Palatial Intimacy

XIX - The Brain

! Brief SA event here in this chapter !

April 22, 2030

"The Monster of Florence," Hannibal said, untangling the cords from around the LOOM helmets, "is me. You didn't know that at the time, however."

It was now the evening, and both of them had been given hours to recover. Will was feeling like himself again, and he decided he was ready to use the LOOM again. It was worth the risk; the memories that came from it were much more vivid. They were addicting, beautiful, and they helped him understand more about Hannibal's mind. He wanted to know what Hannibal really thought -- he was tired of that facade that the man always put on. That stoicism was not helping him trust Hannibal.

He hadn't learned much, in the grand scheme of things. They had only talked about trivial things, like how the two of them had met and Will's relationship with Pazzi. This was the first mention of murder, of true identity.

"I figured," Will replied. "You were hiding in plain sight."

"It was a perfect ruse, being hired to help you with the case." Hannibal shrugged. "But you're a brilliant man, Will. Too brilliant for your own good. I had to do something about it." He avoided Will's gaze, handing him his own helmet. "I could tell that you would eventually discover me. It wouldn't be long before you realized your profile matched me perfectly. Even if I changed my methods, you would figure me out."

"What did you do to stop me, then?" Will was pretty sure he had an idea, from the brief visions that had crossed his mind, but he wanted to hear Hannibal admit to it. He wanted to find out how, after all of these terrible things, they still ended up together in this intimate, poisonous ceremony.

"I didn't do anything. Or, at least, I didn't set off the chain of events. I had nothing to do with that." Hannibal finally sat, putting on his helmet and glancing over at Will expectantly. "You got sick."

Will looked into his eyes and put on his own helmet. "Show me."

Hannibal had given him tips for entering the LOOM's clutches: act like you're going to sleep, he'd said, and try not to think about what's actually happening. Will followed those orders, and moving into Hannibal's mind was much easier with that assistance. Maybe it was that, or maybe it was his acceptance of Hannibal that brought them closer together. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Inside, rather than appearing in the hallway, Will found himself in the cushioned chair by the fire. Hannibal was standing over him, shadows cast over his face, offering him a cup of tea.

"You may need some background information."

Will took the cup, and when Hannibal stepped away he felt a flush of warmth on his face. He heard faint raindrops hitting the glass roof.

"Viral encephalitis." Hannibal took a sip of tea. "Inflammation of the brain, often caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Usually causes memory loss, confusion, amnesia, personality changes, and often death if left untreated."

"Sounds pretty bad." Will stared down at the dark liquid, watching it ripple as he spoke down into the cup.

"Well, you survived it, so you're stronger than it. Your brain persevered, and you're still here."

"Damn. My brain's been through a lot." Will frowned. "Makes me wonder if I can trust myself anymore. If I can trust my train of thought."

"You are still brilliant. That aspect of your mind never changed. And I don't think many of the changes were permanent."

"Many? As in, you think some remain?"

"It's hard to pinpoint whether you've made a full recovery. Unless you've had any brain scans in the past few years."