Mica walked out of the alley with Gabriel's trumpet and continued walking down the sidewalk, tucking the instrument under her arm. She looked in shop windows and across the street, but still found no sign of the fallen Archangel. She searched up and down more alleyways as she passed them by, but found only homeless people sleeping on the ground or digging through garage cans. Mica was starting to worry she might never find Gabriel, but she kept on searching for him, hoping that he was still alive somewhere. She said a prayer under her breath, hoping God would answer her soon. She refused to give up on her mission.
Coming to a corner, Mica saw red and blue lights flashing, and noticed a small crowd had gathered around to see what was happening. Taking an interest, Mica furrowed her eyebrows and walked over to try and get a look, as well. There was a police car and an ambulance there, as two paramedics lifted up a stretcher and carried a dark-haired man over to the ambulance. Pushing her way through the crowd, Mica ran over to and stood beside-
"Gabriel?"
The pale-skinned man with black hair was unresponsive. Mica looked away from his face and saw a stab wound on his chest, staining his white shirt a deep crimson. Blood had already soaked through the bandages.
"Gabriel? Gabriel, it's Mica", the angel girl tried to rouse him.
The female paramedic looked at her and said, "Ma'am, please stand back. Let us take care of it."
"No, you don't understand. I know him."
"Are you family?" The male paramedic asked her.
"Yes, he's my brother", said Mica. "What happened to him?"
"We're not exactly sure what happened", he told her. "From what we heard, he took a knife to the chest. Could you please stand back, miss?"
"Is he going to be all right?" Mica asked them.
"We don't know", said the female paramedic. "You can come with us if you want, just stand back, please."
Mica stood aside and allowed the paramedics to lift the stretcher up into the back of the ambulance before jumping in herself. Then the paramedics closed the doors and the ambulance started to move, the siren blaring loudly while they rushed to the hospital. Everything was happening so fast, but all Mica could think about was Gabriel. She took hold of the Archangel's hand and whispered to him, "It's okay, Gabriel. I'm here now."
When they got to the hospital, Mica tried to follow the paramedics down the hall, but a nurse held her back and told her to wait in the lobby while they took Gabriel away to the operating room. Mica didn't want to leave him, but did as she was told and went to sit in the lobby, waiting patiently, if not anxiously, to hear how serious Gabriel's condition was. She knew that hospitals weren't exactly fond of by most humans, but the doctors and nurses who worked there were important people who cured and saved many lives each and every day. Despite her fear of losing him, Mica sat quietly in a chair and waited, keeping Gabriel's trumpet safely in her lap for protection.
It seemed like she waited forever, but a couple of hours later, the female paramedic, whose name was Stefania Whittaker, came over and asked her, "Ma'am?"
Mica stood up and asked her, "What happened?"
"Well, your brother- Gabriel, did you say?"
Mica nodded.
"Well, we spoke to him, and apparently, he was mugged. Someone stabbed him in the chest and stole his trumpet, probably the one you're holding right now."
"How is he?"
"The doctors managed to stop the bleeding and stitched his wound up, but he's not out of the woods just yet. We're gonna have to keep him overnight for observation. "
"But he's going to be okay?" Mica asked her.
"Yes, he'll live", Stefania answered.
"Oh, thank God", Mica praised, placing her hand over her heart. She looked at Stefania and asked her, "Is it all right if I see him now?"
"Yes, but don't stay too long. He needs his rest. I'll show you to his room."
Mica nodded. "Thank you."
Mica followed Stefania around the corner and two doors down and entered a room where she found Gabriel lying in a hospital bed, sleeping. He was breathing lightly, as she saw his chest rising up and down very slowly. He was covered by a thin blanket and wearing a short-sleeved, hospital gown as opposed to his usual dark clothes and white silk shirt. There was a needle in his arm connected to a tube that supplied a clear liquid into his veins.
"Remember, don't stay too long", Stefania reminded her.
"I won't, I promise", said Mica.
Soon as the female paramedic left, Mica went over and sat down in a chair next to his bed, watching over Gabriel like a good angel. She took hold of his hand and rubbed it gently, praying silently to God and thanking Him.
He felt cold, despite having a blanket covering his body. He thought for sure he was dead, but he wasn't. Opening his eyes, Gabriel searched the room and looked to his left and beheld the face of an old, familiar friend.
