Unseen to the human eye, Monica walked down the halls of the Holy Cross
Memorial Medical Center, toward the oncology unit. Kayla Johnston was in
that ward, meeting with oncologist Dr. Malcolm Vandersluis to get the
results of her latest blood work. As Monica stood unseen in the corner of
the small office, the doctor turned to Kayla with a manila folder in his
hand.
"Kayla, we've gotten the results of your tests, and I'm afraid I have some rather difficult news."
Kayla's pretty face paled, and she gripped the arms of her chair tightly. "What is it?"
"You have a form of Leukemia," Dr. Vandersluis said as gently as he could. "It's called Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, which is a type of blood cancer. The cancer cells are attacking your bone marrow and preventing it from making red blood cells. That's why you've been feeling fatigued all the time."
From where she was standing, Monica felt a stab of sympathy for Kayla as the young woman's face paled even further. She seemed too young to be handed a diagnosis like that.
Kayla took a shuddering breath and asked, "How bad is that?"
The doctor pushed his glasses further along the bridge of his nose and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Unfortunately, it's hard to say. But, the five year survival rate for this particular kind of cancer is high, around 58 percent"
"That's high? You're saying that I may not even live five years?" Kayla was fighting tears now.
"I'm not saying that at all. Every patient responds differently to treatment, and the disease doesn't always progress at the same rate. The fact that you're younger will help. Your body is strong, so you'll be more able to fight the disease. Trust me Kayla, I'm going to do everything I possibly can to help you beat this thing."
Kayla nodded wordlessly at the doctor. A tear rolled down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away. Monica could see that she was struggling with her emotions, and wondered what she was going to be able to do to help.
"Why don't you come with me? I'll have one of my nurses talk with you and she can tell you what kinds of things to expect, and then she can set up a time with you to come back so we can discuss treatment options. I want to get started as soon as possible, so we can start fighting the cancer." Kayla nodded listlessly and left the room with the doctor, on her way to speak with the nurse. Monica watched them go, wondering what she was to do next, when Tess appeared in front of her.
"Oh, Tess, I can't even imagine what she's feeling right now. I always hate seeing things like this. They were never part of the plan."
"No they aren't, baby, and you're going to need to remember that," Tess said.
Monica nodded, "What am I going to be doing to help Kayla?" She asked. "Am I going to be a nurse? A volunteer?"
Tess hesitated for a moment before speaking, "You're not going to be doing any of those things, I'm afraid. I've just gotten word that you're being pulled off of the case for now."
Monica's eyes flashed briefly, and Tess thanked The Father that humans couldn't hear them talking - or yelling as the case may be. "What do you mean, I'm being pulled from this case?" The Irish angel said, her voice getting slightly louder. "I can't think of anyone on this earth that needs an angel more than Kayla! She's just been handed the worst news of her life, Tess!"
"You think I don't know that, Miss Wings?" Tess retorted. "The last time I checked the Holy rule book, there was nothing in there about angels deciding their own assignments. We take our orders from The Father. He's got a plan, and like it or not, we have to just go with it."
Tess's sharp words obviously drove her point home, because Monica's eyes lowered and she bit off the protest forming on her tongue. "Well, what now?" She asked, her voice much softer this time.
"We've been given an apartment for the time being, so I don't think that this is permanent, baby. I say we just go there and wait for something to happen." Monica smiled half-heartedly, and followed Tess out of the hospital and to her caddy. The two angels got in, and Tess began the drive to the apartment the Father had provided them. As Tess pulled out onto the highway, Monica found herself overcome with tiredness. She pillowed her head against the window and closed her tired eyes. She was asleep in minutes. Tess looked over at her young friend and had to smile, although it wasn't like Monica to be so tired in the middle of the day. She shrugged off her wondering and turned down the radio, letting her charge sleep.
* * * * * *
"Baby? Wake up, we're here." Tess gently shook Monica's shoulder, smiling as the young angel opened her eyes and sleepily looked up at her. "You can't stay out here all day, Angel Girl."
"Sorry, Tess," Monica said sheepishly, "I don't know why I'm so tired."
