07-20-2014, 10:41 PM
Continued from In the Heat of the...Tunnel?
Giovanni awoke, unaware of where he was until the smell of a hospital entered his nostrils. The scent itself bringing back memories of better times. The last time he had really been in a hospital was when he had acquired the Sickness, yet it was still before he had endured the emotional trauma of murder and being hunted.
Murder. He was unsure of the word. Had he really murdered his brother, or was it self-defense? What about when he killed the Atharim man at Michael's place? Giovanni thought on these things as the silence in the dark room lingered.
Silence. A sense that hadn't been around since the ordeal in the tunnels. Ordine and Caos had been his constant companions since he met the bloodsucker, but had not stirred since he awoke, leaveing Giovanni time to think without being interrupted. Giovanni checked the clock - it was 6:00 AM, and the sun had not yet risen.
Ordine caught up with him first, causing Caos to begin his muttering as well. "Help..."
Giovanni groaned and sat up, moving his arm carefully. His shoulder was stiff, but there was little pain. The shoulder had been wrapped in bandages and another shirt had been place on the chair next to his hospital bed - maybe some Red Cross donation or something. A glass of water sat next to the bed and suddenly Giovanni's thirst flared. He picked it up, drained it in seconds and slowly stood.
Surprisingly, the room remained level and Giovanni sighed before putting on the shirt and venturing into the hallway. A young nurse approached him, holding a chart and looking concerned.
"Sir, you've lost a lot of blood, you should lay back down,"
the young man's tenor voice said.
"Please, I just want to go to the chapel to pray. It's Christmas season,"
Giovanni said softly, feeling surprised that he actually meant the words.
"Help..."
Apparently the young nurse was new or actually felt moved by Giovanni's plea. He helped him walk down to the chapel. Giovanni refused the wheel chair, but the young man stayed with him, ready to assist Giovanni at a moments notice.
They arrived at the Chapel. The place was clean and well lit. Several candles stood in front of an icon of Mary - Giovanni assumed they were votive candles for the sick. A statue of Jesus on the cross sat at the front with an altar before it. Several pews adorned the room. All in all, the room was plain, but functional.
Giovanni sat in the second row and pulled a bible out of the pew in front of him. The nurse stayed outside the room, allowing Giovanni to have some privacy. He had never read the book, so he opened to the first page, and began to read silently.
"In the beginning, God..."
Giovanni closed the book and put it back in its place. God was one of the last words he wanted to see right now. Giovanni thought of all the bad things he had done in the last three years, beginning with the incident with his brother. Surely God wouldn't forgive that.
Giovanni put his face in his hands, feeling completely lost. Even as a vagabond, he had never felt this deep sense of isolation and confusion. Giovanni wondered what direction he would take, feeling uncertain of which one was truly the right one.
"Priest..."
Ordine's voice had caused him to jump, and Giovanni spotted the man who had sat down in the pew in front of him. He wore all black with the exception of the collar at his neck. A crucifix hung from his next. He was relatively young for a priest, his hair only showing a little gray, but the concern in his eyes was clear.
"I did not mean to scare you, son, but you look troubled,"
the priest's voice was soft and soothing.
Giovanni frowned and said, "I'm fine, Father, just a little tired, that's all."
The priest's brow furrowed, catching the lie, but the priest didn't call attention to it. "If you need anything, son, just ask. I'll leave you to pray for now, and will pray for you."
The priest stood to head back to his office and Giovanni thought on the man's words.
"Forgiveness..."
Ordine's words didn't catch Giovanni off guard. His own thoughts had been on forgiveness since he had woken up. The priest was a catalyst for Ordine's reaction. Giovanni turned to face the priest, his back facing Giovanni.
"Father,"
Giovanni said and the priest turned around, a hopeful peace in priest's eyes. "Does...God really forgive sins?"
The priest looked Giovanni in the eyes, pure compassion emanating from him. "We serve a merciful God, son. He always forgives those who ask. Would you like me to hear your confession?"
Giovanni turned his eyes from the priest's gaze, feeling as if his whole life were laid bare before the priest. The priest cared - truly cared -and Giovanni felt a strong urge to confess. He wasn't sure he could though.
Giovanni looked back up at the priest and shook his head in a silent no. The compassion in the priests eyes remained, but it was laced with sadness. The priest nodded to Giovanni, and although it was clear that he thought it be best for Giovanni to confess, he didn't push Giovanni. Perhaps he realized that Giovanni had to come on his own.
"I will continue to pray for you,"
the priest said as he turned back to kneel before the icon of Mary. The priest lit one of the candles, crossed himself, and began to pray silently.
Giovanni stood and began to walk out of the chapel. He hesitated a moment behind the praying priest, wanting to confess everything, yet not ready to. He kept moving and approached the nurse saying he was ready to go back to his room.
"Forgiveness...?"
Ordine's usual statement was a question laced with sadness.
The nurse escorted him back and informed Giovanni that the doctor wanted one last look before releasing him. They arrived at his room and Giovanni sat back down on his bed and waited. He suddenly just wanted to leave. Choices lay before him, and he had no idea which one he should make.
