Silas felt angrier than he ever felt in his life. Jean looked kind of shocked too.
Wasting no time, Silas, with all his force, punched Jean in the nose, twisting it at an akward angle, and lifted Genevieve up off of the floor, and dashed out of the room.
Silas felt like this was shooting the bishop all over again, except this time it was his wonderful Genevieve. He ran down the street, back to the hospital. The doctors would probably wonder what was happening in his life, but Silas didn't care.
Genevieve's head fell limply onto Silas' arm. He glanced down at the grave bullet wound in her chest. It narrowly missed her heart. He felt his legs carry him faster towards the hostial which was dead ahead.
--
Genevieve was just coming to, when she noticed she was being carried. She looked up and saw a blurry image of Silas with tears streaming down his face. She looked about the room. she was in.
She was in a hospital waiting room. Everyone was staring at her and Silas.
A doctor helped Silas put her gently onto a stretcher. She made an effort to speak.
"Silas..."
"Oh thank God, you're alive!" Silas exclaimed. Genevieve heard the doctor tell Silas he wasn't allowed in the emergny room, but he could see her after the operation. He understood, but held onto Genevieve's hand none the less.
--
Aringarosa heard a gun shot down the hallway. Silas and Genevieve were in trouble! He ran down the hallway, but when he got to room seventeen, Silas nor Genevieve were there, except for presumably Jean, on the floor clutching his nose.
Aringarosa took out his cell phone and called the police. This criminal had done enough damage for today. But what was this? There was blood on the floor. Was Silas or Genevieve shot? Aringarosa stayed with Jean until the police came, and then he ran off as quickly as he could to the hospital.
--
Silas sat in a chair near the emergency room, nervously awaiting the news on Genevieve. Hate for Jean was boiling in his blood incredibly now. Suddenly, he saw someone come through the front doors of the hospital. It was the bishop! Silas ran to meet him.
"Silas, are you okay?" he asked, "where's Genevieve?"
"In the emergency room," Silas told him, painfully, "she pushed me out of the way of Jean's bullet."
Aringarosa sighed. "You two needn't worry about Jean anymore; The police have him behind bars now."
The two men sat near the emergency room impatiently for hours, when finally, a nurse came out of the room.
"I'm happy to say your girlfriend is alright," she said.
Silas smiled. Same with the bishop.
"But she's still very weak," the nurse continued. "You can see her now if you'd like."
Silas nodded and stepped into the room. Genevieve was in a bed with a bandaged chest. She seemed to just be waking up from a very deep sleep. She yawned.
"There you are, Silas," she said, feebly.
"Oh, Genevieve," Silas said, taking a seat next to her, "why did you do that? You nearly got yourself killed."
"I couldn't bear it if Jean killed you," Genevieve explained, "I sensed that God would protect me, and He did. I love you too much to let you get killed because of some jealous idiot."
Silas sighed. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."
"And I am the luckiest woman.
Silas leaned in and kissed Genevieve lightly. But suddenly, a strange emotion came over him.
He loved Genevieve so much that he would tear the world apart if it made her happy, and Aringarosa said he could get married to her and have children! But what about Opus Dei? This orginization was his life. They had saved him from the cruel poverty in which he came from, and he would be forever in debt to them. But it was no way to repay a debt by not being a member anymore. And he made certain comitments and he liked being a monk. He couldn't just give it up like that! He felt a wave of sadness drench him. He sighed and broke up their kiss.
"What's wrong?" Genevieve asked.
"Genevieve," Silas started, trying to find the right words, "I-I don't think we can keep this up..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well..." Silas was having a hard time, not wanting to hurt Genevieve's feelings. "I-It's not that I don't love you, but I don't think we can be together anymore. I'm a monk, and I've made certain sacrifices and I must stick by them."
"But you said Bishop Aringarosa told you you could not be a monk anymore," Genevieve said, still confused.
"But remember the story I told you of how I used to be before Opus Dei rescued me?"
"Yes."
"I owe my life to them. And... well... I just can't leave them like that. Please understand that I love you so much, but..."
Genevieve nodded. "It's okay, Silas. I understand. Religion means a lot to you. Besides, even if you did ask me to... marry you, I wouldn't be ready."
Silas nodded, feeling tears brim in his eyes. Genevieve's eyes welled up with tears also.
--
Days past, and Genevieve healed nicely. Despite their 'break up' Silas visited Genevieve everyday. Until, Genevieve was let out of the hospital and it was time for her to leave London.
She and Silas stood on the steps of the headquarters, gazing silently into each other's eyes.
"Well," Genevieve said, trying to talk over the lump that was forming in her throat, "I'm leaving"
"I hope you've had a good time," Silas said.
"Silas," Genevieve smiled, "I've had the time of my life here, with you."
Silas smiled, painfully. He took something out of his pocket and pressed it into Genevieve's hands. It was a rosary.
"Take this to remember me by," he whispered.
Genevieve smiled, took it, and put it in her jeans pocket. She also pulled out something.
"Take this," she said, handing Silas a necklace with an emerald on it .
Silas smiled and pocketed it. Genevieve couldn't stop her tears this time.
"Silas," she said, "know that I will never ever forget you." she sniffed as her tears splattered onto the cement. "I love you," she managed.
Silas felt his tears roll down his cheeks too.
"I will never forget you either... I love you too," he said.
Genevieve looked up at Silas.
"Silas, I know you're a monk and all but..." she hesitated. "Kiss me one last time."
Silas gladly fulfilled her wish, kissing her as ardently as he could. Once they broke aprat, the taxi that took Genevieve to the airport arrived.
Genevieve sniffed again. "Goodbye Silas," she said.
Silas could only wave as he watched Genevieve go down the stairs and into the taxi. As the driver pulled away, Genevieve set her bag down, clutched the rosary Silas had given her and cried her heart out.
Silas leaned on the side of the headquarters, sobbing into his forearms. He held the necklace while his tears fell, trying to remember the kiss he had given her.
From then on, Silas never really underestimated women again. And whenever it cam time for him to wear his cilice, he only wore it two hours a day, and left it a couple of notches loose. Just for Genevieve.
THE END