Her face was still the same, but the aurora that usually surrounded her body was gone. She was wearing a long white overcoat over ordinary clothes instead of her pristine white dress of linen and lace. Her long hair was tied back into a low ponytail. She looked like a human girl in her mid-twenties, but deep down inside, she was still an angel. Like most angels who came to Earth, she was wearing a long overcoat to hide her wings.
"Mica?"
The angel girl smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Gabriel."
The Archangel's tired eyes looked over her image, not sure if he liked her new style or not. He quickly pushed the thought aside and asked her softly, "Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital. The doctor said you were mugged and took a knife to your chest. They took care of your wound and said you're going to be all right. You just need to rest."
"How long have you been here?" Gabriel asked her.
"Only a few minutes", Mica answered. "I wish I could stay longer, but I can't. If it were up to me, I would choose to stay and watch over you all night while you sleep."
"Why?"
"After I heard what happened to you, I went to God and asked Him to send me down here to look after you, but He wouldn't let me. So, I took it upon myself to come down here and look after you, anyway. I spoke to Michael and he said it was okay. I've made it my mission to see to it that you walk down the road to redemption, so that you can make amends with God and reclaim your rightful place in Heaven as His Messenger, as His Archangel."
Gabriel blinked, slight resentment reflected in his cold, blue-gray eyes. "God? Since when does the Boss care what I have to say? He never listens to me. He never has."
"You're wrong", said Mica. "God loves you and He does hear you, but the people on Earth need His help and for Him to listen to them, as well. It breaks my heart to see what's become of you, Gabriel. That is why I came here. I want you to come home and be with us again. To be with me again."
Gabriel sighed sadly, shaking his head. "That's sweet of you to say that, but I can't", he whispered.
Mica rose up from the chair and placed his trumpet on the stand next to his bed and sat down on the bed with Gabriel, who raised his hand up to caress her face and rested his palm on her cheek. Her skin felt warm against the cold touch of his hand. Mica grabbed hold of his wrist and placed a gentle kiss on his palm, just as he had done when they first met. It was a day she would never forget, as she remembered back then how innocent Gabriel was, before he became the resentful person he was now.
"You really miss me, don't you?" Gabriel asked her.
Mica smiled softly at him, light shining in her eyes. "I love all of God's creations, Gabriel. Especially you. When I heard you were dragged down to Hell, it broke my heart. God wasn't happy what you did and tried to do, which is why He ordered Michael to strip you of your powers. I know you despise humans, Gabriel, but maybe learning to live like one of them won't be so bad. I'll help you, if only you'll let me."
For once, the Archangel felt the urge to cry, something he hated about humans. In all his existence, he never understood why humans cried, but now he did. It wasn't just something they did when they were unhappy. It was also something they did when they felt so much joy and emotion that words alone could not express it.
"...Mica..." Gabriel tried to find the right words to say, fighting back the waterworks that were about to spill at any moment. His voice sounded broken and strange to his own ears. He didn't feel like his normal self. No angel in Heaven on God's side would even think to give him a second chance, but this angel girl took it upon herself to show him how much she loved and cared for him.
As Mica bent over to give him a hug, Gabriel gathered enough strength to sit up a little and returned her hug, welcoming the loving embrace of her arms. He made a sobbing noise and felt a tightness in his throat, his body trembling as he cried into her shoulder. He felt embarrassed by the tears that were now streaming down his face, but Mica shushed him and rubbed his back, letting him know that it was all right.
"It's okay, Gabriel", Mica whispered gently into his ear. "I'm here with you. Nothing's going to happen to you. I will always be here to protect you."
"I'm scared, Mica", said Gabriel.
"Don't be. I'm going to take care of you."
Mica released her hold on the Archangel and took a cloth, dipping it into some water before applying it to Gabriel's tear-stained face. He let her fuss over him, having no other choice than to be treated like a child. If Mica had been born on Earth and was ever destined to have any children, Gabriel thought she would have made a very good mother, but he shuddered at the thought of her turning mortal like him. He cast the thought away just as quickly as it came and rested his eyes for a moment, falling asleep again. He didn't mean to, but the painkillers the doctors had given him earlier caused Gabriel to pass out. Mica lowered her head down to his chest and listened for his heartbeat. It was slow, but she could still hear it. He wasn't dying. Just sleeping.
Mica stayed for only a few more minutes, but before she left, she leaned over Gabriel and kissed his forehead, whispering to him, "Sleep well, Gabriel. I'll see you tomorrow."