Episode 56 - The way back home

Monica could hardly breathe as she walked along the deserted corridor for anguish was tearing her heart away. After being involved in a terrible accident, where he helped to save the lives of 25 children, her Andrew had not only been through a risky surgery but also faced two days of coma, leaving the doctors and herself to worry about his physical condition. And as if it hadn’t been enough, now that the angel in human form was finally conscious, Monica found out that he had lost his memory. The expression on his face when he looked at her and asked what her name was felt like a blow in her stomach, and the Irish angel thought she would break down and cry right there in front of him. Instead, she managed to hide her feelings and left the room in a hurry, wanting to find a shelter where she could finally give in to her tears and despair.

But feeling so terribly miserable, the little angel did not manage to go too far – she stopped and leaned against the wall, trying to control her emotions and to put her thoughts in order.

She remained alone for a few seconds, though, as a familiar voice called her attention.

“Monica?”

She saw Adam walking towards her - his angelic form gave him free access to that restricted area of the hospital. The expression on his face had turned into a worried one as he saw how desperate she looked like. Something very serious was happening.

“Adam...” her crying voice only increased his concern.

“Monica, what is it?” he wanted to know, placing his hands over her small shoulders. He hadn’t been told anything about Andrew’s condition, which meant something good as it would break his heart to have to watch his friend leave his human form in such a painful way. Not to mention it would devastate Monica forever.

“Is it Andrew? Look, Monica, I haven’t been informed about-“

“He’s awake...”

That small piece of news finally put a smile on his face. “Awake? Really? Oh, but then this is great news! When did he recover consciousness?”

“A while ago...” she informed, trying to stifle a sob. “Dr Chapman is examining him right now...”

“What a great relief, Monica! I know what you’ve been through these last days... you spoke to him? What did he say?”

Biting her lower lip, Monica lowered her head for a few instants, as another tear fell from her eye. “Briefly...”

The smile on Adam’s face slowly faded away as her behaviour was telling him that something was not totally right.

“Monica? What is it? Is there something else going on?”

The Irish angel turned her head up and now more tears fell freely from those sad brown eyes. “He didn’t recognise me, Adam...”

His eyes grew wide at the impact of her words. “What is it you’re telling me, Monica?”

“Andrew doesn’t remember me! He... he remembers the accident and helping the children, but... he doesn’t seem to know me!”

“That’s... that’s not possible, Monica. Maybe he’s just confused now, but-“

“He asked what my name was!”

Monica could see that her angelic friend was shocked, and she didn’t expect another reaction.

“I’m... I’m sorry, sweetie. I’m as surprised as you are...”

“How can he not remember me, Adam?” she urged, in desperation.

He gently placed his hands over her shoulders, he himself still quite shocked.

“But he will! Eventually, he will! Perhaps what happened blocked out his memory of those who he loves the most. And this memory will return with time, Monica. Give it some time. Remember that the most important is that he’s out of the coma now and his human form is healing. Just a couple of hours ago we didn’t even know if it would happen.”

Sniffling, she nodded her head and took his words to her heart as she knew they were true. “You’re right... You’re perfectly right.”

“I’ll go see him. Like this, in my angelic form. Maybe it could trigger a flashback.”

Monica’s eyebrows knitted together with worry. “What... what if it’s a shock for him? What if...”

“What could probably happen is his not recognising me either.” He said. “And Monica...You and I know that nothing is in vain, and if Andrew is in this condition right now, there might be a reason for it.”

Dr Chapman finished the first exams on his patient and pleased to see that Andrew’s vital signs were all restored he left the ICU room. There were things to consider and new medication to administer now and the man left to check out his few notes.

But Andrew didn’t remain alone for a long time. He was staring at the window, watching through the glass as a night without moon or stars fell slowly, when another presence called his attention.

“Adam?” he spoke, watching as his friend and co-worker slowly walked up to the bed in his angelic form. And the other angel of death couldn’t help smiling: was Andrew’s memory finally coming back?

“Hey, buddy. How are you doing?”

“Seems that my human form is quite resistant from what I’ve been told.”

“It was a pretty bad accident. But fortunately the children escaped.”

“You managed to take them on time... I know how much it means to an angel. Especially to an angel of death.” Adam spoke, purposefully bringing in the subject.

