CHAPTER 17

“No… She can’t be…” Paul was shaking his head in disbelief as he haltingly stepped forward.

Tess was beyond words for one of the first times in her existence. One hand covered her mouth and tears tracked down her face. As an angel she knew better than most that death was nothing to be feared, but that dialed to wipe away her grief. There was no precedent for this. She didn’t know when Monica would be returned to them, or if she would remain in God’s presence forever. The little angel would be at peace but she and Andrew would not be.

Paul couldn’t believe what he was seeing and hearing. Why were Andrew and Tess just staring at her? Why weren’t they shaking her awake? Why was she so still and pale? She couldn’t die. It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t know that the two angels were waiting for her soul to break free from her body so that Andrew could escort her to God. Brushing past Tess he surged forward, one arm outstretched. He was reaching for her hand, but just as his fingers brushed her skin the room was filled with light.

It was a pure white light, so bright it was nearly blinding, but it was filled with warmth and it flooded the room for an instant before focusing at the center of Monica’s chest. After a moment it began to grow again, encompassing her body until it appeared that she herself was glowing.

No one dared to blink as they witnessed the miracle taking place in their midst.  Andrew was holding Monica as tightly as he could, praying that he was right about what was happening.  He nearly burst into overjoyed tears when she stirred slightly in his arms.  Tess and Paul both saw the movement and walked closer to the bed.  Only an instant later the little angel’s eyes sprang open and she drew in an enormous breath, gasping as she pulled oxygen into her lungs

“Monica!”  Paul was the first to call out her name but not the last, as both Andrew and Tess repeated it soon afterwards, Tess in her booming voice and the blond angel barely above a whisper.

“It’s all right, angel,” Andrew continued to hold her and rock her back and forth as she struggled to catch her breath and regain her bearings.

She remembered him telling her she could let go.  She remembered the horrible pressure in her chest and the weary ache in her limbs.  Tentatively she shifted in Andrew’s arms and her face registered her shock at not feeling any pain.  Tess and Paul were crowded around her, both touching her gently with tears in their eyes.

“I… I died… didn’t I?” she said, confusion winning out over all other emotions.

“Yes, you did, baby,” Tess answered.

“And then I felt Him with me.  I was warm and safe.”  Her eyes crinkled up at the corners as she tried to remember everything.  “I think I was waiting for something.”

“You were waiting for me to take you home,” Andrew told her, “and I was waiting for your soul to be ready to go.”

“That’s right,” she nodded thoughtfully, “and I was glad because I knew you were going to be with me.  But then things got a little fuzzy.  I could feel God holding me… and then I was opening my eyes again.”

“He brought you back, Monica” Paul said almost reverently.  “I don’t exactly know how it happened, but I’m not gonna question it either.”

“I don’t even feel sick anymore,” she told them as she moved one hand to grab hold of Andrew’s and squeeze it tight.  “I feel a little tired, but that’s all.”

Andrew bent his head to kiss her forehead and felt that her temperature was back to normal.  “He took care of the poison.  He took care of everything.”

Quickly her eyes moved to the door.  “What about Alex?  Is she better now too?  How is she doing?”

Paul shook his head.  “I think she still needs the antidote.  I have a feeling Rob would have run in here if she’d suddenly started glowing.”

“But the antidote is gone!” she exclaimed.

The agent remembered that Monica had passed out before word that the cure was on its way had come.  He softly patted her knee and smiled at her reassuringly.  “I think God had a hand in that too.  It’s on its way.  Should be here any time now.  I guess you just couldn’t wait for it.”

Monica finally seemed to recognize just exactly what had happened to her and what it had done to her friends.  “I tried to hang on.  Really… I did,” she said, a bit shyly.  “I didn’t mean to upset you all.”

Tess let out a laugh as she sat down on the corner of the bed, feeling as if the world had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders.  “Leave it to this little angel to apologize for her own death!” she exclaimed.  “Angel Girl, you have got absolutely nothing to be sorry for.  We are just so relieved that God saw fit to breathe new life into you.  I guess He knew you could do more good down here than at His side, though I wouldn’t have blamed Him for wanting you nearby.”

Monica was grinning widely by the time Tess stopped talking, and she threw her arms around her supervisor and hugged her tightly.  “Thank you, Tess,” she murmured.  “Thank you for saying that and thank you for loving me the way you do.”

“Oh, baby, I am not the only one.”  She drew back and Monica glanced first at Paul and then at her best friend.

