#bergen_county

"I DON'T KNOW!"

He does stagger, fall, and gets back up.

"Just saying sorry doesn't mean you're sorry!"

"AAGGGHGHHH!!!" It's a sound of frustration; he charges Dagmar again.

An arm-bar to block.

Brekke does not stop him this time. Perhaps she was not expecting it.

Frank leans over the top rail to watch, stone-faced.

Adam grabs her arm, pulling to move it out of the way and/or duck under it.

The Chieftain stays back.

A restrained push of her forearm, to knock Adam off and to the ground.

Her expression now isn't anger - it's control. Adam is made of cardboard. Oh bone china. Of tissue paper.

Adam clings on, is shoved back and forth, but holds on. And, that's all. He's just holding on, feet digging for purchase.

A grimace, holding him back.

Brekke witnesses but stays back. This is between the two of them, now.

Adam tries a quick dis-engage and duck, to get under the arm and into her guard.

Dagmar holds him back with a massive hand. "Stop."

"How?? How do I make it stop? What do I have to do, Dag?" He pants, grabbing at her wrist to hold on.

"Let me be mad at you!"

"Fine! You have my permission!!"

"Let me be mad, without it turning into some big SHOW!"

"Without it being POOR YOU!"

" I never made it about poor me!!!"

"Fine! Fine! It's all about me! What would make that change, how do I not-make it about me, 'cause I don't know how! What do I -DO-???"

"POOR YOU, Dagmar doesn't want to be friends. POOR YOU, if I hurt Dagmar, I'll get hurt!"

"I could crush you."

"POOR YOU, it's not your fault Dagmar is an unstable, rabid dog.... I don't have any anger at her, so what's her problem?"

"POOR YOU, Dagmar won't give me a plan on how to fix it. Well, maybe you could figure that out. You want everybody to do the work, but you get mad if you don't like what they say!"

Now he just dangles at the end of her hand, mouth open and cheeks wet.

Her face crumples up when she sees the tears, and she lets go.

"Poor you, Dagmar is a bully and a monster again."

The last is said softly, defeated instead of angry.

Brekke frowns, but stays silent.

He lets go of her and turns his face to the Chief, helpless, confused, hurting.

"I don't know what to -do-." a hoarse sound.

Brekke's frown deepens. "You still do not understand? You have apologized...but you still have not seen why you needed to apologize." She shakes her head with disappointment.

A huff.

"I don't know how to fix it!"

"I can't tell you how to fix it, because I don't know how!"

"I hurt her!"

"It... you can say sorry, sorry, sorry... but it's like... you're sad and sorry because we're not friends, because I couldn't get over it."

An eyebrow at Adam. "You acknowledge that you did this? That is it not her imagination?"

"Whether you meant to or not, you acknowledge that you did this?"

"Yes!"

"Mm." A nod as that rings true.

She looks to Dagmar. "That much...is more than you had before."

Then she looks back to Adam. "You lost a friend in this. You know this already, but I think now you have better understanding of why. Perhaps someday that friendship will recover. But until then...if anybody ever asks why Dame Dagmar treats you with resentment, you will answer that it is because you caused her hurt and could not fix it. Do you understand?"

He nods, tears welling and falling.

She nods and looks to Dagmar. "You. From now onward, you will not lie about being well when you are hurt, and you will not turn your hurt upon yourself while punishing another with resentment that he does not understand."

Dagmar looks away.

A nod.