CHAPTERS 8 AND 9

CHAPTER 8

Andrew slept very little during the night. The worry about Monica’s condition was a constant thought in his mind, as angels definitely weren’t used to catching colds. He sighed and stirred in his bed many times before he stood up and checked on his pocket watch: it was 4 AM and, unable to sleep, he left his bedroom and went to check on his dearest friend.

Quietly and slowly, so that Monica wouldn’t wake up, he opened her bedroom’s door, which had been left ajar, and walked over to her bed. The Irish angel was sleeping but it was easy to see that she wasn’t feeling alright. Her breathing was hard and there were traces of tiredness on her beautiful but pale face. Andrew sat down at the edge of the bed and placed his hand against her cheek, frowning with concern at what he had noticed: her skin was a bit hot, indicating what he was fearing since from the start – she had a fever.

“Angel... you’re really ill...” he whispered, double checking her. Then, aware she needed a bit stronger medication, he stood up and left the bedroom, heading to the kitchen to prepare her some more tea.

Twenty minutes later, he was back, now bringing hot tea and more medicine. He placed them on the bedside table and gently shook her, “Angel? Monica? Wake up...”

“... the wind, Andrew...”

“Wake up, angel... you have a slight fever...”

“What? What time is it?” she said, opening her eyes with a confused look.

“It’s half past four, Monica. And your cold is worse, you have a little fever...”

“Really?”

“Yes, and I made you some tea and brought some more medicine. Please, sit up a little and drink it.”

He helped her to sit up straight in bed and handed her the cup with hot tea. “If you don’t get better, angel, we’ll have to go to town.”

“I’m not that bad Andrew, believe me...”

“I hope not, angel. Now drink your tea and take your medicine...” he said, placing his hand over her knee. The Irish angel did as he asked her and, feeling extremely tired and a bit dizzy, she felt the need to lie down again. Andrew helped her to do so. “You keep on resting. I’ll stay right here by your side.”

“No... that’s not fair I sleep and you don’t...”

“That’s ok, Monica, I’m not sleepy right now...”

She felt like disagreeing with him but sleep and tiredness didn’t allow her to protest: Monica was quickly falling into a deep sleep. Glad that at least she would rest, Andrew took her hand in both of his and remained there, sitting on the chair beside her bed, praying that she could get better soon.

With infinite tenderness, he stroked her hair, “Oh angel... you’re very precious to me, you know... that’s why I can’t help worrying about you.” he whispered, his voice almost inaudible, “When you’re not okay, when you’re not feeling good, then I don’t feel good either...”

*

During the rest of the day, Monica’s fever remained low and Andrew spend the day praying that she would start recovering from the cold soon. But, by the end of the afternoon, the blond angel climbed up the stairs to see how Monica was and frowned with deep worry when he realised that the fever was higher than before.

“Monica? Angel?” he called, gently removing her hair from her face.

“... I’m so cold, Andrew...” she whispered, pulling the blanket closer to her despite the hot day.

“God, Monica...” he placed both hands on each side of her face and confirmed what he feared the most: she was getting worse. She was trembling with cold and her face was paler than before. “Stand up, Monica, I’ll take you to the hospital now.”

“I’m feeling so cold...”

The blond angel searched inside her closet and found a warm coat and a turtle neck sweater. “C’mon, angel, sit up straight and dress this...” he said, placing her clothes on her bed. “I’ll get take Tess’ car out of the garage while you get ready, you need to see a doctor immediately.” He spoke, with concern in his voice.

Some time later, with Andrew’s help, Monica left her room and climbed down the stairs. The blond angel placed her inside the Cadillac and both headed to the town in the base of the mountains.

Both soon arrived at the city and went straight to the city hospital, and, despite her illness, the Irish angel could feel the great worry in her dearest friend’s heart and it made her feel even worse to be causing so much trouble. With his arm protectively around her shoulders, Andrew led her to the counter where a receptionist was already watching them. “May I help you? Is there something wrong with the lady?” he asked, immediately laying his eyes on Monica.