His friend nodded his head, without expressing surprise. “You’re right. When I saw the look in their eyes, Adam, I felt... I guess I might have felt a bit like a parent whose child was in a dangerous situation.”

“A parent?”

A slight smile appeared on Andrew’s face. “Yes... I know it sounds impossible for an angel but... it was just a feeling.”

“I understand... I guess!” he joked, and then became serious again. “You’re... you’re feeling alright? Do you remember everything that happened?”

“I’m not quite sure... I remember pretty much everything that happened, but I keep having this impression that something is missing...”

The angel of death nodded his head slowly and with expectation at his friend’s pensive expression. But few moments later, Andrew gave up finding the answer for his doubts and kept on talking. “I wonder how long I’ll remain in this form...”

“Who knows, huh? Perhaps there’s still an assignment to be fulfilled here and then you’ll

have to remain in this form for a little longer.”

“You might be right.”

Adam walked towards his friend and placed a hand over his shoulder. “Try to get some rest, Andrew. You’ve been through a lot, and in this human form, you still might be in pain from the shock.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you around, Adam.”

“Yeah... See you around.”

After the other angel of death disappeared, Andrew reclined against his pillow and closed his eyes, heaving a tired sigh as confused images of the latest days played on his mind. But his reverie didn’t last for long as the painkillers added to his medication ended up making him fall asleep again.

X

When Andrew woke up it was past noon, and what made him regain consciousness was the small noise made by the nurse in charge of changing his IV bag.

“I woke you up... I’m sorry.” She quickly apologised, and when his eyes met hers he could see far more than regret – there was so much sadness in those beautiful brown pools that, for some unexplainable reason, he too felt an inch of sorrow in his own heart.

“No, it’s okay... Monica.” The way he said her name made her feel anxious for a moment, as if she was hoping he had finally recovered his memory. But she could not fool herself nor ignore the effort he had just made to remember it. “I was just drifting off, not really sleeping.” He added.

The Irish angel finished to change his IV and stood by his bed; hands conjoined so as to resist the impulse to caress his hair and touch his face. “How are you feeling?”

“I guess I’ve been better, but considering what the doctor told me, I guess I’m doing fine.”

His slight smile somewhat cheered her up for a few instants and she too smiled back at him. “Looks like you’ve been blessed with a miracle.”

“I believe that too. Miracles happen every day, all the time.”

“They most certainly do.”

Andrew watched the nurse standing before him for a moment; it was impossible not to feel the serenity conveyed by her presence. Her soft voice and lovely accent were not to be forgotten and he wondered why he could sense all that sadness coming from her soul.

“Has it been a hard day?” He asked, somewhat starting a small investigation.

“Oh... it’s been quite difficult indeed. But I’ve been praying a lot and hoping for the day my prayers are answered.”

Monica observed him too, watching as he nodded her head. But when silence remained, she spoke again. “I should go now. And you need to rest as much as you can.”

“It’s okay.”

Andrew’s eyes followed her until she made it to the door. “Monica...”

She turned around quickly, with a hopeful expression. “Yes?”

“I’ll pray too... for your prayers to be answered.”

The angel managed a bittersweet smile, trying to hide her disappointment. “Thank you... Andrew.”

When she closed the door behind her, he smiled. The way that nurse pronounced his name was particularly endearing and despite the fact that she had advised him to rest, Andrew spent the following hours wondering what in the world could make her feel so sad.

Before the angel of death realised, the nurse named Monica had already raised his protective instincts and he felt deep compassion for her.

X

Monica walked along the hospital corridors and descended four floors until she finally reached the basement. There, the angel in human form kept on walking and a couple of minutes later she finally arrived at her destination: the hospital chapel.

It was relatively small but its interior was involved in a soft glow and in the most absolute silence. The carpet beneath Monica’s feet stifled her steps up to the front pew, where she could face the altar. Besides her, there was only one person inside the chapel, an old lady who remained sitting in the back; hands conjoined and eyes closed.

“Oh, Father, please forgive me if I’m being selfish... I don’t know what Your plan is, but all I ask is that it includes bringing him back to Angela and me... He’s so close and yet so distant... And then it seems that a part of me is missing too.” A silent tear made its way down her cheek. “I know I should be thankful for his recovery; for the ceasing of his suffering, but my heart is so heavy with sorrow, Father... If there is a reason for his condition, please show me...”

