CHAPTERS 22 & 23

CHAPTER 22

Andrew didn't know how he managed arrive at the city hospital. He drove along the road praying to God to guide him and to keep him calm. But deep inside his heart was aching. The blond angel was now pacing back and forth along the white corridor. It'd been over an hour since the nurses had taken his Monica to the ER and called her doctor. She was semi-conscious then and Andrew wondered what had caused that sudden change in her condition.

Finally, one of the nurses came along to meet with him. "How is she? Can I see her?"

"I'm sorry, Andrew, but Monica was transferred to the ICU..." she said, not missing the terrible pain in his eyes.

"The ICU?"

"Dr Burke is with her now. you'll have to wait a little to see her." He paced around, running his hand through his short hair and looking at an invisible point ahead of him. "I don't understand... she was fine... These days she said she was feeling better..."

"I know... I'm sorry but the first exams show that Monica is in shock..."

Tears of fear and pain appeared in his dark green eyes as the nurse excused herself. Feeling lost, Andrew remained alone in the cold and silent hospital corridor, wondering how his existence could be framed with pain and eternal sadness if that sweet little angel was taken away from him. He was sure that he would never again be the angel that God wanted him to be.

"Andrew..."

Tess' voice finally took him out of his reverie and for the first time since he and the supervisor had argued, he saw in her a friend, a supporter - a mother.

And when the blond angel walked up to her and held her tightly, crying over her shoulder, Tess shuddered with panic. "What happened? What happened to my baby?" she spoke, albeit fearing the answer.

"She fainted in my arms, Tess. The nurse told me she's in shock..."

That piece of news brought tears to the supervisor's eyes. "But she was feeling better..."

"She's dying, Tess... We're losing her..." Andrew's words were followed by both angels' crying, and crying they remained for long painful moments.

X

The morning sun was starting to shine inside the hospital bedroom when Monica's eyes flickered open and she slowly recognised where she was. The events of the previous night were  now confusing flashbacks she had seen through blurred vision. She knew where she was, she remembered Andrew's strong arms around her and the sound of his anguished voice calling out her name. Monica felt so sorry for him. She knew he was fighting hard not to show her his great concern and now the Irish angel wondered if illness would finish to consume her human form.

It took her a couple of minutes to regain full consciousness and only then she felt a presence inside the ICU room.

But it wasn't any of her friends. Dr Miller was sitting on a chair, a bit away from her bed, and there was a mix of worry and frustration on his face. When he saw she was awake, the man rose to his feet and walked over up to her bed.

"You're fully conscious now." He was serious and looked at her as if studying her condition carefully.

"Yes... Where... Where are my friends?"

"They're not allowed to come inside the ICU. Not yet."

There was a brief silence before she spoke again. "Where's Dr Burke?"

"He's just left. He and I are studying how to treat you now that..." Despite the evident bitterness that had always characterised him, the old man measured his words. "... now that your condition has changed."

"Am I dying?" There was some fear in her voice, but one of the main traits in Monica's character was her selflessness. She feared for Andrew and Tess. She feared not seeing her dearest friends again. She feared having the love she held for Andrew being sealed by eternal separation. And how it all would affect him.

"I'm... I'm not gonna lie to you, Monica. Your condition got worse... Despite the treatment I made you go through. Despite the fact that all the ones who received the same treatment, including me, are getting better!" The doctor was visibly angry at what he considered a failure.

But the little angel surprised him. "Then I take it you did something wonderful."

He shook his head stubbornly. "If it was really something wonderful, then why are you here? Why couldn't I make you heal and live your life? The life you were supposed to be living?"

"Because you do not have this power, Dr Miller. Because things happen differently from what we want."

"But what I want is the right thing!"

"What would happen if every human being decided that what they want is the right thing?"

"Are you saying that you're alright with dying? I cannot accept that!"

"What I am saying is that God blessed you with a wonderful gift. You had a proof that this gift can save many other people. But you should also have to accept that you have limits too, like any other human being, and the serenity to learn that. God holds all His children in the palm of his hand and in the end He will be the one to heal them all."

The doctor looked at her with compassion and visible worry. He did want to save her life and it was because of this sudden compassion that he decided to continue with his research work.

"My wife... She's gone now and I don't see any reason why I should stay here... Why can't I be the one lying there instead of you?"

"Don't you think you could give it some meaning?"

He let out a tired sigh and, slowly, reached out his hand to stroke her hair. "I'm terribly sorry, young lady, that I could not do for you what I did for others..."

"Please, don't be. You did so much already."

He nodded and smiled bitterly. "I'll make a promise to you, though. I promise I'll conclude my research work, in honour to you and hoping that one day I can heal the suffering that my wife's absence brings to me."

Monica reached for his hand. "I'm positively certain that this day will come, Dr Miller. You'll be in my prayers."

A light knock on the door interrupted their conversation and Andrew pushed it open a second later. "Angel?"

He stepped inside the room, followed by Tess and was moved to see her smiling at them. "I missed you..."

"Not as much as we missed you, baby." The supervisor spoke.

The angels quickly approached the bed as doctor Miller excused himself, leaving the room. He still saw it as Andrew and Tess sat on the edge of the bed and the blond angel bent down to kiss Monica's forehead, while Tess held her free hand.

The man walked along the corridor and met his colleague, Dr Burke. The expression on his face was one of disappointment and sadness. "I'm afraid we've done everything we could, my friend." Burke spoke, showing him the exams results.