“Yes, my friend has a bad cold and a high fever, she’s not feeling well...” he said, with anguish evident in his green eyes.

“Okay, I need some information here and I’ll send you to Dr Baker...”

The man wrote down their names and addresses – and the blond angel was glad that they were staying at the cabin. Then, the receptionist asked a nurse to take them to a waiting room on the second floor of the building. “You’ll wait here, Dr Baker is going to see you soon, Monica.” a nurse politely said.

Andrew gently helped Monica to sit down and stood right next to her, with his arms permanently around her shoulders. While they waited, the Irish angel snuggled close to him: she didn’t want to cause trouble, that was true, but at least she was grateful that, if she had to go through that, she had her beloved friend together with her.

A few minutes later, the door was opened and the nurse called them. “Monica, you may come in now,  Dr Baker will see you...”

Andrew helped her up and entered the room together with her – he didn’t even consider the idea of staying outside and letting her go alone. A tall, grey haired man, in his late fifties, was sitting at his desk and smiled friendly when he saw the couple and didn’t miss the care in the blond angel’s eyes and actions.

“Good evening, I’m Dr Baker.” He greeted friendly, after Monica had sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

“Nice to meet you doctor...” Andrew shook hands with the man, “I’m... I’m Andrew, this is my friend, Monica. She’s not feeling well; she has a fever and her head aches...”

He stood up and walked over up to the little angel, eyeing her with a slight smile, “Hi, Monica... You know, you remind me of my daughter.”

“Really?” she said, with a faint smile due to her serious condition.

“Yes, my Barbara is exactly like you... hair, eyes... I wish she could see you!” as he talked, he started checking her eyes.

“Does she live with you?”

“Yes, yes. We only have each other, you see. Her mother died when she was very young and in fact, she should be here tonight; Barbara is following her dad’s footsteps and will become a doctor soon.”

“You must be very happy, then!”

“I’m so proud; she’s the most precious gift God could ever give me!” he spoke, not hiding his enthusiasm, which, in a way, did please the little Irish angel. With so many sad events, she finally could hear a happy story. “Hum... Yes, it seems you have a bad cold, Monica...” The man frowned and looked at Andrew, “... and a very worried friend here!”

“Andrew worries too much, doctor. I’m sure lots of people with the condition similar to mine have been here today...”

“Well, in fact, he is right to be worried. I don’t like this noise I can hear in your lungs...”

The man checked on her, under Andrew’s attentive eyes, and, after he kept his stethoscope, the blond angel asked, “So, how is she? Is it serious? Does she...”

“Please, please, calm down, son. In fact, I suspect that you have the beginning of a pneumonia, Monica.”

“Pneumonia?” Andrew’s voice was a haunted one, but the doctor quickly tried to calm him.

“It’s serious but I’m glad you brought her here soon. It’s really in the beginning and if she takes the proper medicines and do as I say, she’ll recover soon, maybe in some days. I will prescribe her some antibiotics and some vitamins.”

Andrew frowned with worry to hear those words and tenderly stroked his dearest friend’s hair, and felt a tiny inch of joy when she turned her head and shot him a reassuring smile.

The doctor finished to write the prescription and handed it to the blond angel. “Here it is; there is a small drugstore inside the hospital building, on the ground floor, I believe you’ll find these medications there.”

“Thank you doctor.”

“You take them according to what I prescribed, avoid swimming or walking around in the cold air and especially, you need to rest, Monica. And... Well, somehow I have the slight impression that Andrew here will take really good care of you, young lady!” he winked at her and that remark produced a smile on both angels’ faces.

“Yes, you’re right, Dr Baker; I’ve been blessed with a wonderful friend. Andrew always takes good care of me, you know. In fact, he’s a wee bit of a protector!”

Finding his blushing face rather cute, she squeezed her friend’s hand and he nodded his head, “That’s right, I am. And I’ll keep on like this forever!”

