CHAPTERS 4 & 5

Chapter 4

Andrew covered the stone ground of the cave with one blanket, whereas the other one was kept around Monica's body. The suitcases with their clothes, the first aid kit and all the objects he had found on the beach were also arranged inside their new home. Taking advantage from the sunrays that were lightening up the cave interior, he carefully removed Monica's quilt and the sweatsuit he had dressed her with on the day before. Then, he started to replace the bandages on Monica's arms and especially the one in her head.

He tried to do it as fast as he could, because the mere contact with the cold air made her shiver and her lower lips tremble. Once he was over, the blond angel put her sweatshirt on and covered her with the blanket again. Although he was doing the best to treat her wounds, some of them would certainly require some stitches to heal faster. Infection was also a great concern, and with his heart filled with sadness, he had to ignore the sharp pain he caused her whenever the cotton embedded in alcohol touched her injured skin.

By the entrance of the cave, Andrew lit up a fire and started to prepare some beans and peas, found on the previous day. As much as he wanted to save all the canned food for Monica, Andrew needed to eat too. She depended on him and he had to be strong in order to take care of her. He also wanted to cook them some fish but it demanded time and he would have to stay away from her far too long. It had to wait for a while.

The blond angel put the food in two small plastic bowls and kept the cans. They would be useful to store water later on. His dearest friend was sleeping more peacefully now than the last hours, maybe due to the fact that at least her thirst had been quenched, so he ate first. His green eyes, however, were permanently on her sleeping form, and worry was etched on his face as he knew her temperature was high.

Once he finished eating, Andrew put some of soup in another bowl and walked over up to his friend. He knelt on the ground and caressed her cheek, putting away some strands of hair of her face. "Sweetie... angel, it's time for you to eat a little, baby..." Carefully, he settled her in his arms, "C'mon..."

Her nightmares were soon back, and patiently Andrew fed her little by little, approaching the bowl to her lips and giving her small sips. She didn't eat much, though. Her exhaustion was too much now and with great concern, Andrew left the bowl with food aside and lay his hand on her face: the fever was getting higher, and she started to tremble with cold.

"Monica... angel... I'm so sorry... please, forgive me... I'd give up my own existence to see you healing, baby..."

There was medicine in the first aid kit and he administered it to her a second time. But aspirin and painkillers were not enough; she needed medical care and antibiotics. She needed to be taken to a hospital. As the night fell, the only source of light was the fire that kept on permanently burning in the entrance of the cave. Andrew sat down and leaned against the stone wall, with Monica lying limp in his arms, her head resting against his chest.

Her nightmares were more frequent right now, and she kept on crying and trembling, and fighting against something invisible, possibly the giant waves that swallowed her small form on the night of the accident. She constantly called his name, sometimes asking for help and sometimes fearing for his own safety. She also begged God to save them, and asked to keep the scientists' life safe. Fear and confusion were written all over her face, pale and covered with sweat due to the fever that consumed her and burned her entire body.

Devastated and feeling like he was losing a battle, the blond angel kissed her forehead and started to pray.

"Father... She's suffering so much... I... I don't know what to do anymore... If there's something else I can do to help her, please show me..." he spoke, with hopes completely shattered, "Please, take care of her... all this time, I've been begging You to make her heal so that I could have her by my side, like I always did... But this angel of Yours has taught me many lessons, and one of them is not to be egoistic, as she herself is the most selfless soul I've ever met... I still have to work on it, but I love her so much that... right now, all I ask You is that You take care of her, as I failed this assignment..." With tear-filled eyes, he watched as she debated in his arms, feeling in his own heart the uneasiness that emanated from her very soul, "I'm putting her in Your hands, Father, and I know she couldn't be in a better place... I know that You'll do what's best for her..." he concluded, shedding a silent tear; his voice hoarse with emotion.

X

The blond angel spent the night talking into Monica's ear, trying everything he could to put her heart at ease, wishing nothing else but to bring some comfort to her troubled little heart. He spoke of Tess and Joy, the little puppy dog that Monica had kindly "adopted" after a very successful assignment. He reminded her of their last vacation and how happy she was to be back at her beloved Ireland. Observing that, despite the accident in the ocean, she was still wearing the gold chain around her neck, with two delicate small pendants on it: a little angel and a Celtic knot, all of them, his presents.

"Maybe someday I'll take you to visit the south... We could walk around Richmond and visit the 'Sign of the Dove,' did you know that Ben and Rebecca had a baby?" he spoke, setting his index finger over the small piece of jewellery. The blond angel kept on talking, in a last attempt to make her realise she was not alone, but she never replied to him. Instead, she continued to cry and moan softly, voicing words of pain and fear.

As much as he resisted, Andrew was little by little beaten by exhaustion and the pain that he felt all over his body. His human form couldn't hold it any longer and after almost two days awake, he drifted off to a restless sleep.

X

When Andrew opened his arms again, the sunrays were already shining inside the cave. Blinking with a slightly confused expression on his face, the blond angel mentally scolded himself for falling asleep. He turned to look at Monica and to his surprise, the nightmares had ceased. She was quietly sleeping in his arms and he was quick to feel her face.

