CHAPTER 30

A low groan was the first sound that Andrew heard and he watched as Paul shoved Mike’s body off of his own. The angel was at his side in an instant, rolling the injured man over and staring down into his already glassy eyes. He saw the bright red blood flow out and form a blossom above his heart before spreading garishly across his chest. The wound was eerily similar to Monica’s.

“Get me a towel and call 911!” Paul cried out as he gathered his senses and took stock of what had happened.

His head was pounding in time with the beat of his heart and he had to blink to clear the blood from his eyes. He swiped at his forehead distractedly, brushing away more blood and trying to ignore the pain. Mike was clutching at his chest now and his breath was coming in short gasps. Paul could see the life draining slowly away and the scene was too familiar. The only difference was that his sympathy lay elsewhere. Andrew was at his side again before he realized it and he grabbed at the pristine white towel and mashed it against the bullet wound.

“No way, you bastard. You are not going to die on me now, after everything else,” he was practically shouting as he pressed harder and stared into Mike’s eyes.

“Hate to disappoint you, but I think this is it.” Mike coughed spasmodically and suddenly blood was pooling in his mouth and spilling over his chin.

“Damnit! Andrew, give me a hand here!” Paul struggled to turn the man’s head and keep pressure on his chest at the same time.

Mike had blacked out from the loss of blood and Andrew looked down at him with a detached feeling of regret. He knew he wouldn’t be shedding any tears if the man died and it troubled him. This would mark the second man that the angel hadn’t mourned. The angel knelt down and felt for a pulse in the man’s neck. It was still strong but he could feel it beginning to slow.

“Andrew? What? C’mon… don’t look at me like that!”

“I’m sorry Paul, but I can’t heal him any more than I could heal Monica. We just have to wait.” Andrew took notice of the distress on Paul’s face but he knew that it wasn’t for the man who lay bleeding on the floor. It was for the little angel who was waiting for them.

“You’ve got to tell her… Andrew… you saw… I didn’t want this to happen…” Paul was shaking his head even as he pressed harder on Mike’s chest and leaned forward to listen for his raspy breath.

“I know, Paul. I know.”

The whine of a siren sounded in the distance but neither of them moved until Paul looked up, lines of remorse etched across his face. “I really didn’t want to shoot him, Andrew. Monica was right all along. If he dies I’ll be just like him.” His voice had dropped to a gravelly whisper that Andrew had to strain to hear.

“No you won’t be. Trust me, Paul. You’re nothing like this man.”

The paramedics arrived just a few short minutes later, racing into the room and throwing their bags to the floor as they quickly pushed Paul and Andrew out of the way and went to work. They knew the man they were working on was a wanted fugitive, but they couldn’t let that knowledge affect them. He was simply another human being in need of their help.

“Pulse is thready and decreased breath sounds on the right side. Looks like the bullet pierced that lung,” one of the strong young men announced as he threw down his stethoscope and started packing the bullet wound.

“Line’s in, we’re ready to move,” the other paramedic tapped on the IV line and started the fluid moving. “Let’s get him to the van, it looks like he’ll make it but he’s gonna need blood and fast.”

“You two coming with us?” The question was directed at Paul and he shook his head.

“We’ll follow. Where are you taking him?”

“Mercy General,” he answered as he finished strapping Mike to the gurney.

Monica’s hospital.

“No. You’re not taking him there,” Paul declared. One of them had already said that Mike would live, and Paul was relieved, but there was no way he was going within five city blocks of Monica.

“What? That’s the closest hospital and that’s where we’re going,” the man countered.

Paul whipped the badge from his back pocket and flipped it open. “No. You’re not. This man is currently in my custody and I’ll tell you where to take him. He’s not going to Mercy. Now let’s go… we’re wasting time and I’ve got a hundred calls to make on the way.”

It was nearing one a.m before the crowd finally thinned out and the final prognosis came back on Mike Deatrich. He would live, and with those words Paul and Andrew were both able to breathe easier. He was actually in much better shape than Monica despite the fact that their injuries were similar. He was, after all, nearly twice her size and while the blood loss had been nearly fatal for her it had never been an issue for him.

