Participants:
| Scene Title | What I Do Have… |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Cardinal comes to ask a big favor of Abigail and take a chance on something that might heal him. If it works right. |
| Date | April 4, 2010 |
Church somewhere in Greenwich
How long has he been there? Abigail doesn't know. Doesn't know that she was followed from the bar when she emerged in her easter best and headed off to church that her shadow was dark for there being no direct sun, or that something hitched a ride in her SUV with her. She got through most of service unaware of who was with her and that she wasn't alone. Easy enough with her mind whirling with everything going on. It was when she tried to actively clear her mind and listen to the sermon that she noticed the fluttering, tattering edges of the shadow that was in view.
The only acknowledgment that he got was a sinking of her fingers through the edges as if she could push the trailing edges back to the main body but she focused back on the Pastor up front. Joseph could do a better job. It's a rude thought, but it's her thought. When the service finally ends, there's a glance down. "Come on, there's a back room Richard" Whispered so that no one could hear her. And towards the back they went.
It's a tattered angel indeed that follows her through the church, trailing wings of torn shadow that might seem more at home with the spirit that took the firstborn sons of Egypt that terrible night. And yet, did not that Angel of Death serve the Lord as well?
The God worshiped in the church they walk through is not always a forgiving God.
Once they're safely away from the crowds, the shadow spills as a seething, fluttering mass about her own where it streaks across the wall. "Do you think He gives us second chances," asks Richard in that quiet, eerie whisper of his, "If we stay true, and faithful, and abide despite the trials and torments, do you think He will give us another chance… to do His will?" Job…
"I'd like to think that he always gives us second chances Richard. You're here aren't you? Francois is here by the grace of a god who saw fit to give Hiro his temporal gift" She points out. "Lazarus got a second chance, the blind man got another chance to see the world through his eyes. He's notorious for giving second chances" Abigail settles into one of the unused back rooms into a couch that's used for a bible study.
"This isn't my second chance, Abigail. I can only hold myself… together for so long…" A whisper from Cardinal as he slides over the back of the couch, draping over her shoulders, his soft voice earlier to hear from so close, "…but if you're willing to… take a risk… have faith… both of us might have our second chance." Our second chance..
"No one ever said second chances last long. They just sometimes last long enough" No surprise that he's having a hard time keeping himself together. he brought a nuke into the shadows with him and while she doesn't know how that impacted him, if it would kill a normal person…
But he used Our and she looks down to the darkness over her shoulder with crimped blonde brows. "Do you need help Richard? Do you need me to find you someone?"
"I need a healer, Abigail. I… someone taught me something, something I didn't know I could do… I might need Gillian's help to do it, but, I could bring someone in with me, and heal me…" Heal me…
"…but I don't know of any living healers who have the sort of — power they'd need. The damage is… severe. What I do have…" Richard pauses for a long moment, before almost sighing, "…is a syringe of the Formula." The Formula…
She'd heard of it. She knew what the formula did. What it was supposed to do. Peter had been dosed with it and got his ability back. nearly a year ago, she could have done what he asked, but now. She's quiet while she thinks on what he's said, looking away from the shadow and off towards the wall.
"It's your choice, Abigail." A quiet whisper from Cardinal, "I'll find another way, if you don't want to risk it… I wouldn't blame you at all…" At all…
"What happens if it goes wrong Richard? You can't blame me for asking. It's not like there's a lot of that stuff in the world that we know of. last I knew, it all went down the drain with Antarctica and into Peter" She's impossibly still, thinking about what he's asking, what he's offering.
"There were… three or four syringes that came back from the future. Isabelle had one of them, that's the one I used for Peter. The person who has the others agreed to let me use one for this if… you want. I'd never force this on you…" Of course not. Cardinal's voice is a quiet hiss, "It could… give you some completely unrelated ability… even Peter's was altered somewhat. The Formula's effects aren't… predictable." Chaotic…
"How soon do you need an answer Richard?" Her voice a little closer to his as she leans her head towards him. No, he wouldn't, and she understands that. Can figure out how desperate he must be if he's resorting to asking his former healer to please shoot herself up with super juice in the hopes that she'll get back some form of her healing and save him.