Andrew was expecting the worst, but a wave of relief filled his very soul when he noticed that the fever had finally broken.

"Oh, God... Monica? Angel, you're... you're healing, baby!" he exclaimed, smiling broadly for the first time since he'd arrived at the island. "Angel, you're healing! Oh, Father, thank You! Thank you so much! I promise I'll take care of her! I promise!"

He kissed Monica's face and his heart started to beat faster and faster as, slowly, the Irish angel opened those sweet doe-like eyes and looked at him; she was confused and extremely tired, but for the first time, the little angel was conscious after three days of agony and suffering.

"Monica? Angel?" he spoke, trembling with nervousness, afraid that it could be nothing but a dream.

"Andrew..." her soothing voice was tired and hoarse, but it was the best sound he'd ever heard.

Chapter 5

"I'm here, angel..." Andrew spoke, gently brushing his thumb against her temple, studying every feature of her meek face. After two days of agony and pain, the little Irish angel finally regained consciousness and the fever that consumed her human body ceased. "I'm here... please, talk to me... What are you feeling? What hurts, baby?"

"Andrew... where... are we?" she asked, a bit drowsy and still very confused.

"We're in an island. I found this small cave we're using as a shelter, and we also have food and water." He quickly picked the a bowl containing water, "Here, drink some, angel. You need it..."

With his help, Monica drank some of the water and then gazed at him with questioning eyes. "An island?"

"Yes, we're safe here."

"What... what happened, Andrew?"

He frowned, not wanting to talk about the tragedy with their boat right now. "There was an accident, and the next morning the sea waves brought us to this island." He said, briefly.

"What... about the others?" some tears were quickly forming in the corner of her eyes, but he was determined to spare her from any distress during the healing process.

"I don't know, angel. There was a radio on board and I know that the captain was able to contact the coast... God, I was so worried about you, baby... You were so ill..." he said, caressing her face, moved with emotion hearing her talking to him again.

Monica reached out and covered his hand with hers, leaning on his touch, feeling the comfort he would always bring her. "I... I guess I felt you... your presence... you were with me..."

"All the time, baby... all the time..."

Frowning a little, she averted her eyes from his for the first time and checked their surroundings, "How long have we been here, Andrew?"

"Three days."

Surprise made her look at him once again, "All that?"

"It seemed centuries to me as you were unconscious and ill. But now... now that you're awake, angel... I just feel so grateful... It's as if the day had started right now..."

She tentatively raised her hand and touched his handsome face, not missing the bruises on his skin and the bandages on his temple. "You're hurt..."

The little angel had a clear hint of concern on her face as she observed his injuries. But with a slight smile, Andrew shook his head and took her hand in his. "Let's not worry about me. You're the one who needs all the attention." Kissing her palm, he continued to speak, "Now tell me, what hurts? How are you feeling? Dizzy? In pain?"

She was not only very confused about what had happened in the last few days, but also about her own condition. It took her a little to answer, and before she voiced her thoughts, Monica looked at him with apprehension: she was feeling pain all over her body, and her head still hurt. Besides this, she was extremely tired. But she also knew that finding help and proper care at that very moment would be impossible, and she would never ask this from him - even when she was unconscious, Monica knew he had done everything he could for her.

"Monica?" his questioning voice, however, interrupted her confused thoughts.

"I'm... a bit tired..."

Andrew narrowed his eyes, staring at her sceptically. "Angel... Please, talk to me... I need you to tell me exactly how you're feeling. Please, don't hide anything."

"My body... it hurts a little, Andrew... My head too..."

"How bad, Monica?"

When she bit her lower lip and averted her eyes from his, Andrew only confirmed that she was in great pain, although she was trying to hide this from him. "It's alright, baby... it's alright..." he said, kissing her forehead. "God made you conscious again because He trusts that I'll take care of you, and I promised Him I will."

"You always do..." she replied, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"I prepared some peas and beans, and you drank only the soup yesterday. I'll make you some more, okay?"

Despite her lack of appetite, Monica nodded her head, not wanting to contradict him.

"I want you to rest while I cook."

With infinite care, he moved to lay her on the ground but before he did so, she spoke again, "Andrew?"

"Yes, angel?" The crying tone in her voice scared him but she moved her arms in a pleading way. "Please, hold me..."

On the following second, she was in his arms again, in a warm embrace that wasn't as tightly as he wanted due to her condition. "Monica... angel... You're so precious to me, baby... so precious..."

"I'm so grateful you're here with me... When... when I opened my eyes and saw your face I... I felt at peace because no matter where I was... I was with you..." she sobbed on his shoulder, not wanting to release the hold on him.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he pulled away just an inch and kissed her cheek. "I'll always be with you... always..."

The two angels remained in that long loving embrace for several minutes; words could not express what they were feeling inside but there was no need to voice them anyway.

