CHAPTER 26

Paul inserted the key card into his new hotel room at nearly noon, trying to clear the weariness from his mind as the light flashed green and he opened the door. He had just returned from speaking with the director of the FBI and APBs had been put out on Mike and David, but so far neither man had been found. He knew it would take time, but he would not rest easily until they were both behind bars. After all, both men were a threat to him, though maybe not as much so now that the case had been cracked wide open, but his trust for Mike was now non-existent and he wouldn’t put it past the man to still try to see to his demise.

His previous hotel room was now a crime scene and the agency had taken care of getting him another room in another hotel as a safety precaution. Under normal circumstances, he would have been there working the scene with them, but to see that room again would only be a reminder of a little angel lying in a hospital bed and he simply wasn’t up to it. The image was enough to cause his heart to clench and he was anxious to return to the hospital, but not without making a few calls and grabbing a shower. He was desperate for sleep, but he had a feeling that once his head hit the pillow, he would not awaken for quite awhile and until he was able to speak with Monica sleep was simply not an option nor a priority.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he kicked off his shoes and tugged open the nightstand drawer to retrieve a telephone book. Grabbing it, his gaze caught on the Bible that hotels kept in the rooms and he was reminded of his conversation with Tess.

Ever since Lauren had died he had made it a point to depend on no one other than himself. People were fickle and often cruel and falling in love had only meant getting hurt when that person had been ripped violently from his life. He had decided long ago that trusting or depending on anyone else was simply not worth the risk or the pain that accompanied it.

Work had become his only friend and he had thrown himself into it passionately, succeeding in his cases more often than not and he had tried to find satisfaction and comfort in a job well done. That tactic had worked for quite some time, but suddenly it was no longer enough.

Monica had changed everything for him and not just today when she had put her own safety aside to save his life. No, she had made him to see things through her eyes and they were eyes that trusted a greater power, no matter what was thrown her way. Where he had always put his job first, she placed everyone else first; him, Andrew, her assignment. She had a peace that he was only just beginning to understand and he was starting to realize that he wanted to.

Even her last words before unconsciousness had claimed her had been proof of that peace. He could only imagine the pain that had been consuming her in those moments, but she had still insisted she was not afraid. She had trusted that regardless of what happened, whether she lived or died, that God would take care of her. It was trust in the truest form of the word and he longed to understand it better.

But even while he wanted that, he still struggled with why things had happened the way that they had. Andrew had said that God loved him, but yet God had allowed Lauren to be killed. If God loved Monica, than why had she been allowed to be hurt? If God loved all His children, then why did so many of them hurt each other?

These were the questions that plagued his mind and heart; the things that kept him from taking that leap of faith off the cliff and into the light. As of right now, his trust for God was not complete. Andrew, Monica and Tess were proof that He existed, but Paul was still the keeper of his own heart and for now it felt much safer that way.

Tess frowned as she stood outside of the seedy motel located on the bad side of town. The building was run down, but considering David’s lengthy unemployment, she was sure that Kristin had been unable to afford any better.

Vanishing from the street, the angel then appeared in the young woman’s hotel room and shuddered as a cockroach ran across the end of her shoe. She had never liked creepy crawly things and she wasn’t at all happy with the fact that the soon to be mother was in a place so unsanitary.

Kristin emerged from the bathroom, eyes red from tears and she stopped short with a gasp at the sight of Tess. A soft glow now surrounded her friend from the unemployment agency and her eyes widened in disbelief for just a moment before they cleared.
“You’re an angel, aren’t you?” She whispered, sinking down on the edge of the bed.

Tess looked surprised for a fraction of a second before she smiled, “That’s right, baby. God sent me here to you.”

“It’s about David, isn’t it? He’s in trouble; I can feel it.”

“Kristin, David hurt someone last night. He was offered a large sum of money to kill someone and in his desperation to hold onto you, he agreed…” The angel sat down on the bed next to Kristin and reached for her hand, holding it gently in her own.

The color drained from the woman’s face as she lowered her eyes, “He killed someone?”

“No, he failed at that, but he is in a bit of trouble. It was Monica he hurt-,” Seeing Kristin open her mouth in distress, Tess added quickly, “But as she is an angel as well, she is going to be fine eventually.”

