First, I'd like to thank Jenni-OnThisSide, Garjzlavarden, and Yva J. for continuing to review this story. The response I got from the last chapter really encouraged me to continue, as it was much stronger than I had originally anticipated. So thank you!!
Secondly, I would like to dedicate this chapter to Yva J: Founder of the Advocacy of Adam Appreciators. ;-) I love the way you roll!!
Chapter Twenty-Five
A few hours later, it was dark outside and the rain was coming down just as hard, if not harder. The thunder continued to rumble and the lightening could be seen flashing outside the windows of the Chandler home.
Tess watched as the Chandler family sat silently together in their parlor. There was hardly a word between anybody. Elizabeth simply stared straight ahead into the fire. There was no emotion on her face, yet it was obvious that she had been crying from her red-rimmed eyes. John sat quietly, smoking his pipe. He looked like he was deeply lost in thought and no one even tried to make conversation.
From the kitchen doorway, Tess sighed as she watched the sad scene in front of her. She shook her head as she thought about the afternoon's events. Everything had been running smoothly at the house that afternoon. It had been raining heavily outside, but there was plenty of housework to do inside the house. But then the front door had opened and the John entered with both Elizabeth and Micah with him. All three of them were dripping wet, and Elizabeth appeared to be in a daze.
It was there that they had learned of the earlier happenings. John told all of them about the attack and fight with the store and how Samuel had fought to defend them. Even though he was a Loyalist and they were not. And then he told them about the way one of the men had gone after Micah, only to be interceded by Samuel who took the knife himself. He had told them about the way the young man had died on the store floor.
Tess had eventually noticed that Andrew was not with them when they returned and when she questioned this, John had not seemed too concerned.
"He left." John had said. "I was so busy with Samuel and Elizabeth, that I did not even see him go. All I know is that he was there one minute and the next time I looked up, he was gone. I am sure he will come back in his own time."
He had said that and he had sounded sure, but that had been hours ago and Tess was not so sure she agreed with the man. She knew that she should not worry. She knew that the Father would take care of Andrew, wherever he was. But she still could not help but be concerned for him. There had to be something out of this story that she was missing; something that would have made Andrew run off the way he did.
She suddenly heard a noise in the kitchen behind her. She turned around to find the Angel of Death, Adam, standing there beside the table. His long hair was pulled back into a short queue behind his head and he wore a concerned expression on his face.
"Hello Tess," He said, his voice quiet. He glanced around the room curiously, as if he was searching for somebody.
"Adam," She demanded, not even bothering to greet the angel she had not seen in weeks. "I sure hope you were sent here to fill me in."
He looked confused by this remark. "Fill you in? Fill you in on what?"
"On what happened to Andrew." The older angel said with exasperation.
"What happened to Andrew?" Adam still looked very puzzled. "That's why I am here. I wanted to make sure he was alright after what happened this afternoon."
She shook her head. "Andrew is not here, Adam. He never came back this afternoon. What do you know about this?" She asked him, stepping closer. "Did you handle Samuel's case, Angel Boy?"
He nodded. "Yes, I did. Tess, the whole thing was truly amazing. The boy is remarkable. He really is."
"Come on." Tess prodded impatiently. "Out with it, Adam. Tell me what happened."
"Oh, of course. Well, I did not see the whole thing. But by the time I arrived there was a fight going on inside John Chandler's store. Everyone was fighting somebody. I... I could hardly tell who was actually winning." He shook his head at the memory. "Well anyway, one of the men went after Micah when the lad was not looking. Andrew... Andrew saw and jumped to stop man, but he was stopped before he could get to him. So Samuel jumped in and pushed Micah out of the way. He took the knife himself, Tess. He took it for another man who had not done one thing to deserve such an act." He emphasized. Tears stung the angel's eyes and he closed them briefly as he remembered the shocked look on Samuel's face as he felt the knife strike him.
Tess then prodded him to continue, returning Adam's thoughts to the present and he continued.
"The fight pretty much ended shortly after that, but until then Samuel kept fighting. He refused to let himself stop until it was over. He collapsed on the floor after that and everybody rushed to his side. I heard Andrew ask about going for a doctor, but John told him not to. It was too late for Samuel by that point and John knew that." Adam sighed sadly. "Andrew then looked over and he saw me standing there. That's when he knew. He knew, Tess, what was going to happen and the look on his face was just... just complete horror. But there was something else, though I don't know what it was.
"He pleaded with me not to take Samuel, but you know I had no choice, Tess." The Angel of Death continued the story. "And I did not want to take him. I didn't... He was so young. But it was his time. I've heard from others that Andrew was promoted and this is his first case working assignment."
Tess nodded in confirmation.
"And I know it can be difficult in the beginning; especially the first few days, but I would think that he would understand something like this." Adam said, his handsome face lined with confusion. "After all, he is an angel. He knows that death is not the end of life. Why would he be so... so desperate for the lad to live? I mean, I understand and all, but to this extent? He seemed like he was depending on the boy's life. It was one of the strangest things I have seen in a while. And trust me, I have seen some pretty strange things in my line of work."
