Confessions And Fragile Ground

Log Archive » Logs for February 2009 » Confessions And Fragile Ground

Participants:

Scene Title	Confessions And Fragile Ground
Synopsis	Mohinder lays some things out on the table before he leaves.
Date	February 7, 2009

Nalani's Condominium

Mohinder knocks on the door to your office, "Nalani?" he calls out gently?

The office was through a very nicely appointed, but comfortable, personal entertainment room. The door left partly open but dark in the room. "You need to go with Rami Mohinder" Comes from the darkness. "You have government things to do. They'll want to look you over, I'm sure of it"

Mohinder leans against the doorway, but doesn't enter quite yet. "You're right, they will. But sometimes other things are more important."

She's on a couch in the room, the light from the doorway barely making a dent into it. The desk and chair untouched. papers, letters, things in neat piles on her desk. hard bound copies of her magazine line the shelves behind it. Some of the covers grace her walls and she and rami glance out in some candid picture that's blow up to 11x12 on the wall. "My brother and I will be fine Mohinder. We are both under a great deal of stress. We'll get over it"

Mohinder shakes his head, "That's not what I'm talking about, Nalani."

'Then what are you talking about Mohinder. My head hurts too much to play games and I canceled a day at work to care for you" It's not complaining, just exasperation. No offer to come in further is given, but there's also no demand for him to leave.

Mohinder bites his lip, "I'm talking about wanting to be honest with you. I'm not trying to hide anything on purpose. It's..it's not in my way - and I think that's why I never allowed myself an outside life. I want to tell you everything - very much, because I think it's important. I just want to make sure it is safe for both of us if I do. With what I've accomplished, I think I will have a good amount of leeway in making that happen."

He's like Rami. Same job. Secrets, government. It's that way of life. "How are you sure Mohinder that it wasn't me using something else to make you want to tell me secrets? I almost made my brother tell me" She's so tired. The creak of the couch gives evidence that she's moving, moved, something and after a minute she's standing, coming towards the door.

Mohinder is still leaning against the doorway, more towards the closed portion of the door than the open part though his head is turned that way. "Because I know you're a good person..and I'm almost willing to bet that it's something that's still quite reflexive for you to use yet. If you're this scared about using it, then *I* can guess for certain that you don't mean to use it on those close to you. Like your brother..or hopefully me?"

"It's like breathing. Do you wonder how you got here Mohinder? Every word out of my mouth in the alley and the car was using it. Getting you in finding out what happened, and getting you to sleep. I use it like breathing. It is like breathing to me, or a cigarette. I can turn it off if I want, I can suppress it but you see what happens." She stands before him at the door, a wet cloth in hand, damp forehead and side swept bangs. She's not perfect, no ideal glamazon. "Pressure and headaches and I've fought with my brother, snapping at something that isn't his fault. You need to go, do what you need to go do Mohinder. I'm not going anywhere. You already talked in your sleep regardless" She shakes her head, making to move past him.

Mohinder moves to stop you, "Nalani, you doing that probably saved my life and I will always be thankful for that. I can't express that enough. I'm not saying you're full of the goodness and light of the universe. But what I /am/ saying is that you use it for good things as well as to do what you need to do. I for one am not going to breathe a word of it to anyone.." he trails off, trying to put what he feels into speech. "I just want you to know..I'm grateful..and.." he trails off, running a hand through his hair…

"Someone would have found you Mohinder. Rami would have found you. You would have called him. But your welcome." Her movement impeded by the Indian man in front of her.

Mohinder doesn't try to move so she can pass, "There's something else I want you to know."

"What is that Mohinder" Nalani's voice softens, just a touch. She could demand it, but he's offering and she's not in the mood to make him do what she wants. Especially with Rami likely lurking nearby.

Mohinder takes a deep breath. "First, you were right. I wasn't on assignment. I was being held against my will. Every night, I heard your voice. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you."