Her two protectors, by her side, as usual.  “You know I love you both,” she said.  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.  I know this has been very hard for both of you.”

“I think it’s been a little harder on you and Alex,” Andrew countered.  “But I think I answer for both of us when I say that we wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.”

Monica nodded and leaned closer to Andrew, feeling the exhaustion of everything that had happened coming back to her.  “I guess I’m just triply blessed to have such wonderful friends to take care of me,” she said, and then looked up at Paul again.  “You should go to Alex.  She needs you more than me right now.”

She had noticed the way he kept looking at the door and knew that his heart was already down the hall.

“She hasn’t woken up?” Paul asked softly as he walked back into Alex’s room. He was still reveling in the miracle he had just witnessed down the hall and though he knew he was extremely blessed to have seen such a thing, he was still praying for just one more like it.

“Nothing,” Rob mumbled, getting up from his chair to allow Paul beside of her. He was anxious to get out of the room, though that fact brought him great shame. But he couldn’t bear to see his sister in this condition, hovering on the brink of death. As he had sat by her side, a million childhood memories had flitted through his mind each one causing joy and pain simultaneously. They had always been so close, even as children, and now…

He stopped abruptly before he turned to leave, seeing an expression on Paul’s face he really didn’t understand. If he didn’t know any better, he would say it was almost peace, “The antidote, Paul? How much longer?”

“Any time now,” He replied firmly, taking Alex’s limp hand into his own.

Rob studied the floor for a moment, “Paul, I don’t think…”

“She’s going to be fine, Rob,” Though he didn’t know for certain that his words were true, he had to trust God. There was nothing left for him to do, “She’s strong, and God is ever stronger.”

“Alex doesn’t believe in God,” He started to object, but he stopped when Paul turned to him.

“She’s starting to and He will bring her the rest of the way…”

Before he could say anymore, the heart monitor began to beep alarmingly, the shrillness shattering the quiet in the room and Paul was standing immediately, “Damn it, no! Don’t you do this, Alexandra!”

“We’re losing her..” Paul and Rob barely heard the doctor’s words as the younger of the two pressed himself against the wall, eyes completely grief stricken as he watched the sister who had run through the fields with him behind their childhood home fighting for her life.

“God, don’t You do this!” Paul was angry, partially pleading, “She’s almost there with You…give us another miracle and You’ll have her brother too,” He squeezed Alex’s hand desperately, “Hold on, baby, please hold on…Damnit God, what do you want from me?”

“You know what He wants Paul.”

The sound of Andrew’s voice caused him to whirl around, never releasing his hold on Alex’s hand, “Stay away from her, Andrew,” He growled threateningly. The angel was his friend, but he was not about to allow him to take her away.

“A minute ago you were trusting Him to take care of her, Paul,” Andrew’s voice was soft, his green eyes filled with compassion for the agent who was his friend, “That trust cannot only be there when you feel that things are under control. It’s when your life spins completely out of control that you need to trust Him the most.”

“I can’t do this again, Andrew,” Paul’s voice was hardly audible as his hazel eyes filled with tears, “Please…I can’t…”

“Give it up to Him, Paul,” The angel admonished gently, “and He will lead you through whatever is to come.”

Paul closed his eyes, allowing a tear to fall as he gave in, uttering the only words he knew to say, “Your will be done, God,” Opening his eyes, he looked at Andrew through blurred vision, suddenly longing for the comfort of one small angel, “Monica? Where is she?”

Andrew was quiet for a moment before replying, “Where God has asked her to be. With Alex.”

*****

The tightness in her chest and the pain that surrounded every fiber of her being eased as she opened her blue eyes and looked around her. Alex could see the clear blue sky above her, and could feel the grass beneath her feet. The colors were vivid and so beautiful, as if they had been painted for her alone. She then realized that she wasn’t alone.

“Monica.”

The angel smiled, so happy to see her friend out of pain, “Hello Alex.”

“Where are we? Have we died? Is this heaven?” The questions came quickly as she looked around her once more before meeting Monica’s dark eyes again.

“We’re in God’s Country, Alex, and no, you haven’t died. God asked me to bring you here until things were a bit better down there. He didn’t want you to hurt anymore.”

“I…I don’t understand. God asked you?” She was struggling to wrap her mind around the words, but then she gasped as a soft glow surrounded the little female standing in front of her, “What the hell…?” She was completely startled by this glowing business, making it feel that suddenly being in a field were the most normal thing that had happened all day.