“I…I can’t believe he would do this…this isn’t him, Tess. He was so different before…so good. He went to school, he had a good job, he was going to be a wonderful father and now it’s all so wrong…” She forced back tears, trying to focus on what she should be doing, “No one can help him now…”

“That’s where you are wrong, baby. God can help him and that is why Monica was sent to him in the first place. He already regrets what he did and he may need your help seeing the rest of the truth if he decides to come to you. But the first thing we need to do is to get you out of this dump…”

“There is nowhere else for me to go, Tess…” She whispered sadly, “I have no money, Tess and no one wants to hire someone as pregnant as I am…The police will be all over my old apartment…”

“Rumor has it, Kristin, that a certain friend of yours has a little kitten that needs to be taken care of and payment for that is you can stay at her place until things work out,” Tess smiled gently at her, anxious to get her out of her current residence.

Kristin managed a shaky smile, “Tell Monica she has a deal.”

The room had been nearly silent as the darkness of early morning gave way to the dawn, and then late morning on into noontime. Tess had told him to use the time wisely, and he knew that she meant he should grab whatever sleep he could. He had pulled the small cot right next to the little angel’s bed in an attempt to convince himself that he would know if she stirred but he still found it impossible to close his eyes for more than a few minutes at a time.

“Still no response?” Andrew had been so focused on Monica’s face that he hadn’t even heard the nurse enter.

“Not yet, Sarah.” The nurse had come on shift at six a.m. and had paused in her rounds each time to give him a few words of encouragement.

“The anesthesia should be out of her system, but she’s been through a lot of trauma. It could take some time for her to come around.” She spoke quietly and kindly as she carefully took the angel’s vital signs, writing everything down on the chart that hung at the foot of her bed. “I could bring you some lunch if you’d like, but it looks like you’d be better off trying to get some sleep.”

“Actually, some coffee would be great,” Andrew replied as he sat up. “I’ve been trying to sleep, but I can’t seem to take my eyes off her. I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

“I understand,” she said, although she didn’t really, as she was thinking that he was one of the most devoted boyfriends she could remember. “I’ll ring down for coffee and if you need anything else, just push the buzzer. Someone at the desk will come right in.”

“Thank you,” he said appreciatively, before turning his attention back to Monica as the nurse silently left the room.

“You hear that, Angel? I’m right here. You’re not alone.” He sighed. He knew that sleep was exactly what she needed, but he couldn’t help wanting to see her dark eyes open, just for a moment.

There had been a look in those eyes just before she fell unconscious, a look that spoke to him a thousand words. For an instant the haunted expression had faded, replaced by hope and understanding, as if she had suddenly been given the answers to all of her questions. Andrew wanted to see that look again. It had been so long since he had seen her eyes free from at least the hint of grief and pain that he needed to see them clear again to make sure that he hadn’t just imagined it.

“Well, I guess you’ll wake up when you’re ready, Angel Girl. I just hope you’re awake when Paul comes back, or I think he may force the issue,” he smiled. “He can be nearly as stubborn as you. That may be why we get along so well.”

The door opened and Sarah was back and carrying a tray. “I thought that coffee on an empty stomach was a bad idea,” she explained as she placed the tray on the table that spanned the foot of Monica’s bed. It held a full lunch, along with the requested coffee, and Andrew gave her a brief smile.

“Thanks. You’re probably right.”

“Of course I am,” she replied with a grin.

Andrew had to admit that the sandwich did look good, and he had a peculiar weakness for Jell-o, though he kept it well hidden. He reached for the coffee first and was just bringing it to his lips when he saw Monica’s fingertips move. It was just a fraction of an inch, but it was more than she had moved since being brought to the room.

“Monica? Can you hear me?” he asked as he quickly put the cup down and leaned closer to her face. “Open your eyes, honey. C’mon, I know you want to,” he coaxed, taking her hand into his and squeezing it gently. He held his breath as he watched her eyelids begin to flutter and then, with infinite slowness, they opened just a crack. “Just a little more… you’re almost there.”

He looked down as he felt her fingers tighten around his. “Andrew?” she whispered her voice raspy and hoarse.

“Yes, I’m here. Shhh… don’t say anything else. Let me get you some water.” He quickly poured a little into the plastic cup beside her bed and put in a straw. “Here, just try to drink a little,” he said as he directed the straw between her dry lips.

