All Is Forgiven

Participants:

abby_icon.gif victor_icon.gif

Scene Title All Is Forgiven
Synopsis Abby notices Vic in the hospital and comes to heal him while no ones looking. Felix comes to pat him on the head and say atta boy.
Date March 21, 2009

St. Luke's Hospital

St. Luke's Hospital is known for its high-quality care and its contributions to medical research. Its staff place an emphasis on compassion for and sensitivity to the needs of their patients and the communities they serve. In addition to nearby Columbia University, the hospital collaborates with several community groups, churches, and programs at local high schools. The associated Roosevelt Hospital offers a special wing of rooms and suites with more amenities than the standard hospital environment; they wouldn't seem out of place in a top-rated hotel. That said, a hospital is a hospital — every corridor and room still smells faintly of antiseptic.


Vic is right handed. That makes changing the channels on the TV a problem for him so far as coordination is concerned, because his right side is all busted up. So he's using his left hand where he lays in bed looking kind of dejected. Drained, perhaps. Drained is a much better description. It's like everything's gone, cored out. This is a positive step really, because all the BAD shit is gone along with the good, and now he can fill his cup again.

Hospital gown got rejected already. He's got a lot of superficial lacerations that amounted to nothing really, but it's the number of broken bones that put him up here. Vic can't really get himself from the bed to the bathroom without help, and but for that he would've already been discharged no doubt. So he's laying there with sweatpants on, slipper socks, and nothing else.

"I'd hoped that when I saw the name Victor Childs, that it was someone else" It's southern, and sweet and crisp to the ears. Like fresh spring water. Expecially since it usually heralds a relief from whatever ails a person. Abigail stands at the door in her clothes, jacket over arm, purse over shoulder, looking in on the youngest living Childs. She looks like hell herself, still thin, scrawny, dark circles under her eyes and lines that make her look ten years older than she really is. Doesn't help that she got dragged out of bed really early to clap her hands and say she believes in fairies.

Vic almost doesn't recognize the voice. It's like it's from another life, almost, but simply because it DOES ring so familiar, he lolls his head to look in the doorway and thumbs the volume on the TV down to a murmur. "Abby? You look terrible." he croaks, not noticing the irony of that statement because he himself looks far worse at this particular moment. It's not the injuries that have him really. It's just the exhaustion of it all.

A week ago he would've wondered what she was here for. What part of the spider-web of conspiracy she was playing. Whether it was for or against him. All that second-guessing and poisonous suspicion? Gone now. He's more or less back to accepting what's before him.

"Yeah.. should have seen me when they pulled me out of Staten island a week ago. I looked like I belonged in a internment camp" Well, she HAD been in an internment camp. "What happened to you?" She doesn't move forward yet. last time she'd met him he was angry with her and upset. She didn't know where they stood, or whether he'd want her help.

The barest of grins spread across his face. Victory for Victor. "I caught Sylar." he says, all at once proud, exhausted, and just…satisfied. It's like saying he won, but also at the same time that it's over. At this point things being over with seem more important.

"I see he gave you a kiss" He caught Sylar. Inside, hidden away from victor is a twinge but there's an honest, albeit weak smile on her face. "Can I come in?"

"I don't think I can stop you." Vic says in the fatalistic way of one who really doesn't mind but is making a point of how little he could do right now. He doesn't seem upset to see Abby, or upset at all right now. "Where've you been?"

Her feet shuffle into the hospital room, drag the chair closer to his bed. "Held prisoner in the basement of a brothel and then in a warehouse in a shipping container" Straight faced. "you?"

Perhaps because Abby's statements in the past have been so outlandish he's just used to it, Vic doesn't react to her explanation. Or perhaps it's because his own stories are getting about as crazy. "Found out my sister knew all along about the guy who killed our sister, and has been in love with him and hiding him. Along with half of New York." sigh. Nothing is quite so bad as thinking the world is against you as finding out it's true. "So I did it. I've been trailing Sylar for days and then I finally found him and talked to him and…" He nods a little, wincing as it sends a spasm of pain in his shoulder, the motion. "He got arrested."

It's that spasm of pain and the wince that seals the deal for Abby. Silently her hand slips into his, silently praying to turn on the gift she holds. Relief is coming for Victor. She shouldn't, she really shouldn't after dealing with Baxter and Liz. "You did good Victor. I'm proud of you" She really is. He did what he swore he would do. "I'll see how much I can fix you up. I'm not supposed to heal for another week I was told but, I can sleep in the chair here if I have to. What are you going to do about your sister now?"

