(no subject)

[half_divine]

Who: Silas and Sophie
What:Visiting at the hospital and secret-sharing
When: Early Sunday Evening
Warnings: None, really...

Silas had finally gotten past the lethargic stage, and was quite alert when he was awake. He still needed a bit more sleep than usual, and often fell into a doze with little or no warning, but for the time being he was awake and looking at the dinner menu choice card.

Sophie wasn't quite sure why she was here in the hospital. Some part of her ... well, did feel a little bad about shooting Silas, even if she was of the opinion he probably deserved it. She'd slipped into his room under the pretense of being his sister, and she stood in the doorway a long moment before she coughed, softly.

His gaze shot over to her. "You."

"Dorian taking a break?" She sighed, walking over to sit down a small distance from the bed. Her hand still clutched her purse, but she was not too worried about Silas being a threat. Not now, at least.

"He does not stay all the time." Silas answered, watching her. "Why are you here?"

"I did not trust him to tell you I felt regret for shooting you." Simple enough, right?

"You felt regret." Silas nearly spat. And then he nearly laughed.

"Yes, I did aim a bit low." She sighed, rubbing her throat. "You were following me. Forgive me if it unnerved me, Silas." A sharp look.

Silas closed his eyes. Yes, he had been following her. "I meant no harm." he said quietly, his red eyes open and looking at her once again. "I only waned...to see that you were...all right."

Sophie blinked, surprised. Shocked, even. "..then why didn't you say so when I asked you why you were following me?"

He squared his jaw. "Because I did not expect you would believe me."
A frown. "I wouldn't have believed you, but I might not have shot you if you'd said that." She bit her lip. "I thought perhaps you were still looking for the keystone."

Something dark and dangerous flickered in his eyes. "The keystone is lost."

"Well, sort of." She'd kept it - after asking Robert for it, of course. She drew it out of her purse. "It's empty now, though.."

Silas' eyes went wide for a moment. "How..." He turned his gaze up to her ace, staring with wonder.

She shrugged. "We found it. But like I said...it's useless now. Just a trinket." Something to remember Robert by, and to remember who she was. Nothing else.

"May I..." He put his hand out, tentatively. Just to hold it...

She was still nervous around him, but he was so weak right now .. he posed no threat to her. And she'd seen the look in his eyes. She set it into his hand.

His fingers curled around the cryptex. He raised it to his lips and inhaled deeply. He rubbed it against his chin. His nose. his cheek. Lives had been lost over this thing. He had killed so many. His eyes closed, and the grief of what he had done poured out of him.

It was an amazing thing to see a person erupt into emotion like that. She watched for a long while, watched as he rubbed it on his face and then .. began to .. well. After a few slow, controlled breaths, she moved a shaking hand overtop his.

He took several deep breaths to get himself under control. it was only partially effective. Effective enough that he could look at her. "I'm sorry."

Sophie swallowed hard. "I thought you'd wanted to kill them, you know. You didn't .. it didn't seem like you regretted at all." A beat. "It's what was so terrifying." But she didn't move her hand, even if she couldn't quite meet his gaze.

He brought his other hand up to lay against hers. To try to still them both. "I...did what i was told. Only what I was told."

Her quavering didn't still right away. "But why? Was it really that important? The secret..?"

"The Bishop believed it was." Silas looked down. "I do not even know...what the secret was."

"Well, that would be what makes it a secret." But she couldn't help it. She relaxed at least a little, letting him hold her hand. "You .. believed him? Trusted him .. that much." And he'd betrayed Silas, hadn't he? Used him, at least.

"Yes." Silas pulled his head up, met her questioning gaze. "He...took care of me when...when no one else would."

"He used you." She remarked, watching him sharply. Something in her chest pulled - had be really been decieved? She knew what it was like, living a lie. Living something that you ... shouldn't have been.

"I did not know that then." Why was he being so open, so honest with her? Because he knew no other way to be. Because he was out form under The Bishop’s thumb, and he was scared.

Angry. Some part of her was angry. "He used you for his dirty work. That .." Some creative French followed.

Silas nodded slowly. "I...can see that now. Then...then, I did not know. I could not see it."

She squeezed his hand, impulsively. "You ... the secret has been found, you know." Soft. After all he'd suffered, she thought he at least deserved to know it.

"The...you said..." he held up the cryptex. "It was...empty?"

"It was removed. The vial burst inside after the paper within was removed. But .. well, that was not the real secret, most people would say."

"Tell me what is the secret?" Silas demanded, his hand turning t grasp her wrist.

She flinched. No, she wouldn't let him intimidate her now. She slid her over his, jerking it off her wrist. "I will tell you, but you're not going to touch me like that again, Silas."

He shrank back, horrified as if realising what he'd done. "I...Forgive me."
That made her sigh softly, a breath of relief. "Silas, you must promise not to become upset."

He looked away and nodded softly. "I...will not lash out again."

She watched him look away, her gaze softening fractionally. "There was a ... rumor, once. I do not know if you heard it. That Jesus Christ was ... well, a mere man. With a wife."

Silas merely looked at her. Not believing, but not disbelieving either.

Sophie took a breath in. "The secret is that it is true. There was a child. Thus, there are descendants. Descendant, actually."

"A descendant. Of Jesus Christ." Silas' eyes closed. he shivered. Could it be true? Could that be...possible? He opened his eyes, and stared at Sophie.

Something about the way she was acting. The calm in her voice, in her eyes. "It is...it is you."

Some part of her was surprised he'd gotten such things from her. But then again, perhaps not. Someone speaking so calmly about what he would perceive as blasphemy... "Yes."