"Never have I felt compassion for any human being after Sheila died. Not even before, when she was live... But this young lady... She's not my daughter, relative or anything but she touched my heart..."

"I felt the same thing... I guess that in the end that's why she must be here. To remind us of the most basic things... to remind us we're working with people like us and that there's a greater power performing through us."

CHAPTER 23

The gentle sunrays poured inside the hospital bedroom and the sudden change in the light caused the fast asleep angel to slowly open her eyes. Monica had returned to hospital a week before and usually she would sleep until the sun was high up in the sky. That day was different, though. She stirred her head to look at her beloved Andrew. He was sleeping right next to her, holding her protectively like he always did - his chest was a comfortable pillow over the long nights spent there.

Her hand was upon his heart while his hand was resting over hers. Monica searched for her other dear friend, and found her lying on the couch opposite the bed, also fast asleep. Monica knew how emotionally and physically tired they both were, she knew their immense sacrifice whenever they smiled at her. Watching Monica's human form fading away, seeing how much pain and suffering she had to go through hurt them amazingly much, and it was not rare to find any of them outside in the corridor, trying to hide their tears.

Monica turned her eyes from Tess to look at the pale sunrays, wishing that she could stand up from her bed and walk over up to the window and see the sunrise. The angel in human form was too weak now - the chemotherapy sessions had to be done inside her bedroom. She was following the spot of light that touched the floor when something unexpected called her attention: suddenly a white dove perched on the window. The Irish angel straightened her body on the bed to have a better look at the animal, which cooed and peeped through the window glass. A smile began to form on Monica's face and she closed her eyes for a brief moment, opening them again as her smile grew wider. When the little animal flew away, she looked at her beloved friends again, and brought Andrew's hand to her lips.

Monica's slight movement caused Andrew to be in full alertness practically immediately. He straightened his body a little and looked down at her, those big brown pools greeting him with usual love. "Angel?"

"Good morning, Andrew."

"Is everything alright? It's still so early..." he glanced at the clock on the wall with worry.

"Yes, everything is fine. I guess the light inside this bedroom woke me up. It seems it'll be a beautiful day." She gave him a slight reassuring smile.

The blond angel stroked her cheek, committing to memory every trait of her meek face, like he would do every morning. "Do you think you can have your breakfast now?"

"Breakfast is a good idea."

Andrew dared to tighten the hold around her small body, bringing her closer to him and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll bring it to you then, angel."

"Thank you."

He gently disentangled from her loving embrace and climbed off the bed. Monica watched him putting on his shoes and once he had done so, she searched for his hand. "Andrew?"

"Yes, angel?" His attention was nearly moving. "Is there anything else you need?"

"There's something I'd like to ask you..."

"What is it, baby? Tell me..." he was standing by her bed, squeezing her hand and caressing her hair with the other.

"I'd like to go back to the cabin." The little angel was looking at him in a way he knew he could not deny her anything.

"The cabin?" Andrew was a little surprised and worried at that request.

"Yes... I miss it... I miss wee Joy and the humming of the birds early in the morning. The woods, the flowers... All of God's creations. I miss those, Andrew."

He wanted to tell her she couldn't stay there, to tell her that in hospital she was better assisted and that in case of an emergency her doctor was there to watch over her. But Andrew knew what she was asking. He could read it in her eyes.

The angel in human form wanted to have a peaceful passing at that cabin.

"Are you sure?" Was all that he could say, fighting the tears that insisted on staying in his eyes.

"Yes... The cabin is the best reminder of our Home here on Earth..."

Biting his lower lip, he nodded in understanding, feeling a lump in his throat with so much emotion. "Then I'll do as you're asking me, my angel." The angel of death bent down and kissed her forehead once again, at the same time she placed their conjoined hands against her heart.

"I know what you're thinking. But this morning I heard the Father's loving words right here in my heart."

"You did? What... What did He say?" He wanted to know, even more surprised at that piece of news.

"He told me something that apparently we all forgot. Or have trouble remembering in hard times: 'trust and faith, my child'."

Andrew could not hold the lonely tear that rolled won his face. He sat down at the edge of her bed and gently pulled her for a loving embrace. As Monica rested her head over his shoulder, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the comfort of being in his arms. "I understand it, angel. I guess I can see things more clearly now..." Andrew's voice was hoarse with emotion as he ran his fingers along her hair. "But all I pray for is a chance to hold you like this... A chance to have your love and to honour it by loving you back like I do now..."

"I told you just now that the cabin is the best reminder of our Home..." she gently pulled away, just enough to look at his sad eyes. "...but your love is the best reminder of God's love."

Andrew nodded but was not able to say anything. Deeply moved, he kissed her lips and held Monica tightly once again, saying a silent prayer for them, begging God that whatever His plan was, that He didn't put them apart. "I love you so much, my angel..."

"I know... you never let me forget it..." she replied, eyes closed.

"And I'm certain that the Father knows the truth that is in your hearts, babies..." Tess' voice made them turn their heads to look at her. She had watched them for the last couple of minutes and walked up to the bed with a bittersweet smile upon her face. "Whenever I think about how I treated you a while ago, I feel a wave of shame covering my soul because this truth had always been here, right in front of my eyes and I refused to see it..."

"I'm certain that the Father knows how good it is to have you by our side, Tess..."  Monica reached for the supervisor's hand and the three angels shared a loving and silent embrace.