Tess shrugged, and got out of the car, waiting for Monica before the two ascended the three flights of stairs to the apartment they would be sharing with Andrew. They walked in, and were greeted with wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Andrew seemed to be the culprit, chopping lettuce and vegetables for what looked to be an Italian feast fit for a king. "Hey you two!" He greeted them warmly. "I heard about your case, Monica, and I thought you could use a cheering-up meal."
"That's sweet of you, Angel Boy," Tess said. "And it smells awfully good."
"It'll be ready in about an hour. I hope you brought your appetite."
Monica smiled at her friend, "I think I'm going to watch some TV while we wait then." She wandered over to the couch and sat down. Tess retreated to the kitchen with Andrew, to supervise his cooking, which Andrew knew would mean a "Tess touch" to his meal. Not that he minded, though. His older friend had a way in the kitchen, among her many gifts.
An hour later, Andrew came out of the kitchen to get Monica, and found her asleep on the sofa. He kneeled down to her, and brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek. She stirred at his touch, and opened her eyes to look at him. "Are you feeling alright, Angel Girl?" Andrew asked. "Tess told me about your other little nap today."
"I'm fine, Andrew. I'm just a little worn out today, that's all."
"If you're sure," he replied. "I don't want you coming down with the flu if you're going to get back on this case."
"Don't worry about me. Now, let's get some dinner." Monica got up off of the couch and took her seat at the table. They sat eating, Monica and Tess complimenting Andrew on his cooking skills until he blushed. Monica began to feel full, and looking down at her plate, she saw that she had only eaten a quarter of what she would normally eat. She put down her fork, and pushed her plate a few inches from herself.
"What's wrong, Baby?" Tess asked, noting Monica's mostly full plate.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just full."
"But you've hardly eaten anything," Andrew said.
Monica shook her head, "I'm sorry Andrew. I just don't feel hungry." She stood up, and with a brief 'excuse me', left the room.
"What was that all about?" Andrew asked, dumbfounded.
Tess looked confused as well. "God only knows, baby. She's not acting right, that's for sure. I'm going to be keeping my eye on that little angel." Andrew nodded his agreement, looking down the hall toward the room that Monica and Tess shared, a small knot of concern forming in his stomach.
"Kayla, we've gotten the results of your tests, and I'm afraid I have some rather difficult news."
Kayla's pretty face paled, and she gripped the arms of her chair tightly. "What is it?"
"You have a form of Leukemia," Dr. Vandersluis said as gently as he could. "It's called Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, which is a type of blood cancer. The cancer cells are attacking your bone marrow and preventing it from making red blood cells. That's why you've been feeling fatigued all the time."
From where she was standing, Monica felt a stab of sympathy for Kayla as the young woman's face paled even further. She seemed too young to be handed a diagnosis like that.
Kayla took a shuddering breath and asked, "How bad is that?"
The doctor pushed his glasses further along the bridge of his nose and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Unfortunately, it's hard to say. But, the five year survival rate for this particular kind of cancer is high, around 58 percent"
"That's high? You're saying that I may not even live five years?" Kayla was fighting tears now.
"I'm not saying that at all. Every patient responds differently to treatment, and the disease doesn't always progress at the same rate. The fact that you're younger will help. Your body is strong, so you'll be more able to fight the disease. Trust me Kayla, I'm going to do everything I possibly can to help you beat this thing."
Kayla nodded wordlessly at the doctor. A tear rolled down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away. Monica could see that she was struggling with her emotions, and wondered what she was going to be able to do to help.
"Why don't you come with me? I'll have one of my nurses talk with you and she can tell you what kinds of things to expect, and then she can set up a time with you to come back so we can discuss treatment options. I want to get started as soon as possible, so we can start fighting the cancer." Kayla nodded listlessly and left the room with the doctor, on her way to speak with the nurse. Monica watched them go, wondering what she was to do next, when Tess appeared in front of her.
"Oh, Tess, I can't even imagine what she's feeling right now. I always hate seeing things like this. They were never part of the plan."
"No they aren't, baby, and you're going to need to remember that," Tess said.