He dropped his gaze, shook his head. "No. No. I's...a lie. it's all wrong.

"It is no lie, Silas. I would not be so cruel as to lie to you about something like this." Especially after knowing how he had been lied to.

Still he shook his head. "It is not possible."

"Why, Silas?" She looked at him carefully.

"You are saying Jesus was aman. He was so much more. He was a savior. He was...pure.”

"A man cannot preform miracles, Silas? He was married to Mary Magdelene." Surely this would upset him - a whore? No, not married to Him.

Anger flashed. Shock. Disbelief. He had promised he would not lash out. He had not promised he wouldn't get upset. Hs hands clenched into fists. "I should have cut your throat when I had the chance. These lies. You ell naught but lies!"

She shifted imperceptibly, set her hands on her lap again. Moved away from him. "Silas, I would not lie. Knowing how your Bishop manipulated you, I could not lie." Sophie set her jaw. "You understand why I asked you not to become upset."
"I did not realise you would lie."

Sophie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Silas, I do not lie."

"Indeed, you just say things that are untrue." Silas brought his gaze back around to look at her. his red eyes dark with dangerous intensity.
She moved forward again, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It is the truth."

Slas shook his head. He simply could not believe it. "How? What proof do you have?"

She glanced to the side. "There are records, Silas."
"No."

"Yes. Exensive records. Bloodlines. Everything."

"No. No. No. Sophie. It's impossible." He had still a startled look, though he was beginning to understand. Maybe. Just a little.

She moved a hand out again, to rest atop his. "Yes, Silas. It is a dangerous secret, you understand? Understand why I was frightened you had ..." Come to terminate the bloodline.

"I am not going to hurt you." Silas said softly. His eyes were closed. Maybe he was dreaming this who crazy, rediculous encounter.

"But I did not know if you knew the secret, Silas. And you did hold me hostage, once." She was relaxing minutely, stroking the top of his hand.

"I...had no intention of hurting you." He had been a monster then, following his orders because he did notknow he coul do otherwise.

"You killed five people, Silas. It did not instill faith of my safety." But she was not letting go of his hand. "I .. believe you." Now.

His mind flashed on all their faces. And the others. His dead mother. his father. The sailors. So many. He shivered. "I do not deseve to live."

She frowned softly, squeezing his hand. "That is not what I said, Silas."

"But it is true." Silas murmured. His eyes closed. "I am a monster.

"You said it yourself that you did what he told you to do, Silas. There is no crime in that."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I believe it is possible."

He shook hs head. He couldn't believ ethat, any more than he could believe her 'secret'.

She looked at him. "I believe that your regret for my grandfather's death is genuine. No sane person wants to kill, Silas."

He looked into her eyes. "I...did not want to." All his life, he'd been mistreated. And yet there was still a strong flame in him, a hope for the goodness of man.

Sophie nodded after a long moment, holding his gaze. "I believe that." Another squeeze to his hand. "I am glad .. that you are no threat, Silas. It rests my mind."

He turned his hand, and gently squeezed hers.

She was grateful for his hand in hers this time. She gave a half-nervous laugh. "And to think that I bothered poor Doctor House and Doctor Wilson hiding with them."

Silas looked away. Shamed. "I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused."
A small smile. "It is all right. I would rather ... well, have trouble that is solved than more trouble, no?"

"Yes." He squeezed her hand again.

She settled a little, nearest to the bed. "You are all right? Your shoulder."

"It’s...fine." He looked down at the shoulder in question. "The doctors were more concerned with my other injuries." It still made him angry, how they had applied ointment to his back.

She nodded a moment. "It is .. well, that is understandable, is it not?"

"I am not ashamed of what I do."

"But the injuries have a bad tendency to fester when they are not taken care of properly, correct?"

"I take care. Ten years and I have only been sick once."

"Still. Doctors worry." She paused. "What did you tell them?"

"I am Opus Dei." Silas said softly. "And they have no right to treat what i do not want treated."

Sophie slipped her hand down his arm. "Silas, all wounds need to be treated."

"Maybe. Maybe I need to suffer."

She frowned, smoothing her fingers over his arm again. "Silas, you cannot spend the rest of your life punishing yourself for something that is not entirely your fault."

"I suffer as the lord Jesus Christ suffered for me. I suffer for him."
"Silas, Jesus Christ did not suffer his entire life like that. He did not .." She shook her head.

He looked away from her. "It is perhaps time for you to leave. I am tired, I need rest."

After a moment, Sophie leant in and brushed her lips over his forehead. Perhaps it was to help fool the nurses, perhaps not. "Be well, Silas."

"And you." He nodded. "I would like to see you again. Soon." He murmured.

That made her smile, just a tad. "Perhaps I shall visit tomorrow..?" She patted his hand.

He nodded. He needed time to think. To process all that she had told him.
"Tomorrow." She repeated, tucking the blankets about him before she turned out of the hospital room.

He closed his eyes and tried not to cry.

She turned at the soft sound coming from his bed. "Silas?"

"Go. I am fine." Sials did not look at her.

"You are not." Sophie slid over to the bed again. "Silas..."

"I am." Silas insisted, finally looking at her. "I am tired. I am in pain. I am overwhelmed. Please go. I must think. Alone."

"If you are sure that you would like to be alone." She didn't move just yet.
"Sophie, I am used tobeing alone."

"That does not mean that it becomes easier, Silas." A small frown.

"Please. I can not rest until you leave. I just need to think. COme back tomorrow and we shall talk again."

She frowned a little, but nodded. "Very well, Silas." She squeezed his hand once more and then headed for the exit.

He was much more careful not to make a sound.