“I’m glad to hear that! I like you, young lady... Well, maybe for obvious reasons but there is a light in you... I can’t possibly explain.” He said, amazed with the resemblance between Monica and his daughter. “Please, Andrew, bring her here in 3 days, so that I can check on her again.”

The two angels bid the doctor goodbye and went back to the ground floor. There, they asked a nurse where the drugstore was and she patiently gave them the right direction. They would have to pass through a very long corridor, where many people passed by. Some were ER patients, taken by the nurses to their destination; others, people who worked at the hospital, and they were all in a hurry. There was a large hall at the end of this corridor and then the back doors, leading to a patio where the drugstore was. The angels would have to cross that long distance to reach the pharmacy and then come back, as their car was parked in front of the hospital.

They were in the middle of the corridor when Monica started to feel her head spinning a little, besides the constant ache that was almost causing her to close her eyes. She stopped walking and turned to her dearest friend, “Andrew, I guess I’ll be sitting here waiting for you if you don’t mind...”

Those words scared him a little, “Monica, I don’t think this is a good idea, you know...”

“I’ll be sitting right here, on this chair, Andrew. I’m not feeling well... I’m still cold and my head hurts...”

Sighing deeply, he looked at her brown eyes, still reluctant to leave her there, alone, away from him. But she wasn’t feeling alright, that was for sure. The paleness and exhaustion on her meek face were evidences of this. And pondering about the apparent safety of the place – there was an officer that stood by the entrance door, he finally nodded his head.

“Yes... I’m... I’m sorry, you’re right, angel.” He helped her to sit down, “Stay here, I won’t take long ok? I’ll be back in a minute, I promise.”

Placing a tender kiss on her forehead, Andrew left the hall in a rush towards the direction indicated by a nurse.

*

When he came back, however, his heart nearly stopped beating and he froze with panic: Monica was nowhere around the corridor or in the hall he had just passed by.

The Irish angel had disappeared.

CHAPTER 9

Andrew felt the colour disappear from his face and his hands became cold with nervousness: he had left Monica there for less than 5 minutes and now she wasn’t anywhere around.

“Ma’am... excuse me, have you seen my friend? She’s short and has long reddish hair...” he asked, to an old lady who was passing by.

“No, I don’t think so... was she with a baby girl?”

“No...” he said, frustration and fear evident on his face. With a miserable expression on his face, the blond angel started asking for Monica to every single person he met, his heart racing at the memories of his latest assignments; the images of all these women so brutally murdered came back one by one, as in a quick flashback he knew he would never forget.

“Father... please, send her back to me... please...” he prayed, heading towards the officer who kept the main entrance.

“Please, sir, I’m looking for my friend... she’s short and thin and has reddish brown hair... Have you seen her going out of the building?”

“I’m sorry sir, I guess not but I’m not totally sure...” the man said, with a confused look, “You see, lots of people pass through these doors...”

*

Not far from there, in the corridor that led to another entrance, Monica and a 4 year old little girl headed to the same information counter she had been to when she arrived at the hospital with Andrew. The Irish angel was holding the girl’s tiny hand and had a worried look on her face, while her little friend shed some tears.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart, I’m taking you to a place where people will look for your mommy.”

“I want my mommy...”

“I know, I know. And she’ll be with you soon, you’ll see!” Monica said, stroking her dark brown hair. They arrived at the counter and the Irish angel was quick to ask for help to the same receptionist that was there when she arrived, “Excuse me, I met this little girl at the other side of the hospital, near the back door entrance, and she said she got lost from her mother...”

“Oh, there is a report for a missing child inside the hospital... What’s her name?” the man asked.

Monica knelt in front of the little girl and kissed her hand, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Amy...” she replied, never stopping from crying.

“Amy Garner, it can only be her! Ms Garner was looking for her!” the man said, immediately dialling some numbers on the phone.

“I’m sorry?”

“Her mother has been here too, she is desperate looking for this little girl!”

“So the mother is still, here? Oh thank God!” Monica heaved a sigh of relief and prayed that the woman would arrive soon, as Andrew had no idea where she was and would be extremely worried if he came back from the drugstore and didn’t find her.

