Chapter 3 – Panic Stricken
Tess and Andrew had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity for word on Monica. They had been expecting her earlier at the quaint little shop they had found. Tess had known as soon as she'd seen it that Monica would love it. Floral cotton tablecloths, lace place settings on beautifully carved tables. Countless blends of coffee served in real china, exquisite aromas in every corner of the shop. Andrew had bought her a Mocha Latte and left it on the table in anticipation of her imminent arrival. But Monica never came. As the minutes dragged by without sight or sound of her and the weather outside got worse her empty place at the table weighed heavy on their minds, unbeknownst to them as the heat from the mug of coffee slowly ebbed away so too did a beautiful angel's smile.
The two senior angels had grown increasingly worried at Monica's no-show and panic was beginning to set in. They were debating with each other what they were going to do about it when the decision was taken out of their hands. A young man burst through the door. His hands jammed in the pockets of his Blue Jeans and the hood of his Black Fleece jacket framing his face trying to keep out the cold. He placed his order with the motherly, middle aged woman behind the counter before relaying the piece of news he had come in to reveal. Tess and Andrew overheard the young man's story of a beautiful woman found beaten and left for scrap on the streets, her condition undetermined; her attacker unknown. An overwhelming fear seemed to take over both angels with a vice-like grip. Both jumped up and headed out the door without a word being said between them, each knowing exactly the others movements as if they were their own. As Andrew looked back briefly to close the door behind him he caught a glimpse of the young man's face looking straight at him, his piercing blue eyes shining red for the briefest of moments. Shaking his head in disbelief Andrew looked again but the young man was engaged in pleasant conversation with the lady behind the counter. Believing fear and panic were playing tricks on his mind he closed the door and went after Tess, never seeing the young man throw his head back, a throaty laugh showing his pleasure and pride at the completion of the next stage of his plan. At the same time his eyes shone bright with their true colour, the red of pure evil.
On arrival at the hospital they had been told that Monica was with the doctor and they could do nothing but wait and the agony went on. So it was that they found themselves in a white, sterile, lifeless corridor. The lights dimmed to reflect the midnight hour. Tess sat uncomfortably in a hard plastic chair, praying to the father for Monica's safety and strength of character for herself and Andrew to weather whatever storms lay ahead. She shifted her weight trying to find a slightly less painful position, all the time willing to endure all the pain and discomfort in the world just to hear news of her Angel Girl. Andrew was pacing up and down, worry etched on his handsome features. The opposite of Tess's measured and calm exterior Andrew was fidgety and fretful. Unable to keep still for long enough to feel any discomfort he had been pacing the length of the corridor for most of the night. Footsteps caught both angels attention and both turned to see a middle aged man in a white coat walking towards them. "Are you here for Monica?" Her breath caught in Tess's throat as she whispered 'Yes'. "Then please come this way". The wait was finally over.
