; she was too upset. "If he weren't a hologram, he... might be okay, you know?" she quavered. "I swear, everything I come into contact with just..." She bit her lower lip to keep from bursting into tears.

"We'll figure out something." he assured her; he placed a hand on her shoulder. "We have to."

She sniffled, and held Rimmer's hand even tighter. She wasn't going to tell Lister her exact plan. As much as she'd like to let him in on it, she couldn't trust him to not tell Rimmer. He and Lister were close, despite the tiffs they had. She knew Lister would say something to him.

"Here." She handed him a vile of fluid. "Retcon: It's a selective amnesia drug." she told him. "I've created a form of it that will work on him. I thought if he forgot it ever happened it might help."

Lister stared at it a moment, and shoved it in his pocket. "Okay...?"

"When I go, he has to be given that. Any trace of me on this ship has to be removed as well. Everything. The smallest thing can trigger this all over again, even if I'm not there. Understood?"

He nodded. "How do I give it to him without him completely freaking out again?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Tell him it's a vaccination of some sort. He's dumb enough to believe it." She internally cringed; she couldn't believe she just called him dumb.