Hardly did she know that that had already happened.

*

Andrew even thought about going to the police to find Monica when someone advised him to go to the information counter, on the other side of the hospital, to try to find out where his dearest friend was. Pacing quickly, with a permanent frown in his forehead, he walked along the corridor and soon arrived at his destination.

And, a couple of minutes later, a surge of relief filled his soul when he saw Monica walking towards him. Amy, the little girl, was sitting on a chair right next to the counter, drinking some water and a bit calmer due to the angel’s soothing words.

But, as she came closer to Andrew, Monica felt a sudden sensation of sadness inside her heart she couldn’t explain. It took her just a few seconds to find out, though.

“Andrew?”

“Monica, where have you been?” he spoke, with distress in his voice.

“I had to come here for a few minutes, I...”

“God, Monica, I was desperate looking for you! Have you got any idea of how worried I was when I came back there and didn’t find you?”

The slightly loud voice caused the Irish angel’s heart to beat quickly – he was upset with her. “I’m... I’m sorry, I was there waiting for you but...”

“I was so desperate that I almost called the police to look for you, thinking that you could be in danger or something even worse! Gosh, Monica, can’t you do what people ask you at least once?!”

“Andrew, I...”

“I don’t wanna hear your excuses! What were you thinking?! You were not a bit considerate to me! No wonder Tess is always scolding you, you do feel the need to do exactly the opposite you’re told to do!”

Those hurtful words were spoken without thinking but they reached the angel’s heart instantaneously. Some tears filled Monica’s brown eyes and it took them only a few seconds to roll down her cheeks; she could feel her legs trembling and a blush rose in her face, evidence of the mix of shame and sadness that took over her soul.

And, watching that sudden change, Andrew immediately realised what he had done, the hurt and pain he had inflicted on the person who least deserved. Feeling instant regret, the blond angel was going to say something when a short, petite woman, with auburn hair and brown eyes, arrived at the counter crying desperately.

“My daughter, I’m looking for my daughter!” she said, and, as soon as she heard her mom’s voice, the little girl jumped from the chair and ran to her, “Mommy!”

“Amy! Oh God, thank You so much!”

Mother and daughter held each other tightly and the woman turned to the man at the counter, “Thank you so much!”

“In fact it was this lady who brought her, ma’am.” He said, pointing at a now miserable Monica. Holding her baby girl in her arms, the woman turned to the Irish angel with a grateful expression on her face, “Oh thank you so much, miss. I was so desperate...”

Gathering all her efforts, Monica swallowed hard and nodded, “She... she was lost in the corridor near the back entrance and I... I saw her crying and, when I came closer to her she told me her mom had gone...”

After hearing those words, Andrew suddenly felt like disappearing from the world. All his anger and exasperation were replaced by a huge, terrible sensation of guilt and shame. The blond angel felt deep regret about lashing out on Monica so harsh and unfair words and he didn’t even know how he would start asking for her forgiveness – if he deserved it anyway. His worst fears, the ghosts he had been constantly trying to fight, had caused him to hurt the one who had been a permanent companion, a real angel in his existence, trying to help him to overcome all the sorrow and anger he was feeling – and instead of retribution, he showed her more anger.

“God must have placed you here, miss, I can’t even start to imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t found her,” her voice trailed off and she breathed a long sigh, “She’s all I have in this world, she means the world to me, my life...” the woman concluded, still with tears in her eyes, and squeezing her daughter tightly.

“I’m... I’m glad I could help...” the Irish angel spoke, hoarsely. And at that moment the girl’s mother noticed that there was something wrong happening there, “Are you alright?” she asked, looking first at the tears that Monica tried to hide by wiping her face and then at Andrew, who was standing right next to her with guilty eyes.

“I’m... I have a bad cold, but... but the doctor has already prescribed me some medicine... I’m happy that you both found each other but I guess I’ll be going now... I need to rest...”

“Oh yes, there is a thunderstorm coming. I hope you get better soon, miss. And thank you again, for everything.” She turned to the little girl, “Hey sweetie, say bye to the lady.”