"Take all the time you like, Abigail…" A slide of shadowy tendrils brush over her cheek, although she probably can't see it - certainly can't feel it. "…so how have you been? Things have been… insane… lately, I know. With Kozlow and… all that…" The Russian…
"Bad. Team Charlie is dealing with it, and I'm… staying away. They'll handle it or they won't or Parkman and the legal side of things will end up catching them. For now I'm just trying to keep my head above water. Can't be easy for the rest of them" Abigail murmurs opting to close her eyes and lean back since she doesn't need to see Richard since there's not much to see.
"wish they'd just do what they're going to do and then leave us alone when all the smoke has cleared. Teo wanted us to move, afraid someone will just walk in and blow up the bar with us upstairs." There's more to everything but she doesn't voice it.
"Where's the formula Richard? I know you couldn't carry it yourself. Besides getting a gift, what else? Fever? Itchy?" Death. If she did this, she couldn't see Robert, what with him sick with the Evolved flu.
"If there's anything you need… just send word. You know I'll deal with it." Deal with it…
Cardinal's silent for a moment, before murmuring, "Tamara has it. It's safest with her, given her ability. Teodoro gave her the remainder of the Formula, hoping she'd know… who it give it to. And — it's legitimate, catalyzed Formula. It can't hurt you… per se." A pause, "But you and I have both seen people who regretted having the abilities they did." They did…
'They just never saw the light at the end of their ability and how they could use it to help Richard. If you didn't have yours, we'd be underwater. If I didn't have mine, we'd be all dying of H5N10 sooner, or " She could see Robert. The same reason that Al was able to go to the sick house? Maybe. who knows. "I'll do it Richard" She takes the leap, not even thinking of asking the others, asking anyone else. "You swallowed a nuke, you took a leap of faith and you accepted that you'd die. How can I not do that too? Maybe.. maybe I'll get healing back. We can pray that I do and that you.. that you can hug Liz again"
"Sometimes you have to have faith… thank you." Thank you… A quiet whisper from Cardinal, almost tentative, worried, "…I hope this… works. For both of us." Both of us…
There's a pause, and then he hisses out a laugh, "Hugging her's the least of the things I want to do, Abigail." Abigail…
"At least someone will be getting some" A year ago those words would have never been uttered out of her mouth. A year ago she was getting over being an emaciated blonde freshly sprung from a brothel and suffering from PTSD. "You've been nothing but trouble for the last year. Always whispering in my ear, and looking like a bird."
"I'm terrible, aren't I…?" A stir of whispered humor from Cardinal, "…I have no idea why you put up with me." Put up with me…
"Same reason you kept coming back and finding me on Staten Richard. Because in you, you're a good guy. It just hides behind the bad guy cause it'll get beat up by all the other bad guys. There's a deep inhale, letting it out through her nose.
"I'm scared Richard. More than I am right now. What if it's not healing, what if it is healing and what you need, and it doesn't work? What then? I'll need to register again"
"If you wanted to. You're on record as not having an ability, after all… tests confirmed it. That's up to you, though…" Richard Cardinal curls about her shoulders like a tattered shawl, "You don't have to. I— can find someone else. You know that." Know that…
He could find Francois, try that. He had a few syringes, try and get that healer, in case this time didn't work. "Just because I am afraid Richard, doesn't mean I won't do it. I was deathly afraid on that bridge" And in the brothel, Russia, so many times. "I guess Tamara will come find me, when the time is right then?" Becuase seeking her out won't get her, unless the time is right.
"I'll… make the arrangements, yes. I was afraid too. In that hole. Not for me, but…" Cardinal trails off, a sigh whispered, "…I don't know if she can handle losing me again, Abigail. Not after what she's been through. If things don't— work. You'll make sure she doesn't do anything stupid?" Stupid…
"I'll chain her to the bed and sic Alec and Felix on her Richard" Abigail promises. "Just hang in there. Don't you do anything more stupid than … this" Abigail points out right back to him.
"Sounds like her perfect idea of a vacation…" Humor in Richard's tone, "And you know me, Abigail. I specialize in stupidity…"
The shadow begins to spill away, down the edge of the couch, "…thank you. I'll be in touch soon…" Soon…
"I didn't need to know that. God bless Richard" Abigail murmurs, watching the shadow slip off, opting to remain sitting for now and contemplate what she just promised a friend she'd do.