The X-Files

- Good evening, Father. - Is she ready?

Yes.

Baptism is the rite of initiation.

This holy water takes away original sin.

The sacrament confers the grace of God,

Bringing the soul into God's family.

Dara, I baptize you in the name of the Father...

And of the Son...

And of the Holy Spirit.

Bless you, my child.

Dara?

Oh, my God.

Dara!

Dara!

Dara!

Dara!

Dara?

Oh, my God.

Dara!

No!

X-Files Season 5 Episode 17 - All Souls

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

It has been several months since my last confession.

You have a sin to confess?

Father, I'm an F.B.I. Agent.

I've taken it as my code and purpose to uphold the law.

To save lives.

And now your work has come in conflict with your faith.

In a way.

I was here for Easter services last week,

And Father McCue approached me for my help.

Why did he come to you?

Because there was a family that he felt needed my help.

But it was more than that.

Father, I had a daughter who died...

A strange and sudden death several months ago.

Father McCue thought that by helping these people...

You might in some way help yourself...

To come to terms with your grief.

- Yes. - But you haven't.

Father, I told you that I had a sin to confess.

But the sin of which I'm guilty, I'm not sure if you can offer forgiveness.

What is the sin?

An innocent girl is dead because of me.

I could've saved her life, but I let her die.

thank you so much.

Nice to see you. Happy Easter, Father.

Yes, Father. Happy Easter to you.

Good to see you. Wonderful sermon.

Dana, do you have a moment?

I'd like to speak with you in private.

I must say, Dana, it's been nice seeing you at mass again.

I've almost started getting used to it.

I've been trying to make an effort to come more often.

I don't mean to take advantage of your attendance,

But I've become involved in a difficult situation...

With a couple that are also members here.

- Do you know the Kernofs? - No, I'm afraid I don't.

Recently, they lost their daughter, Dara.

You may have heard about the situation. No, I didn't.

The circumstances of the girl's death were sudden,

And I'm afraid the police haven't been able to tell them much.

Are you asking for my help?

The Kernofs are devout, but their faith is giving them little comfort.

I thought with your background,

Your words might carry a certain weight.

Can I tell them you'll be visiting?

that's Dara on her 16th birthday.

We couldn't have children of our own.

I persuaded lance six years ago to adopt.

At first he was reluctant to accept a special - Needs child,

But he became so attached to her.

Then, this happens.

You make the choice never imagining something like this...

Or how vulnerable you are.

Dara had just been baptized.

I know in my heart she's gone to a better place, but lance is angry.

Angry at God. They say time heals.

Um, Father McCue said that you've been having trouble...

Getting much information about what might have happened to her.

They say now she may have been struck by lightning,

But no one seems to know for sure.

How she even got out of the house onto the street is a mystery.

- What do you mean? - Dara suffered from congenital spinal deformities.

She's been wheelchair-Bound her whole life.

- Could somebody have taken her out of her room? - Lance saw her walking,

And when he found her, she was on her knees praying.

I think that's the hardest part for my husband.

He'll never understand how God could...

Forsake the life of an innocent girl;

How God, in his mercy could let this happen to our Dara.

Mrs. Kernof was talking about her husband,

But she might as well have been talking about me.

You, too, were angry at God?

I felt drawn to these people, Father,

In a very personal way.

I was determined to help them understand why their daughter had been taken.

And did you?

As much as I have my faith, Father, I am a scientist...

Trained to weigh evidence.

But science only teaches us how.

Not why.

If you want me to stand by my report, I will,

But I have to say it's not exactly open and shut on the cause of death.

- You think it was lightning? - I'm guessing it was lightning.

The way her eyes were burned...

Suggests the bolt may have gone to ground, right through the top of her head.

Funny thing is, there was no other sign of arcing, except for the face.

Her mother said that she was found in a kneeling position.

Genuflecting.

Are you a religious person? Why do you ask?

I haven't been to church since I was a kid,

But I went last Sunday.

I'm gonna show you something.

Her body was rigored such that I had to do my examination...

In the position she was found.

I've never seen anything like it.

Looks like there was surgery done on her hands.

She was polydactyl. Same with her feet.

I haven't asked her parents yet, haven't had the heart to,

But I assume they had the extra fingers removed.

What's the connection?

I found no other evidence of any other tissue damage...

Or electrical burns or any other serious trauma.

It's as if God himself struck her down.

Dara Kernof was adopted.

I don't suppose that you've requested any information about the birth mother.

- I can do that if you like. - No, that's okay. I, uh--

I have someone I can ask.

Somebody I'd like to confer with, actually.

Koklos. Paula Koklos. Room 213.

We'll get her things packed up and get you on your way.

hold it!

Just hold it.

Are you Father Gregory?

Yes.

I'm Aaron Starkey with the department of social services.

I am very sorry, but we've had a mix-Up.

- What are you talking about? - Your adoption petition for Paula Koklos.

It's missing an approval.

I've got the court order. That's the mix-Up.

See, it never should have gone to family court...

Without getting an approval from the social worker assigned to the case,

And that's me.

Give it to me here then and we'll be on our way.

I can't, at least not yet. I've just been assigned to Paula,

So I'll need time to familiarize myself with her case.

Look, I've already been through all this. I'm here to take the girl home.

I'm sorry, Father, but you'll have to wait...

Until I can get the paperwork in order.

Hello.

Hey, Scully. I'm returning your call.

Hi. Uh, something's come up.

I was hoping that you could do me a favor.

What's going on?

This isn't official F.B.I. Business,

So I was hoping that we could keep it outside of work.

Hey, look, I'm kind of tailing a possible suspect right now, so I'm kind of rushed, so, uh--

I need some birth and adoptive records on a Dara Kernof.

- Who? - Dara Kernof.

I can't tell you much more than that, Mulder. I'm sorry.

You want to give me a hint? Anything?

Not until you get me those records.

All right. I'll talk to you later.

Scully?

Aren't you the secret squirrel. What do you mean?

Got a look at that body they wheeled out of here. You've been holding out.

Mulder, it's not what you think. I didn't want to involve you.

I got asked to look into this as a favor for a family.

Dara Kernof's family?

You found Dara's records? No. Those are her birth records.

The adoption records have been sealed.

I think one of my questions has already been answered.

Dara was a twin. No.

Actually, she was a quadruplet, one of four girls.

Was this cross found like this?

Yes, as far as I know. Why? It's inverted. Upside-Down.

That's a protest, a sacrilege against the church.

Put there by whom?

It's your case, remember, Scully? Do you have any suspects?

Not as of this time. Could the victim have placed it?

Uh, it's doubtful.

Paula Koklos was severely impaired...

Physically and mentally, as was Dara Kernof.

They both died the same way?

It appears that their eyes were burnt out.

Their bodies frozen in a position of prayer.

Their physical deformities could account for that.

They might.

Look, Scully, I know you don't really want my help on this,

But can I offer you my professional opinion?

You got a bona fide, super-Crazy religious wacko on your hands.

What makes you so sure?

The mote in the eye, the eyes as the window to the soul, eye for an eye.

He's working from ancient scripture,

Ancient text, maybe even the Bible.

He may even think he's doing God's work.

Did you find anything?

My name is Aaron Starkey. I'm the social worker assigned to Paula Koklos.

This is so tragic. I just hope you catch whoever did this.