A look of understanding suddenly dawned upon Tess' face as Adam finished his story. "He was depending on Samuel." Tess declared, looking the other angel in the eye. "At least he thinks he is. Adam, I know why Andrew ran off. He was running away from something. Something that he shouldn't feel in the first place."
"What is it, Tess?" Adam asked softly.
"Guilt." The older angel replied solemnly. "He was running from guilt."
Andrew slowly opened his eyes. It took him a moment to figure out where he was and how he had gotten there, but very quickly it all came flooding back to him. He rubbed his eyes and looking about through the darkness, he decided that he must have somehow fallen asleep out there in the rain. It was still storming and though it was April, he could not help but shiver from being so completely wet.
He yawned and slowly repositioned himself on the muddy ground where he had spent the last couple of hours. He groaned at the aches and pains he felt in on various parts of his body. But the pain he noticed especially was the pain in his stomach. One of his ribs, it felt like, was either severely bruised or cracked. The pain was bad enough either way. Probably from when that rod was slammed into his stomach by one of the Loyalists.
Loyalists... Samuel. Andrew could not take his mind off the young man. The boy should not have died. If only Andrew would have gotten to Micah, then Samuel wouldn't have been hurt.
He remembered what Tess had said; that Samuel was one the keys to his assignment. Now he had not only gotten the boy killed because he could not reach him in time, but he had failed his assignment in the process. His very first assignment as a caseworker and he had ruined it. Just like in the nightmare he had had a few nights before. Only this time, Samuel really was dead. And it really was his fault. Now everything was ruined. Elizabeth would never marry Samuel, and perhaps not even Micah.
Things probably would have been better without me here at all, Andrew told himself dejectedly. Tears once again pricked his eyes, but had anybody been there, they would not have noticed for his face was already wet from the rain.
He did not know what time it was, but he knew that he had been gone for a long time and that maybe people were probably beginning to wonder what had happened to him. Besides, he was cold and the thought of dry clothes was enough to make him get up off the ground and onto his feet.
The pain in his stomach. It was still there, yet the angel did not even notice it as he stood up. He was beginning to feel a numbness overcome him and the feeling did not from the wet clothes he wore. The numbness came from deep inside him. The pain of his failure and guilt ran so deep, it diluted everything around him. As he began to slowly make his way out of the forest, all he could do was think of his failure. And all he could see was Samuel and images from the nightmare that he was sure would continue haunt him the rest of his existence.
Tess sighed as she drummed her fingers against the table. The Chandlers were all in bed asleep by this point, but Tess remained awake, waiting for Andrew to return as she hoped he would.
But she did not wait alone. Across the table from her sat Adam, a half eaten buttered biscuit in front of him. Tess had offered it to him a little while back and he had accepted, but his mind was obviously not on eating at that moment.
"Tess," He spoke up quietly. "If only you could have seen the look on his face. I feel so bad for having to take Samuel home."
"You did your job, baby, what you were told to do by the Father." Tess told him gently, but surely. "For that there should be no shame. You did nothing wrong."
Adam nodded as he accepted this. He knew what the older angel said was true, but he still felt bad for his friend.
"What Andrew does not understand," Tess continued. "Is that he did nothing wrong either. Samuel's death was not his fault at all. He could not have done anything to stop it. And Samuel's death has not ended his assignment. God can use bad things that happen for good, and this time is no exception. Andrew has not failed."
"But he thinks he has, Tess." Adam pointed out softly. "And that has got to be hurting him something terrible."
Just as Adam finished his sentence, the back door to the kitchen swung open and Andrew came slowly walking in. His face showed no emotion whatsoever, though there was a little blood here and there on him and water was dripping off him as if a bucket of water had just been dumped over his head. Tess and Adam were both on their feet at once.
"Andrew," Tess exclaimed quietly, as to not wake the family sleeping. She rushed over to him. "Where have you been?"
He did not say anything at first. He just shook his head and stood there, letting the water form a puddle around him. Finally he looked up at his supervisor with sorrowful eyes. "Tess, I failed. I failed my very first assignment, just like in that nightmare I had."
"Andrew, you did not fail." Adam spoke up as he joined in.
"I did. And now Samuel is dead... because of me." Andrew added hoarsely. "It is all my fault, Tess. All of it." He shivered slightly at the end of his sentence. "I have ruined everything and this time it is not a nightmare. It's real. These are real human lives and I just know that God must be so angry with me."
Tess shook her head fiercely. "No, Andrew. That is not true. You did not fail and I promise you, the Father is anything but angry with you."
Andrew did not look convinced and Tess sighed. "Angel Boy, I want you to go out to that barn and get out of those wet clothes, put on something dry, and get in bed before you make yourself sick again. Adam and I will be out in a few minutes. Then I want to explain some things to you."
Andrew just nodded numbly and did what he had been told. He turned around and went back outside. The two remaining angels watched his retreating back and Tess shook her head sadly. He did not even try to run through the storm, she noticed. He simply walked slowly and numbly through it all. It was as if he was hardly aware of anything other than his assumed failure. Protectively, Tess continued to watch him until he eventually disappeared into the dry barn.