It hurts him a lot to move that right arm, but the hand he can make into a fist to make it a little more difficult to mess with him. "Wait wait…talk about my sister in a second, but why can't you heal? What's the matter?" It's not so much that he's turning down the offer, but wants to know more. It's all fine and good to say no to something when you don't hurt like hell. As it is his sense of doing right by others extends toward hearing all the facts before he decides.

"I was on the Staten island diet. Does wonders for your skin. I told you already. basement of a brothel and then a warehouse in a shipping container" She didn't want to lie to him before. "I can do this. It's just people wanting to be careful, but I can do this, at least just a little so they can let you out. I promise i'll be fine. I'm not trying to sugarcoat it"

"Okay, if you're sure. I don't want you messing yourself up for me, because it's not like I'll die or anything." Vic's serious about all that. He's not in the business of being selfish. It's just not part of his makeup. His head tilts back to look at the ceiling and he explains, "I can't do anything about Gilly. She's my sister. I love her. I can't ever change that. I can't hurt her. I just…I'm just so disappointed."

"The people we love, usually disappoint us the most" Abby murmurs, slipping her hand back in. She has to restart, the pull away had cut it off the first time. 'Think you'll ever forgive her?"

"I do. I already do. I just wish I understood, because I don't." In a sense it's like talking to a barber or dentist while they work. Because Vic feels like he's confessing something to a professional at work. He winces, but not in the pain of injury but the pain of relief. The good kind of pain. "She's madder at me than I am at her. Right now I'm just trying to forgive Gabriel." Not Sylar.

"He came for me twice before. I ever tell you that?" It's slow, steady, the enjoyable warmth spreading, suffusing through the affect parts of him. "I have a standing date with him, someday. I did. He promised me that when he came for my gift, that I would feel no pain and he would give me a sunset" Abby watches his hand, where hers contacts his. "If it helps, He had a hand, in getting me free, in saving me from Staten Island"

"No, you never told me much, Abby." answers Vic, taking a very deep breath like he hasn't been able to do in a few days and clearly enjoying the lack of discomfort. Broken ribs make breathing a necessary torture. "You've always been nice to me, but right now is the most you've ever helped me." All said without malice. Simple fact.

"Because most of it, wasn't mine to tell" It's truthful too. "My name is Abigail Beauchamp. I'm… a healer of people who are hurt. I don't turn anyone away. Whether they are Gabriel Gray and tried to kill me before, members of Phoenix, members of Vanguard, a homeless woman on a street, an FBI officer who's written off as dead, and ..friends, who I find in the hospital. God gave me a gift, to heal, and I turn no one away, if I can help it" Confession. "I healed your sister, Gillian, I've killed a man with my hands, and my ability, because if I didn't, only five percent of the world would still be alive. I've spent the last month, kidnapped and kept beneath a brothel so I could heal a ring of underground fighters. I am a very angry and broken woman right now, who is trying to find the surface of the ocean that god has dropped me into" The hand stays strong in his, blue eyes watching Victor's.

Vic watches Abby's confession, such at it is, with level seriousness. And as strength (or rather lack of weakening pain) returns to his right hand he uses it to grip Abby's back in a reassuring squeeze. "Well, if there was anything to forgive you for Abby, I do. I'm sorry you had to through so much. I'm sorrier I'm not really…I guess…" His thoughts falter as he looks down a little and says, "I'm not really with it. I'm so numb myself. It's like this is a new life. I should've died the other night. But I feel like you deserve someone to be there to listen to you for stuff like this. And maybe you have somebody like that who isn't me, and that'd be good. But if you ever need to you know, share. I'd be there for you to talk to."

"I have many friends Victor. Good, bad, they're still friends" She smiles over at him, reach up to smooth a finger over a cut here and there, a scrape, melt them away like they never existed. "So what will you do with this new life hmmm? I need to know that someone out there, has their life getting back into order since mine is so royally fucked right now"

"I spend a lot of time thinking about that now. That's like, all I think about." Vic says, grinning then and sitting up to try out his newly-knit bones. "I think I'm gonna try to be a cop, Abby."