As Paul and the last of the questioning agents exited the makeshift conference room Andrew crossed the waiting room to meet them. “Trust me,” Paul was saying. “It’ll all be in my report by five tomorrow afternoon.” The agent gave a half-hearted wave to the trio of agents who had been in the room with him and then turned his attention to Andrew. “I thought you left when the three of them arrived,” he said.

“No. I decided to wait for you. I had a feeling you’d be going my way,” Andrew replied.

“Yeah… good guess.”

Their drive back to Mercy General was silent and even when they arrived on her floor they had said less than a dozen words to each other. Andrew’s mind was already with his friend, and Paul’s was rapidly going over a script of what he was going to say to her.

“Wait!” he said suddenly as they approached her room. Andrew looked at him quizzically. “Maybe I should wait until tomorrow… I don’t want to upset her… You could just tell her about what happened and make sure she knows I‘m all right.”

Andrew just stared at him. “Paul, she’s going to want to see that you’re all right with her own two eyes.”

Paul set his mouth into a determinedly grim line. “Yeah… I know…”

“Then stop stalling.” It was as close to stern as Andrew had ever been with him, and it made the agent have to hold back a laugh.

The angel very quietly opened the door and the two of them walked in. They weren’t surprised to see that Monica was asleep, with Tess sitting in the chair beside her bed. Yes, sleep had claimed the little angel, but the lines across her forehead were evidence that it was not a peaceful slumber.

“Well thank the good and gracious Father Himself that the two of you are back and safe!” Tess exclaimed softly.

“Yeah… sorry it took so long, Tess,” Paul said. His eyes flickered to Monica’s face. He was actually glad to see that she was asleep. It bought him just a little bit more time.

“The news has been full of what happened, and the nurses have been keeping me informed, but I let her sleep,” Tess said. “I knew she wouldn’t believe anything until she saw the two of you standing in front of her anyway.”

“Is she okay?” Andrew asked, running his hand along Monica’s cheek and surprised that she only relaxed a fraction under his touch and showed no signs of waking.

“She was in some pain just after you two left and they increased her medication. It’s kept her asleep the whole time,” she replied. “And by the way, Angel Boy, the next time you decide to run off and follow orders that haven’t come from God, you might want to let me know.” Her hands were on her hips and her expression clearly said that Andrew had better not think about running off in the first place.

“Sorry, Tess.” The blond angel said. “Don’t worry, I won’t make it a habit.”

“See that you don’t.” Tess was firm, but Andrew could tell that those were the last words she would speak about it.

Paul stepped closer to Monica’s bed and then turned to Andrew. “I don’t know… it looks like we should just let her sleep and I’ll swing by tomorrow morning some time.”

“Paul.” The one word response to that suggestion was more than enough to let the agent know what Andrew thought of it.

He walked to the other side of the bed and hesitantly reached out to take hold of Monica’s hand. Only moments after wrapping his strong fingers around hers he saw her eyelids begin to flicker open.

“Andrew…” she uttered sleepily, and then her eyes focused on the agent and they opened wider. “Paul… You’re back.”

“Yep… I’m actually not that easy to get rid of,” he replied. “Of course it didn’t hurt that I had my partner back for a while,” he continued as he glanced at Andrew.

The Irish angel turned her head to look at her dearest friend with all the love she held in her heart. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“It was my pleasure, Angel Girl.”

“Paul… is Mike? You didn’t…” Monica was afraid to ask the question that she desperately needed the answer to.

“I think that’s our cue to leave, Tess.” Andrew said lowly, and the older angel didn’t need to be told twice.

Paul watched with some trepidation as the other angels left the room, and his eyes stayed on the closed door for a minute before turning back to Monica.

“Paul?” she asked again fearfully.

“He’s alive, Monica… he’s in another hospital…”

Monica’s face fell and she shook her head. “You promised you’d think about it… you never promised me anything else,” she said with resignation.

Paul quickly squeezed her hand to reassure her. “Monica I did think about what you said… I thought about it all and I changed my mind about everything. I swear to you, Monica… I didn’t intend to do anything but arrest him.”