Edited by Giovanni Cavelli, Jul 21 2014, 09:06 AM.
Giovanni awoke, unaware of where he was until the smell of a hospital entered his nostrils. The scent itself bringing back memories of better times. The last time he had really been in a hospital was when he had acquired the Sickness, yet it was still before he had endured the emotional trauma of murder and being hunted.
Murder. He was unsure of the word. Had he really murdered his brother, or was it self-defense? What about when he killed the Atharim man at Michael's place? Giovanni thought on these things as the silence in the dark room lingered.
Silence. A sense that hadn't been around since the ordeal in the tunnels. Ordine and Caos had been his constant companions since he met the bloodsucker, but had not stirred since he awoke, leaveing Giovanni time to think without being interrupted. Giovanni checked the clock - it was 6:00 AM, and the sun had not yet risen.
Ordine caught up with him first, causing Caos to begin his muttering as well. "Help..."
Giovanni groaned and sat up, moving his arm carefully. His shoulder was stiff, but there was little pain. The shoulder had been wrapped in bandages and another shirt had been place on the chair next to his hospital bed - maybe some Red Cross donation or something. A glass of water sat next to the bed and suddenly Giovanni's thirst flared. He picked it up, drained it in seconds and slowly stood.
Surprisingly, the room remained level and Giovanni sighed before putting on the shirt and venturing into the hallway. A young nurse approached him, holding a chart and looking concerned.
"Sir, you've lost a lot of blood, you should lay back down,"
the young man's tenor voice said.
"Please, I just want to go to the chapel to pray. It's Christmas season,"
Giovanni said softly, feeling surprised that he actually meant the words.
"Help..."
Apparently the young nurse was new or actually felt moved by Giovanni's plea. He helped him walk down to the chapel. Giovanni refused the wheel chair, but the young man stayed with him, ready to assist Giovanni at a moments notice.
They arrived at the Chapel. The place was clean and well lit. Several candles stood in front of an icon of Mary - Giovanni assumed they were votive candles for the sick. A statue of Jesus on the cross sat at the front with an altar before it. Several pews adorned the room. All in all, the room was plain, but functional.
Giovanni sat in the second row and pulled a bible out of the pew in front of him. The nurse stayed outside the room, allowing Giovanni to have some privacy. He had never read the book, so he opened to the first page, and began to read silently.
"In the beginning, God..."
Giovanni closed the book and put it back in its place. God was one of the last words he wanted to see right now. Giovanni thought of all the bad things he had done in the last three years, beginning with the incident with his brother. Surely God wouldn't forgive that.
Giovanni put his face in his hands, feeling completely lost. Even as a vagabond, he had never felt this deep sense of isolation and confusion. Giovanni wondered what direction he would take, feeling uncertain of which one was truly the right one.
"Priest..."
Ordine's voice had caused him to jump, and Giovanni spotted the man who had sat down in the pew in front of him. He wore all black with the exception of the collar at his neck. A crucifix hung from his next. He was relatively young for a priest, his hair only showing a little gray, but the concern in his eyes was clear.
"I did not mean to scare you, son, but you look troubled,"
the priest's voice was soft and soothing.
Giovanni frowned and said, "I'm fine, Father, just a little tired, that's all."
The priest's brow furrowed, catching the lie, but the priest didn't call attention to it. "If you need anything, son, just ask. I'll leave you to pray for now, and will pray for you."
The priest stood to head back to his office and Giovanni thought on the man's words.
"Forgiveness..."
Ordine's words didn't catch Giovanni off guard. His own thoughts had been on forgiveness since he had woken up. The priest was a catalyst for Ordine's reaction. Giovanni turned to face the priest, his back facing Giovanni.
"Father,"
Giovanni said and the priest turned around, a hopeful peace in priest's eyes. "Does...God really forgive sins?"
The priest looked Giovanni in the eyes, pure compassion emanating from him. "We serve a merciful God, son. He always forgives those who ask. Would you like me to hear your confession?"
Giovanni turned his eyes from the priest's gaze, feeling as if his whole life were laid bare before the priest. The priest cared - truly cared -and Giovanni felt a strong urge to confess. He wasn't sure he could though.
Giovanni looked back up at the priest and shook his head in a silent no. The compassion in the priests eyes remained, but it was laced with sadness. The priest nodded to Giovanni, and although it was clear that he thought it be best for Giovanni to confess, he didn't push Giovanni. Perhaps he realized that Giovanni had to come on his own.
"I will continue to pray for you,"
the priest said as he turned back to kneel before the icon of Mary. The priest lit one of the candles, crossed himself, and began to pray silently.
Giovanni stood and began to walk out of the chapel. He hesitated a moment behind the praying priest, wanting to confess everything, yet not ready to. He kept moving and approached the nurse saying he was ready to go back to his room.
"Forgiveness...?"
Ordine's usual statement was a question laced with sadness.
The nurse escorted him back and informed Giovanni that the doctor wanted one last look before releasing him. They arrived at his room and Giovanni sat back down on his bed and waited. He suddenly just wanted to leave. Choices lay before him, and he had no idea which one he should make.
Edited by Giovanni Cavelli, Jul 21 2014, 09:06 AM.