That's right, she's done, through the entire conversation. So she pulls her hand back. "I'll let them know that your healed, they'll want to take x-rays again, but, they'll get you out of here by tonight." Cop. Nice. "They could do with a few good cops. I can introduce you to some. If you like"

"Sure." answers Vic, not bothering to drop names that he knows himself. He looks at Abby with genuine concern and asks, "Are you okay? That didn't…stress you too much?" Because being injured like that sure stressed the hell out of him.

Abby shakes her head. "Nothing that a small coffee won't take care of. I was coming to let ICU know that I'd be around in a week. Just helped take care of a SCOUT officer in the burn unit. There's a woman upstairs, on life support, some guy tried to hold the floor hostage because they apparently wouldn't bring me in, couldn't bring me in. They said she'd be around at least another week, they could keep her like that, and I can try and fix her. The doctor I saw today for" Abby taps her head. "She gave me new pills, to help, with my stress. I won't be okay for a while, but I'll get there Vic, with her help and other people's"

"Sit and stay awhile? I could use the company." Not that Vic won't be on his way out of here soon thanks to Abby, but maybe it's just the friendly voice he really needs. The TV's still down to a murmur, showing some commercial for a Sham-Wow! with that obnoxious guy and his superfluous headset. More like Scam-Wow. "I don't have many friends, Abby."

Felix has arrived.

"Me neither. Not many. A lot of friends who need healing but.. I could sure use one right now too Victor. I've been here all day.But I can stay longer. Gather my energy back. Maybe we can score an extra dinner?" There a weak smile again from the younger woman.

Laying back in his bed Vic grins and says weakly, "I'll just pretend I'm still sick." cough cough. "Did you send Magnes to see me? Because he showed up like once and…nothin. Seemed like an okay guy."

There's rapping at the door frame. Yeah, the door is presumably open, but even Felix isn't enough of a jerk to come charging in unannounced.

"Magnes was kidnapped with me Vic. But.. I dunno if he's doing all that good. He could use a friend too" Abby's southern voice is heard in his room and at the sound of Felix's voice she turns to the door from her seat by the bed. "Agent Ivanov"

Vic's face turns into a concerned frown when he gets a hint of what happened to Magnes, but he looks a little brighter to see Ivanov. "Hey, Agent Ivanov." The fact that Abby knows his name isn't lost on him. But he'll save comments on that for later. "How much trouble am I in?" he asks with a grin.

"Well, you're a hero, so rest up because there will be a ticker tape parade," Fel deadpans, before grinning, despite himself. "Seriously, though, no. You may well get that medal." He pauses on spotting the healer. "Je- Abby, don't you ever rest?" he asks, more gently.

"Officer Baxter got badly burned. They.. asked me to come in" After telling him that he needed to NOT get hurt for at least a week, she turned right around and healed a SCOUT officer. "I gave Victor a touch up and I promise, that anyone for the next few days will be told to wait" She's more calm, more there than she was the day before. Chalk it up to new pills." Abby looks to Victor. "I keep him alive. A lot" a gesture to Felix. She remains curled up in the chair regardless though, no move to get up.

"Yeah well…he's the only one in New York that helped me catch Sylar. Though I guess it turns out I really helped him. Same difference." The point is when Vic turned to Felix, Felix didn't tell him he didn't know what he was doing or was stupid or should give up, or any of that garbage. Differences are made that way. He sighs, dropping the pretense of acting hurt since Felix isn't giving them any food. "I don't care about medals. But you think NYPD would like me as a police cadet?" he asks with a grin. Yes, he's going there.

If Victor had leaped out of bed and slapped him in order to challenge him to a duel, Felix would be only -slightly- more surprised. "I….they drop you in Santa's lap and a career in the NYPD is what you want under your tree?" Fel blinks at him, looks at Abby as if she might explain this. Like she's handing out recruiting folders in her spare time. "Pyro, huh? I heard about that. And yes, it was really all you. You and Homeland Security," Fel says, a touch sourly.

Abby's shaking her head at the look to her. Not her fault, nope, nosiree. She had NOTHING to do with any of it. "Should I leave you both alone?" Medals. Vic would likely deserve one. Could do a lot out of getting one.

Vic shakes his head for Abby and bids, "Please stay?" Truth told, it's as much to give her an excuse to sit and chill for a while as it is because he could use the company. And while Felix is a nice enough guy in his book, he's strictly a professional relationship. It's not like they're buddies, at least not yet. "Do you have any kind of pull with the department? I don't have a degree so I don't think I'd be able to join your agency. But the police do more real work anyway and…I just want to protect other peoples' sisters from the Sylars out there." And that's about the whole of the truth. "Anyway I need a direction to go in. And that seems like a good one for me."