Which means Rami outright lied. But then, how many other times had he lied to her. "Don't say your in love with me Mohinder. You can't. We've had one dinner, you came over for Christmas eve dinner and we had coffee. I'm glad that I kept you going, that thinking of me kept you going. But .." Nalani reaches up to rub at her temple again. "What is the second"

Mohinder shakes his head, "No, Nalani. I'm not going to say I'm in love with you — However, you were the one thing that truly got me through that situation. Second..just know that I will never /ever/ judge you. On anything." he looks at her with a fragile warmth.

Nalani's eyes watch Mohinder, studying him carefully before she nods, black hair shifts on her shoulders. She believes him. "But that doesn't stop me from judging myself, nor Rami from doing it" Her hand tightens on the damp cloth, a drop of moisture falling to the carpet. 'What did you cure mohinder?" It's spoken with hesitation and with deliberate attempt to suppress the power that wants to work it's way in with the words.

Mohinder takes a deep breath, "There is a disease. It affects those who have abilities - it shuts them down." he speaks quietly, in a whisper, so as not to be heard. "Tell /no one/ that I told you this. Not even Rami. I do it freely..because I wish there to be ONE person in my life from which I have as few secrets as possible." he continues, "it is fatal to those who contract it. My sister was the original carrier of this affliction. It's named after her — the Shanti Virus, they called it. There has never been a cure for it..until now."

Nalani's eyes widen, her white knuckled hand loosening but not dropping the cloth. "Shuts the ability down? Or… kills the evolved?"

Mohinder looks at Nalani, "Both. Losing the ability is but a symptom of the virus as a whole."

It's a little harder to breath. Nalani turns away from Mohinder, her hands coming down on the edge of the desk and leaning against it. A virus that killed evolved. "You cured it" Not a question, more a statement made in shock. She closes her eyes, head hanging down, the sheet of her hair hiding her face.

Mohinder nods "Yes.." he says, a slight pause there. "I did."

"Mohinder. Is there something that suppresses an ability? Turns it off, keeps it off?" It's an innocent question, really, what with the previous confession from the doctor.

Mohinder takes a breath, "Not yet. That was part of my research before I was.." he trails off. "There are those whose ability is just that, though."

Nalani nods, pushing herself away from the table, standing upright instead of leaning. "Go to Rami Mohinder. I'm not going anywhere. You have things to do" There's a shooing motion made with her hand. Dismissed. All her assistants know what it means, even as she's trying again to go for the door, to get around Mohinder, squeeze past if she has to.

Mohinder moves, only slightly so it's only a little better than squeezing past. "Nalani.." he says, his voice almost a whisper.

Nalani looks over, nearly face to face as he verbally stops her. Brown eyes meeting brown eyes. 'Yes Mohinder?" The lines around her eyes from tehs tress and the perpetual thunderstorm in her head, also an indicator that someone needs to go in for a little touch up with the plastic surgeon.

Mohinder can't take it anymore. He leans in and gently kisses you. Just a lingering kiss.

She'd escape from it, move away. It's not her thing, she doesn't want it to come off as pity. But close quarters make that difficult and so, she lets the kiss linger, even pressing back, lips parting just a touch before she breaks off the kiss. "You need to go catch up with Rami. Your still ill Mohinder. I can feel the fever" But she returned it, none the less. "You have work to do, you've been missing, there will be people worried" Her free hand come sup to cup the side of his face, cradle it gently. "you need to go meet Rami wherever he is and go do what you need to go do with regards to your job Mohinder. I'll still be waiting. you have my number"

Mohinder nods, "I do, and I know." he backs up a little and smiles. Though the innuendo that he also knows what you did there lingers. "I should go, though. Get all this sorted out. I'm /still/ going to take a long overdue vacation, though." he turns and heads to the bedroom where he was staying, so he can change clothes.

Nalani departs, not back to her office, but back to other parts of the condo, leaving Rami to Mohinder to deal with. The intercom is pressed in her bedroom, buzzing to the kitchen where Consuela likely is and when she gets an answer, there's a request for tea, more drugs, and that Mohinder and Rami be looked in, to see if they needed anything. They're still guests in her home. She needs to take care of them.