X

Andrew filled a bowl with the cooked beans and peas, and also a cup with more water. Then, he helped his dearest friend to sit up straight and once she was leaning against the stone wall, he held a spoonful with food and took it to her lips.

Slowly, Monica chewed the beans and observed the small kitchen utensils around them. "Do we have a spoon?" she asked, somewhat jokingly despite her weakness.

He smiled, overwhelmed with joy to hearing that. "Yeah, but it's only one! We'll have to share it!"

With a slight smile, she nodded in the most selfless way, "I won't mind a bit..."

"We also have a penknife, some cups and bowls. The sea brought them to the beach, along with the food and the clothes." He explained, as she had another spoonful, "I found my suitcase and I'm glad I'd put a small first aid kit inside it. I couldn't find your luggage, angel, but there are women clothes inside that bag and I think they'll suit you."

"It's all perfect..." she spoke, and then he watched as her curious brown eyes scanned the interior of the cave. Then, she looked back at him with the little girl demureness that would always enchant him. "Will you tell me you found coffee pots too?"

That one question made his smile grow wider and he shook his head with amusement.

Once she finished, he sat down by her side and started to replace the bandages around her arms, temple and in the back of her head, and he could notice how terribly it hurt her every time he cleaned the injuries. But she held on bravely, biting her lower lip and stifling every cry of pain. He was aware of her great effort not to show how hurt she was. Monica was truly an amazing creature; always teaching him a lesson, always making him love her a bit more than the last second.

He kissed her temple lovingly. "It's over for today, angel."

"Thank you, Andrew." He always felt a hint of guilt for hurting her during that process, but the look of gratitude in her eyes spoke volumes and left him deeply moved. He helped her to dress up the sweatshirt and then put the first aid material back in the kit.

"I want you to rest now, okay? I'll be here by your side all the time, but you have to sleep as much as possible to save your energy. You're still to weak."

"What about you? Aren't you taking care of yourself? You're hurt too, and-"

He raised his hand and gently interrupted her, "I'll be fine, Monica. I'll take care of these cuts and injuries later on..."

"You promise?" The power of her gaze and all the concern written on those brown pools gave him no choice. As much as he wanted to spare the material for her, she making a request and there was no way he could deny it to her.

Defeated, he nodded his head in agreement. "I promise."

X

The Irish angel spent the rest of the day sleeping, and only woke up a few times to eat something or drink some water. Andrew, on the other hand, never left her side and kept permanent green eyes focused on her. When the night fell, the cave and the fire he'd lit up by its entrance protected them from the cold and the wind. Right after "dinner," Andrew put some more logs to burn and checked the surroundings. Then, he arranged the remaining food over a small flat stone, which served as a table, and lay down next to Monica, who watched him quietly, with tired brown eyes.

He covered himself with one blanket and straightened the other around her small form. And as soon as he lay down, the little angel inched closer to him so as to rest her head over his chest. Gently, and very carefully, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled even closer to him.

"How much food do we have, Andrew?" she wanted to know, listening to his steady heartbeats.

"Enough for tomorrow, angel," he said, covering her hand with his.

Worried, she turned her face to look at him, "And then?"

Andrew leaned in and kissed her forehead lightly, "And then I'll look for more. There are some berries in the forest, and fishes not far from here."

"I'll help you!" she said, with determination. 

Chuckling, he nodded his head and started to caress her hair, "You're already helping me, Monica. A lot more than you could ever imagine."

Frowning at his words, she eyed him sceptically, "It doesn't look like that..."

"Today, when I woke up and noticed your fever was gone, and then when you opened your eyes for me... It... It was one of the best moments of my existence."

She returned his loving gaze with a slight smile. "Despite all that's happened... the accident with the boat... I was happy when I woke up and knew that you were with me..."

They were quiet for some more minutes, and then a flash of uneasiness passed through her angelic heart. "Do you think they'll find us?"

"Of course they will, angel!" He was quick to reassure her, squeezing her hand and placing it above his heart. "I have no doubt that, at this very moment, they're checking on maps and tracing the possible routes that the ocean streams might have taken us."

"Tess must be so worried..."

Andrew took her hand to his lips and turned to look at her again. "I'm sure that by now, Tess has already received a message from her loving Father saying that we're both together and that He's watching over us." He told her, hoping to put her heart at ease, "This cave, this food and the water stream I found... the whole island is a proof that He's taking care of us. Besides, you're recovering, angel, and this fact alone is enough to make me sure that He has a plan in His mind."

Sighing deeply, she nodded and settled her head over his chest again. "You're right."

"I am. And now I want you to close your eyes and only have good dreams, okay? No more nightmares around here, it's an order."

Happy to see her sleepy smile, he kissed the top of her head. "Have a good night, angel."

"Good night, Andrew. I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Both angels kept on listening to the noise of the waves breaking on the beach sand and feeling the salty smell of the ocean. They were tired and still aching from the injuries and the shock of the accident, but their hearts were lighter now that Monica was finally recovering. Someone was certainly taking care of them, and their faith warmed their souls in such a way that they fell into a peaceful sleep some time later.