Fel is very obviously still nonplussed. "I have a bit. I was NYPD for ten years. Though honestly any pull I have would be gravy. I'm sure they'll be falling all over you to get you to join up, if you want. No, the Bureau does require at least a Bachelor's. You might be able to squeeze a scholarship out of a New York college, if you wanted to try that, instead. Police Academy I can almost certainly guarantee."

please stay. She can do that, that and she's tired. Sleeping between Baxter and Vic, it's still her tired. So stay it is. "You'll make a good cop Victor. Felix was one of the ones I was going to introduce you to"

"Yeah, we kinda met." admits Vic, as if it wasn't obvious. He seems pretty pleased at the assessment, since he'd already kind of guessed he would be red-carpeted into the academy if he chose. "I don't even care that Homeland Security got him. I don't care who got him, so long as somebody got him. Honestly I don't even care about Gabriel anymore. I just…I want all that behind me. But I'm tired of needing a job, and living on ramen. And living in a crappy apartment on part-time jobs. And this is like the thing I've been best at, was tracking down a criminal. So I figure maybe I should use that."

"Well, I'll do what I can to get that started," Felix says, still quietly pleased about it. "You can always get your degree and join the Bureau later, if being a cop suits you." HE flicks nonexistent lint from his sleeve. "It's a great job, but then, I am biased."

"The place I live in Vic… my new place.. there's one bedroom apartments. The security is good, and … it's cheap. It's .. it's really surprisingly cheap" She should know. "You can put in an application there, and get a place there, they're new"

"Thanks, Agent Ivanov." Vic says to the man, looking pleased. Like things will be okay. He'll probably wanna talk to the man more later. "I have a roommate staying with me and I don't wanna just ditch her, Abby. She didn't really have anywhere else to go. But hey, if you think it's a good idea maybe I can check them out and they'll set us up."

"Here," Felix says, a little embarrassed, as he pulls a business card out of a pocket. "Contact me if there's anything you need. You're owed a lot, and I intend to help you get what I can," He proffers the card between two fingers.

Vic takes the card and then pretends to put it in a shirt pocket that he doesn't have. Because he doesn't have a shirt on. "Why thank you." he mocks lightly, instead putting the card on the bed next to his hip. "Seriously though, thank you. I think with the exception of my parents and one person who isn't here this room has all the people in the world that give a damn about me." To which he chuckles ruefully. It's a dark-humored sort of regard. A leftover of that place he's found himself in over the past couple of months.

One Felix can sympathize with, by his expression. "No, thank you. You helped bring down one of the deadliest men I can think of. And we didn't even lose anyone, which is frankly more than I expected, knowing Sylar."

Knowing Sylar. Abigail knows Sylar, a little at least. The woman stays quiet in her seat, glancing back and forth between the two.

"I dunno. I think something about him's different." It might be a surprise to hear Vic say this. "He's probably sick. I can't imagine anybody like him doing the things he's done without being sick. So I kind of feel bad for him." None of this sounds insincere. He really seems to mean it, which is incredible considering the man killed one of his sisters. "The guy I talked to wasn't someone I could see just killing people in cold blood." Laying back in his bed he adds he sighs, shaking his head a little. "Still. He needs to stand trial. And get help. Or no kind of change will actually stick."

Fel's expression is odd. For a moment, it's like envy. "I have no doubt he's sick. But whatever compulsion drives him, he's killed a great many people. If he's competent to stand trial, he will. If not, he'll be remanded to treatment," he says, simply. And with that, he simply folds his lips on his own cynicism. It's like Victor should be able to believe in Santa for as long as possible.

"he fought in the Pancratium" She probably shouldn't say it. "The fight, to free me. Teo asked that he fight, so that they were almost 100 percent guaranteed to win, my freedom, everyone elses. He tried to kill Kazimir Volken too. So that I wouldn't have to kill him. There's good in him, somewhere. Remember that" Abby looks up at Felix. "Somewhere, there is"

Vic's ability to believe in Santa might amaze many people. Somehow he doesn't sound surprised at what Abby says. "I think there is. But good people can be sick. I think that's all there is to it." At least in his eyes, Gabriel isn't the monster he thought he was. If anything he's graduated to something to be pitied, not hated.