She stood there for a while, offering her prayers and dreaming of the day when her soul mate was returned back to her in his entirety; praying for the day when she would be able to touch him again or throw herself in his arms or tell him how much she loved him.

When Monica stood to her feet and walked along the short aisle to leave the chapel, however, the old lady who had been there when she arrived let out a small sob, and it immediately called her attention.

“Excuse me, madam... Are you alright?” she wanted to know, placing a gentle hand over the old woman’s shoulder and bending down a little to reach for her face.

The woman raised her head and looked at her, managing a slight smile despite her tears. “Oh, yes, my dear. I’m fine, thank you...” she said, wiping her tears with a tissue. “Actually, I was crying of happiness.”

The expression on Monica’s face softened as she heard that and she too managed a smile. “I’m glad to hear it then... when I saw you I thought...”

“My grandchildren were saved from the building that collapsed...” she said, as Monica took a seat next to her. “You know... many, many years ago, when my son decided to marry a woman who was not according to our ‘social class standards’ I decided I wouldn’t be part of their life again. We had a terrible argument and I only knew from them through my other son. Time made me realise how unfair I had treated them... I asked for their forgiveness but they did not want my presence in their life; which I totally understood. They were giving me back what I gave them years before.”

“One does not fight anger with anger.”

“All the harm I inflicted them had created deep roots. But these roots were shattered at the night of the accident as God not only gave us our children back but also made me reconcile with my son and his wife.”

“I’m glad to hear that this story had a beautiful ending.”

“And here I am, sitting here and thanking God for what He has done for us... And wondering where the man who was directly related to this miracle is.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We were informed that a man managed to save all the children from the building when it collapsed, and that he ended up deeply hurt.”

A moved smile appeared on Monica’s face. “Oh, yes... he was an angel sent to those children...”

“Do you know what his name is?”

X

Angels do not segment time the way humans do. But sometimes, especially when they are on Earth, the division into minutes, hours and days served them as a guide so that they could reflect about the latest events and how these events affected their existence. In silence, now sitting on his bed, Andrew watched as the sun disappeared behind the buildings and gave place to a night without stars. A few days earlier, his human form had been at risk and he feared for his life like any other human; the angel of death experienced a typical human sensation and was still coming to terms with that fact. And now that the news had come about him managing to save all the ones involved in the accident, he spent some time wondering why he had remained in that injured human form.

But he already seemed to have an answer to those questionings.

“I heard that the room service in this hospital is a five star one!”

Adam’s voice took him out of his reverie, and his friend’s little joke made him smile.

“Actually, if I were human and had an accident, I guess I’d be quite relieved to be sent here!” He replied, watching as his friend and co-worker took a seat on a nearby chair.

“Do you have any idea when you’re gonna be released from the ICU?”

“One of the doctors spoke to me a while ago. He said that my vital signs are stabilising and if everything goes well, I may go to a bedroom tomorrow.”

“That’s some great news!”

“It is. Except that now I’m in no hurry to leave this place, Adam.”

The other angel frowned. “Oh, no? And what made you change your mind?”

“I know why I remain in here. I have another assignment to fulfil.”

“Another assignment? Have you been told anything then? Did Sam or Tess come to you?”

“No, they didn’t even have to, I already know what it is.”

“Sorry, buddy, I don’t get it...”

“There is a nurse here, her name is Monica. And... I feel there is something about her that I should know... the sadness I can see in her eyes and I feel this urge to help her... as if it was my duty, my mission...”

Adam tried his best not to show how surprised he was at those words. “And do you know why you feel this way towards her?”

“I’m asking myself the same thing and the only conclusion that I get to is that she’s my next assignment. I haven’t heard from anybody yet and I cannot ignore someone seems to be suffering like the way she does!”

“I understand... Have you two spoken? Did she say anything to you that made you feel like she needs help?”

“We spoke briefly but I could see something in her eyes... something that... I cannot explain but that made me feel committed to helping her.”

Before Adam could say something else, a slight knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and on the following instant, Monica pushed it open and poked her head inside. “Excuse me...”