“I’m an angel, Alex,” Her voice was gentle and soothing as her friend’s breath caught in her throat, “God asked me to bring you here to give you a message. The antidote is arriving at the house right now and in a moment it will be adminstered to you and you will live, but what God wants you to know is that He wants you to live for Him.”

“I’m…I’m going to live? I’m not going to die today?” She was shaking her head, wondering if she was dreaming, but then her eyes widened incredulously, “Wait. That’s how you knew my prayer in the car…He told you.”

“Yes. He knew that you have been so conditioned to look for proof that He gave you some as proof of his existence. But don’t you see, Alex? He’s been giving you proof all along, only you called it ‘luck’. But God doesn’t give luck, He gives blessings and gifts and one of the gifts He has given you is down there beside of your bed, praying for your life right now.”

“Paul…” The words were but a breath and she felt the presence of tears in her eyes, “We’re going to have a chance. He isn’t going to lose me like he lost Lauren.”

“No, he isn’t. He’s cared about you for a long time, but was afraid to admit it, even to himself and as Paul has seen the proof of God, he so desperately wanted to be able to share it with you.” She grinned and let out a small laugh. “Though he’s a little rough around the edges, his heart is so full of love, Alex, and he wants to share it with you.”

“I want that too,” She whispered with a smile, “So he knows about you?”

“Yes, and Andrew and Tess,” Monica explained, watching as Alex shook her head in amazement once more. “You’ve had angels around you your entire life, Alex, helping you out of every tight spot you’ve ever been in, but now God wants you to acknowledge that fact… to acknowledge Him and His love for you.”

“He must love me if He sent an angel to tell me personally… if He sent an angel to go through this whole terrible thing with me…” she added, pain in her eyes at the realization that Monica had suffered for no other reason than for her to not be alone in her fear.  “Thank you.”

“No, Alex. The thanks don’t go to me, but to God. I was afraid as well, but knowing He is always with me gives me to the strength to endure whatever He needs me to. He will do the same for you.”

“I know that now, but if it’s all right with you, I’d like to thank you just the same,” Alex stepped forward and hugged the angel tightly, “I think this must surely make us friends for life, right?” Tears stung her eyes as she hinted at what she really wanted to ask.

Monica smiled, pulling away to look into her friend’s eyes, “Yes, I have a feeling you’ll be seeing us again,” She saw the relief and happiness on the agent’s face, before she turned more serious once more, “Are you ready to go back?”

Alex drew in a deep breath, before she nodded her head confidently, “Yes. God is with me and He will see me through all that happens next down there. Besides, Paul must be frantic.”

Monica winked at her teasingly, “Oh, I think he has had a little Divine Intervention of his own as he is still learning. He’s pretty stubborn.”

“Doesn’t begin to describe it,” Alex laughed as the angel reached for her hand, “But then again, I wouldn’t have him any other way.”

Another smile and then Alex felt her vision fading, and Monica and the field, and the clear blue sky gradually disappeared.  The next thing she felt was a terrific pressure on her chest and throbbing in her head.

“She’s coming back!  She’s coming back!”  Alex heard the words in the farthest reaches of her mind and then felt the pressure on her chest decrease.

The stopped chest compressions and stepped back from the bed as she checked the heart monitor.  She was relieved to see the steady beeping beginning to pick up and turned to Andrew and the two men.

“She’s all right?”  Rob asked, as Paul didn’t even dare to ask the question.

“For the moment.”  She was hesitant to give any false hope.  “She needs that antidote.”

“She’ll make it,” Paul murmured under his breath.  Putting his complete trust in God had carried him this far.  He knew he could rely on Him to take them all the rest of the way through this dark valley they had been forced into.

At the end of the bed, Andrew nodded and then clamped his hand onto the agent’s shoulder.  “I think you’re right, Paul.”  He could see the faith that had settled over his friend, and the peace as well.  It was a wonderful thing to see and he couldn’t wait until Monica saw it as well.  Thinking about the little angel he suddenly needed to be near her and make certain that she was still faring well.  He had a feeling that she was going to have a little revelation story to tell him as well, and he loved to see the twinkle in her eye when she bubbled over with happiness at having led someone closer to God.

Paul caught the way Andrew glanced at the door and he motioned towards it.  “Go.  We’ll take care of Alex.”  Then, as Andrew was about to leave he spoke again.  “and tell Monica, ‘thank you.’”

Rob looked at him as if he was just a little bit crazy, but Andrew knew exactly what he meant.