“Bye...” the girl said, still a bit scared.

“Bye, bye, sweetheart.” Monica stroked the girl’s cheek and then headed towards the entrance gate, without looking at Andrew, who walked right behind her wishing nothing more than holding her tightly and beg for her forgiveness.

“Monica...” he spoke, in a feeble attempt to make her stop. But the Irish angel kept on walking, with tears now freely falling from her eyes. A loud, scaring thunder echoed in the air and lightening crossed the night skies already filled with dark clouds heavy with rain. “Monica, angel, please stop...”

Sensing that at that exact moment she wouldn’t do what he was asking, he gave a few more steps and gently grabbed her shoulders, making her turn around to face him. “Monica, please, forgive me! I don’t know what I was thinking... I didn’t mean to hurt you, I didn’t mean those words, please, angel, forgive me!” he pleaded, with tears now in filling his own eyes and cupping her chin so that she could face him. But the Irish angel couldn’t look at him; she kept her eyes lowered while the hot tears didn’t stop from falling. “Monica, look at me, please, I beg you!”

Practically sobbing, she managed to say a few words, “...I want to go back to the cabin...”

“Monica, please, angel, listen to me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he replied, reluctant to let her go and the fact that she was fighting to get free from his grip only made his heart break again. He was about to say something else, but a strong gust of wind blew through the parking lot and another lightening, followed by a thunder, crossed the dark sky, reminding him that she was ill and couldn’t stay outside. “Let’s... let’s go back to the car... I’ll take you back...” he finally said, realising that apologising at that moment wouldn’t work.

They entered the Cadillac and left the hospital afterwards.

*

Right before he took the road to the mountains, Andrew had to go through a gas station first, as he had noticed that the fuel level was a bit low. The young man who worked there came outside to greet the blond angel with a cordial smile, “Good evening, sir! Want some help there? We were about to close...”

“Good evening... I’m running out of gas here...” Andrew replied, with  permanent distress in his soul. Monica was sitting on the passenger’s seat next to him but looking outside her window, without even moving, and with tears still falling from her eyes. 

“Oh, I can fill it for you, sir, it’ll be just a minute...”

A few minutes later, the attendant finished his task and Andrew paid him,  and it was impossible not to notice the distress over both angel’s face and the lady’s crying face. “Here it is, thank you...”

“Anything else, sir?”

“No, that’s all. Thanks...” he spoke.

“There’s a thunderstorm coming soon; you had better find shelter as soon as you can...”

“Yes, we’re... we’re going home.”

“Hope it’s not that far...” 

“Well, it’s about an hour from here, up in the mountains,” Andrew spoke, entering the car again.

“Oh so you’d better hurry, sir, it’ll start raining very soon!”

“Yes, I will. Thank you again.”

“Thank you, good night!”

The silence between the two angels during the small trip back to the cabin was as troubling as the road ahead of them. At that time of the night, the car highlights and the constant lightening in the sky weren’t enough to light the dark winding way and, although she didn’t say a word, all that darkness was bothering Monica deeply. Andrew knew it, though, he could feel her distress inside his own heart, “We’ll be there in some minutes, Monica.” he said, in an attempt to calm her, but having not a single reply.

And indeed, twenty minutes later, the angels arrived at the cabin – together with a huge, scaring thunderstorm. Noticing that she didn’t wait for him to open the door for her – as he usually did, Andrew was quick to run to her side and, still facing her reluctance, he took off his coat and covered her with it, so that they could face the rain a few steps up to the entrance door.

“Hey, little one...” he spoke, as Joy was already waiting for them behind the door, and noticed that the small animal was visibly annoyed. “What’s the matter with you, huh? Are you scared with the thunderstorm?”

Some loud barks were his reply and, after Monica had sat down in the couch (without his support), he looked around the living room, frowning with concern, “Hey, what’s the matter, Joy?” he said, as the little dog didn’t stop barking.

Suddenly, they heard a noise, coming from upstairs, and the two angels looked at each other.