Monica looked up, surprise and the beginnings of joy chasing across her face. “Really?”

“Really. He tried to make a break for it and in the struggle he was shot, but it was an accident.”

She could see how sincerely he was trying to convince her and she quickly put him at ease. “I believe you, Paul… and you have no idea how happy that makes me… not for my sake, but for yours.”
Now alone with her, the agent dropped all pretense and spoke honestly, “I wanted to kill him when I got there, but then I got to thinking about the things you said, and how sad his life really was and I changed my mind…” He hesitated for only a second before adding softly, “I realized how close I could have come to being just like him.”

“Because of what happened to Lauren,” She whispered, curling her fingers around his hand that was resting over hers.

“Yes. I was on the same road that Mike wound up on and I honestly think things would have worked out differently had you not come along, Monica. Despite my completely inappropriate feelings for you at first, they made me realize that I was capable of feeling those things again and then later realizing that I was capable of keeping friendships again, even if they are with angels,” He laughed a bit self-consciously, “I know this assignment for you, Andrew and Tess will soon be over, but I’m not sure of how I’m ever going to be able to say good-bye to you.”

Monica felt the presence of tears in her eyes as she looked up at him, “Paul…” She couldn’t even begin to imagine not having him around and she had given no thought to the possibility.

He gave a little wave with his free hand, “Let’s not think about it yet. There are still David and Kristin for you to help, so we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Reaching over, he gently swiped at the tear that had managed to escape her eye, “You should sleep. It’s late. How are you feeling, by the way? Tess said you were in some pain earlier.”

She nodded her head and gave the smile of a tuckered out little girl, “I’m sleepy. The pain medication…” She closed her eyes briefly for a moment and when she opened them she noticed the bandage on his forehead, “Your head…are you all right?”

“Five stitches. No big deal,” He assured her.

“Now we match.”

Her impish grin as she indicated the bandage on her own forehead, caused the agent to chuckle, “You need to get some rest. Let me get Andrew so you can say good-night,” He rose to his feet and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, “I’ll see you in the morning, honey.”

“Good night, Paul,” She replied sleepily as her eyes followed him from the room.

Paul nearly collided with Andrew as he stepped out into the hall, “Better hurry, buddy. One tired little angel fading fast.”
The agent’s grin was contagious as Andrew realized that his friend seemed pleased with his conversation with Monica and he nodded his head, “See you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely, and Andrew…thank you,” He clasped his hand on the angel’s shoulder before he turned and headed down the hall, knowing he would be sleeping much more soundly tonight for the first time in weeks.

“Still awake?” Andrew asked as he poked his head in the door.

“Barely,” Monica mumbled wearily, though a smile played on her lips and it was the most welcome sight Andrew had seen since leaving with Paul tonight.

“Thank you for going with him tonight,” She continued as he took the seat Paul had abandoned and instictively reached for her hand.

“You are more than welcome, angel,” He told her softly, “I’m just glad things turned out as well as they did. I honestly wasn’t sure about things there for a few minutes.”

“But the Father changed Paul’s heart,” She sounded completely content as she grinned up at him for a moment before her smile faded.

“What is it?” He asked worriedly, sensing her sudden change of mood.

She was quiet for a moment, eyes downcast, “This assignment is going to be over soon.”

His brow furrowed, figuring she would be much more excited at the aspect of this whole nightmare being over, “It appears that way, angel.” He waited, having a feeling she was working up to something.

“We won’t be seeing Paul anymore,” She whispered sadly, her expression forlorn and Andrew felt his heart clench at the look.

“We don’t know that, sweetie. We could see him again once this is over. Only the Father knows for sure,” He did his best to reassure her, despite the fact that he also felt a little saddened over the fact. Paul had become a part of their existence the last two months and it would be hard to let go.

“I’m going to miss him,” She admitted, her words sounding as heavy as her heart felt as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.

Reaching to smooth back her hair with his other hand, Andrew kissed her fingertip softly, “Me too, angel, me too.”