Monica nodded, "What am I going to be doing to help Kayla?" She asked. "Am I going to be a nurse? A volunteer?"
Tess hesitated for a moment before speaking, "You're not going to be doing any of those things, I'm afraid. I've just gotten word that you're being pulled off of the case for now."
Monica's eyes flashed briefly, and Tess thanked The Father that humans couldn't hear them talking - or yelling as the case may be. "What do you mean, I'm being pulled from this case?" The Irish angel said, her voice getting slightly louder. "I can't think of anyone on this earth that needs an angel more than Kayla! She's just been handed the worst news of her life, Tess!"
"You think I don't know that, Miss Wings?" Tess retorted. "The last time I checked the Holy rule book, there was nothing in there about angels deciding their own assignments. We take our orders from The Father. He's got a plan, and like it or not, we have to just go with it."
Tess's sharp words obviously drove her point home, because Monica's eyes lowered and she bit off the protest forming on her tongue. "Well, what now?" She asked, her voice much softer this time.
"We've been given an apartment for the time being, so I don't think that this is permanent, baby. I say we just go there and wait for something to happen." Monica smiled half-heartedly, and followed Tess out of the hospital and to her caddy. The two angels got in, and Tess began the drive to the apartment the Father had provided them. As Tess pulled out onto the highway, Monica found herself overcome with tiredness. She pillowed her head against the window and closed her tired eyes. She was asleep in minutes. Tess looked over at her young friend and had to smile, although it wasn't like Monica to be so tired in the middle of the day. She shrugged off her wondering and turned down the radio, letting her charge sleep.
* * * * * *
"Baby? Wake up, we're here." Tess gently shook Monica's shoulder, smiling as the young angel opened her eyes and sleepily looked up at her. "You can't stay out here all day, Angel Girl."
"Sorry, Tess," Monica said sheepishly, "I don't know why I'm so tired."
Tess shrugged, and got out of the car, waiting for Monica before the two ascended the three flights of stairs to the apartment they would be sharing with Andrew. They walked in, and were greeted with wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Andrew seemed to be the culprit, chopping lettuce and vegetables for what looked to be an Italian feast fit for a king. "Hey you two!" He greeted them warmly. "I heard about your case, Monica, and I thought you could use a cheering-up meal."
"That's sweet of you, Angel Boy," Tess said. "And it smells awfully good."
"It'll be ready in about an hour. I hope you brought your appetite."
Monica smiled at her friend, "I think I'm going to watch some TV while we wait then." She wandered over to the couch and sat down. Tess retreated to the kitchen with Andrew, to supervise his cooking, which Andrew knew would mean a "Tess touch" to his meal. Not that he minded, though. His older friend had a way in the kitchen, among her many gifts.
An hour later, Andrew came out of the kitchen to get Monica, and found her asleep on the sofa. He kneeled down to her, and brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek. She stirred at his touch, and opened her eyes to look at him. "Are you feeling alright, Angel Girl?" Andrew asked. "Tess told me about your other little nap today."
"I'm fine, Andrew. I'm just a little worn out today, that's all."
"If you're sure," he replied. "I don't want you coming down with the flu if you're going to get back on this case."
"Don't worry about me. Now, let's get some dinner." Monica got up off of the couch and took her seat at the table. They sat eating, Monica and Tess complimenting Andrew on his cooking skills until he blushed. Monica began to feel full, and looking down at her plate, she saw that she had only eaten a quarter of what she would normally eat. She put down her fork, and pushed her plate a few inches from herself.
"What's wrong, Baby?" Tess asked, noting Monica's mostly full plate.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just full."
"But you've hardly eaten anything," Andrew said.
Monica shook her head, "I'm sorry Andrew. I just don't feel hungry." She stood up, and with a brief 'excuse me', left the room.
"What was that all about?" Andrew asked, dumbfounded.
Tess looked confused as well. "God only knows, baby. She's not acting right, that's for sure. I'm going to be keeping my eye on that little angel." Andrew nodded his agreement, looking down the hall toward the room that Monica and Tess shared, a small knot of concern forming in his stomach.