Fel's expression turns into a rather sickly mingling of humor and annoyance and patience. Very gently, he notes, "Abby, you seem to be suffering under the same misapprehension….some of your other friends and allies do. I am not a priest. His redemption is between him and God. Uncle Sam, however, is not interested in his apparent changes of heart. I arrested him not because I had a particular dislike, or some personal vendetta, but because he's wanted in relation to far too many deaths. People keep making personal appeals to me when it comes to Gabriel Gray. " He inclines his head respectfully to Victor. "Victor here already understands that - he came to law enforcement, much as he rightfully doubted us, much as I'm sure he wanted to avenge the death of his sibling on his own. "

But victor understood what she meant, unlike Felix. "I know. Which is why I'm not yelling and screaming about him being caught, or mad at you, and mad at Victor. He needs to make up, for what he did, like every other person. But they need to sort out first what it is that he's really done, what it is that he hasn't" It's quiet, polite. Not attacking. "Starting with the midtown. Which wasn't him"

"Yeah well, part of why I wanna be a cop is because the cops can't do the job anyway or else I wouldn't have had to track him down myself. So I'm not letting them off the hook." admits Vic with a smirk. "Not trying to blame you, Agent Ivanov, but what does it say when a college dropout with everyone against him manages to get the drop on the guy and the professionals can't? They weren't trying."

"They were operating under rules, while trying to juggle any number of cases," Felix points out, quietly. "It's obnoxious, but it's how things go. Very rarely can anyone person or squad work on one case to the exclusion of all others, and most of us don't have the freedom to pull up stakes and pursue one man for six months straight. Not to mention - he's known law enforcement's after him for some time, but I'll bet you good money it never really occurred to Gray that one of his victim's family members would seriously pursue him. I'm not denigrating what you achieved, it was remarkable. But no matter how the TV shows make it look, the one man maverick thing doesn't fly." May your lips burn from your hypocrisy, Felix. Abby gets a shrug. "That's what the trial process is about. Innocent until proven guilty. He may well be innocent when it comes to the destruction of Midtown. But that's not really what we're seeking him for."

"I know" Abby answers. She knows a lot of stuff, and she could say a lot of stuff, but she doesn't. "Victor, move over. I don't want to fall asleep in the chair, they're horrible on the back. That beds big enough if I sleep on my side" No snappy comment about how they'll devote resources to tracking down Sylar but not go on an island to get two men, possibly three. It's not Felix's fault.

"Whatever, they weren't trying. They were waiting for him to make a mistake and kill again. I wasn't going to wait. But it's cool. I'll fix it myself." Vic's lots of things, and now one more can be added to that list: Jaded. He doesn't believe in the best intentions of law enforcement. Joining it will be an effort to set it right. And because he's asked, he scoots over. With him there's almost no chance he'll be lewd about Abby 'sharing a bed' with him. "Sure," he tells her.

"I can take you home, if you're that tired," Fel suggests, not arguing further. There's that ghost of envy in his face. Where did his ideals go? At what turn in the road did he leave them behind?

Stay, with Vic… or go home. She'd already scared the nurses down where Baxter was when she fell asleep and woke up in the throes of a nightmare again. There's a glance to victor, indecision on her face. "I should Vic. Not that I don't want to keep you company but… My sleeping… I wake up, with really .. really bad nightmares right now. I'm better off home. I already scared the nurses here"

"Go ahead, Abby." agrees Vic easily. He would attempt some kind of contact with his right hand, a pat or squeeze of the hand maybe, but he's still kind of wrapped up and immobilized from before Abby healed him, so that's difficult. He'll have to fix that up later, once he's alone. "Thank you for healing me. And thank you Agent Ivanov. Really. In my book you're one of the good guys."

Fel inclines his head, "Thank you," he says, simply, and offers his hand to Abby.

"I'll come by tomorrow Vic, I'll bring the information about the place i'm at. They have two bedroom places as well" She doesn't take FElix's hand yet, leans over instead to plant a chaste kiss on Vic's forehead, a murmur for him before she turns to go. "I'll be in, in the morning, when they let visitors in" It's a promise. In beside Felix she falls in, not taking his hand though this time, just hands in pocket, ready to be walked out.

Vic closes his eyes as Abby does the forehead kiss. And smiles. "Thanks. See you then." he says, watching the others leave before he turns his TV up again to see the wonders of infomercials in the late evening.


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