“Hi, Monica... Come in.”

“Excuse me, Andrew...” she said, entering the bedroom but not closing the door behind her; Adam had already vanished. “Is everything alright?” Monica wanted to know, watching as he was sitting on his bed.

“Yes, everything is just fine. I guess I’m just getting tired of so much sleeping!” he joked, glad to see a slight smile playing on her lips.

“I... I brought someone who really wanted to see you... I hope this is alright.”

“Oh, sure, it’s okay! Who is this?”

She opened up the door. “Please, come in Mrs Dockery.”

The old lady entered the hospital room carefully, somewhat embarrassed to bother a patient who had been recovering from such a bad accident. But what she had to tell him could not wait.

“Mrs Dockery’s grandchildren were in the building when it collapsed and you saved them, Andrew. She insisted on seeing you.”

“Excuse me, Andrew... I hope you’re doing well in your recovery...”

“I’m doing fine, thanks, Mrs Dockery.”

She stepped closer to bed and reached for his hand. “I came here to tell you that you did more than saving my grandchildren’s life... You brought an entire family together again, son.”

“I’m happy to hear that, Mrs.” He replied, and Monica’s eyes could not hide how proud she was of him just by hearing that.

“There is nothing I can do to repay what you did for me... but I would really like to try to help you.”

“Thank you for your concern, Mrs Dockery, but I’m doing fine and they’re treating me well here...”

“I know but took the liberty to speak to your doctor and he told me you will keep your leg in plaster for a while and you will also need someone to do the things for you at home. I understand you live by yourself in this town, is that right?”

“Y-yes, that’s correct.”

Monica lowered her head, as once again her hopes to see him recovering his memory had vanished.

“You need someone to be by your side while you recover; a nurse.” She said, “And I spoke to Monica’s boss, who happens to be a long time friend of the family. She will be your nurse. I will pay for her services and compensate the hospital for her absence... That of course, if she accepts my offer.”

Monica’s mouth dropped open at that proposal. All she wanted right now was to stay by her dear Andrew’s side, taking care of him and praying for his memory to return. She was certain that Andrew was her assignment. And the Irish angel was not the only one who was extremely surprised at the woman’s generosity. Andrew did not know what to say except that the old lady’s offer only made him more certain that Monica was his next assignment. He would find out what in the world made her feel so sad and a way to help her through it.

On the days that followed, the angel in human form had a good recovery, being transferred to a normal bedroom and then finally receiving the doctor’s authorisation to leave the hospital. Mrs Dockery had put her personal driver at Andrew’s disposal to take him back to his home. For the time being, he was staying at a simple but quite charming cottage near the beach. He did not know how to explain it, but staying by the ocean and especially in a place like that brought him a sense of inner joy and peace.

And so did the fact that Monica had accepted the old lady’s offer to take care of him; now he would be able to work on his assignment, to fulfil the mission to help her recover the happiness that she seemed to have lost.

And he had secretly promised himself he would not give up until he accomplished it.

“It’s such a beautiful place...” she spoke, standing by the porch and watching as from a certain distance blue waves crashed upon the white sand. There was a slight smile upon her face and her long auburn hair danced with the breeze coming from the horizon, as so did the lilac dress she was wearing. There were a series of happy memories crossing her mind right now, memories from a beach house similar to that where she had spent so many remarkable moments with her dear valentine and not so long ago, with their cute little daughter.

“It is.” He agreed, standing by her side but in a wheelchair due to his injured leg, while the driver placed his bags inside the house. “And I’m glad to see it made you smile.”

Monica turned her eyes from the ocean to look at him and once again, when their eyes met, it seemed that one could see far more than their beautiful human forms – it seemed they could read each other’s souls.

“I have... very beautiful memories of sunny days spent by a beach.”

“I’m glad to hear it too, Monica. And... I hope that those memories become a reality once again.”

Her smile was bittersweet, but never less enchanting. “Oh, me too.”

“Thank you. For accepting to help me out while I’m here. Although Mrs Dockery has hired you to do it, you could have said no because the access here is difficult and it’s far more distant from where you live than the hospital.”

“Oh, please don’t thank me. I’m happy I can help you.”

X

To be continued.