She closed her eyes again as she drank, but when she stopped she opened them wider, and looked slightly more alert. “I’m in the hospital,” she whispered.

“Yes, they brought you here last night and they fixed you all up,” he didn’t want to go into the details of her surgery or her injuries. There would be plenty of time for her to learn about them later. “You’re going to be just fine, Monica.”

She held his hand tighter and looked into his clear green eyes. “You’ve been here the whole time.”

He carefully brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. “I couldn’t be anywhere else, Angel. You know that.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, Monica, the only thanks I needed was to see you open your eyes, and you’ve already done that.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly and she tilted her head as she took in the worried lines on her friend’s face and the dark circles under his eyes. “You were afraid… you were afraid for me,” she said slowly.

Andrew nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more frightened in my entire existence. I… I didn’t know what to think, or what to expect… All I knew was that you were hurt… and I couldn’t help you. You weren’t afraid, but I was terrified,” he admitted.

“Just having you nearby… that’s all I needed you to do. God was with me,” she smiled and he saw that wonderful sparkle in her eyes once more. “He was with me and He held me the whole time.”

Andrew felt a smile spreading across his own face. “I knew He would, Monica… I guess I was just afraid He wouldn’t want to let you go,” he said as he kissed her fingertips again.

His words brought a slight blush to her cheeks and she freed her hand and placed it against his cheek. “But He hasn’t let me go, Andrew. He’s holding me right now.”

Andrew said nothing for a moment. Of course He was with her. He was with all of them, every moment if they just stopped to feel His presence. God had proven that to him outside the hospital and Monica’s words just drove the point home.

“Andrew,” she whispered, her voice beginning to fade a bit. “David? What…”

“Shh… you don’t need to talk about him. They’ll find him, Monica, and he won’t be able to hurt anyone else.” His tone was harsher than he intended and he closed his eyes for a moment to center himself.

She shook her head and he looked at her, confused. “He’s… he’s not all bad, Andrew.”

“Monica…”

“No... I saw, Andrew! I saw into his soul. He isn’t like McArthur. He isn’t evil, he’s just…”

“Just what? Confused? Angry? Monica, he shot you. He would have killed Paul. There is no excuse for that.” Andrew kept his temper in check and his voice low and steady.

“I know that… but there is still good in him. If he asked God for forgiveness, He would grant it… and so would I.” Her eyes had grown moist with tears and Andrew hated seeing them.

“That’s because you are the most gentle, loving, and generous soul I know. You have been through so much and still you aren’t afraid to risk your own existence for your friend. I can’t imagine anything braver, and I can’t tell you how proud I felt when I found out what had happened.”

“Andrew…” Monica lowered her eyes, not used to such an outpouring of praise.

“I love you, Monica, and every word I just said is the truth.” He took a deep breath. “Seeing you in that hotel and not being able to do anything for you except hold you was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. I can’t stand to see you hurt, and right now… I’m sorry, Angel, but I can’t say that I will ever really forgive the man who has caused you so much pain.”

“Please don’t say that,” She whispered, blinking back tears, sorrow over his words covering the sparkle that had previously been there, and he immediately regretted having said anything.

“The Father and I will work on it, angel, all right?” He did his best to reassure her at least knowing that his words were true. He would try, he just couldn’t promise anything. He reached out and stroked her temple with the backs of his fingers, wishing he could wrap her up in his arms, “I promise.”

“Okay,” Monica conceded, her trusting eyes gazing up into his, satisfied with his promise to try.

She was worried about how badly she had been hurt, but wasn’t feeling brave enough to ask the questions as of yet. She knew that it hurt for her to breath and that there was much pain still involved around her right shoulder and back despite the pain medication she knew was entering her system through the IV. Tentatively, she moved her left hand up to her right shoulder, but ever so gently Andrew stopped her.

“You’re going to be fine, sweetie, so stop worrying. You just need time to rest and to heal, that’s all.”

“Andrew, how badly-,” Her question was cut short as he brought his finger to her lips.

“Shh, angel, rest. I say we both grab a nap and we’ll talk more about it later,” Though she had only been awake for a short time, he could see how much it had tired her out.

“You’re going to stay, right?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” He assured her, his hand still wrapped around hers, “Now, close your eyes and rest. You deserve it.”

Never releasing her hold on his hand, the little angel closed her dark eyes and a moment later, sleep claimed her once more.