A few hours later, Tess returned to Monica's hospital room, after convincing Andrew to go back to the apartment and get some rest. He had been completely exhausted, and his pacing and fidgeting was truthfully starting to grate on Tess's nerves. The older angel knew that wearing a path in a room was Andrew's way of dealing with things that really got to him, but enough was enough.

As she pushed open the door to her charge's room, a smile graced the older angel's mahogany face as she saw Monica was awake, and ineffectually trying to sit up. Her muscles were too weak, and weren't cooperating as the angel tried to push herself up. "Hold on a second baby," she admonished gently, guiding Monica back to the pillows. She found the controls for the bed and raised the head of it up, so Monica was in a semi-sitting position.

"Thank you," The younger angel whispered, catching her breath. "Even though I hate….not being able to take care…of myself," she paused to pull the oxygen mask down so she could speak and be heard, "I'm glad that you're the one helping me." She raised her eyes to Tess's, and the older angel could see the seriousness in her charge's eyes, and she swallowed the joke that was on her tongue.

"You know I will always be here for you, angel girl," Tess said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and placing her hand over Monica's frail one.

Monica nodded, taking a breath from beneath the mask before pulling it down again. "I know…"Monica's eyes misted over with tears, "And I can't ever thank you enough… for giving me that knowledge. You've been the closest thing an angel could…ever have to a mother…" her soft voice broke on a sob. "And no matter…what happens in the coming days…I want you to know how much I love you, Tess."

Tess's own dark eyes were cloudy with tears, and she reached up to wipe a tear from Monica's pale cheek as she said, "I love you too, little angel. You've been such an essential part to the happiness of my existence, and I don't even think you realize that half the time. If I was human and had a daughter, I would want nothing more than for her to be just like you." Tess leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Monica's forehead as tears continued to slip down the younger angel's cheeks. "I'm so proud of you too, baby," Tess said, sitting up. "You've done so well on this assignment, and I think you've really helped Kayla. You got her to fight again, and she began fighting again because she saw you fighting. You're a strong angel, baby, and I don't think you give yourself credit for that enough."

"I don't feel very strong right now…Tess," Monica said, trying to crack a smile, "I can't even sit up by myself."

"Maybe not, but you've found a strength inside of yourself that so many people, and even angels," Tess paused for emphasis, "never find. You've been in a very peculiar place for an angel these past few months, and yet you've never lost your faith, or questioned God's plan."

This time Monica really did smile, albeit tiredly. "Didn't…have to. Andrew was doing it for me…"

Tess smiled back at her, and then the older angel's expression turned serious. "I'm gonna have to straighten his angel butt out if he's not careful."

"Tess, don't be…too hard on him," Monica said. "This is hard for him… being an angel of death… and all." Her eyelids were quickly becoming heavy, and she yawned slightly, even though she tried to hide it.

Tess reached for the controls and started to lower Monica's bed back down. "Don't you worry about that, Angel Girl. I'll take care of Andrew… you just rest now. Tess is right here."

Monica nodded as her eyes drifted closed. "I love you Tess," she whispered, "And… thank you…"

"I love you too, little Angel Girl, always." The older angel replied, stroking Monica's hair as her charge slept.

*****

Kayla sat nervously in the waiting room of Doctor Vandersluis's office, absently flipping through a magazine even though her thoughts were on anything but the latest Hollywood love scandals. She had debated endlessly with herself on canceling the appointment, but decided that she needed to face the music, if she wanted to live to hear any in the future.

She jumped a little when the nurse called her name, but quickly composed herself and followed her out of the waiting room. The nurse took Kayla's vital signs and weighed her before taking her back to an examination room. "You're here for your one month check-up, right?" The nurse asked. When Kayla nodded, the she continued. "How are you feeling? Any unusual symptoms or anything?"

Kayla hesitated for a moment. If she said nothing, it would mean a few more weeks of freedom from the hospital, and freedom from the knowledge that her body was turning against her. Ignorance is bliss…. isn't that what her father always used to say? He followed the "no news is good news" mantra, so why couldn't she? Because not knowing would be worse, she told herself. "I've not been feeling well these last few days," she said with a sigh. "It's all the usual suspects… fever, aches, fatigue. I feel like I did when I was first diagnosed."

The nurse looked apologetic. "Okay, I'll let the doctor know, and we'll go from there." She made a few more notes on her chart and left the room. Kayla looked aimlessly around the room. Sterile instruments sat in their packages on the counter, and everything in the small room was antiseptic and white. Kayla had always thought it funny that hospitals used so much white in the décor. It seemed to her that black was a more fitting color, and not the pure innocence that white implied. She felt like her innocence and naïveté about ravaging effects of disease had been completely shattered in just a few short months. And now, her life would never be the same. Instead of being busy and full of life, chasing after laughing children and teaching them how to grow and achieve their dreams, she was reduced to going from doctor to doctor with not enough energy to climb a flight of stairs.

It didn't seem fair, but then again, nothing did anymore. Monica had told her about God, and how disease wasn't part of the Plan and that if Kayla put herself into His hands then everything would turn out right. She wanted so badly to do just that, but it was so hard to do. She didn't doubt the fact that God existed, and she had even reconciled her feelings towards Him. But, the problem was putting herself in His hands. She had put her life into the hands of medicine, and she was still in danger of dying. What would happen if she put her life into anyone else's hands?

Just then the door opened, startling Kayla out of her thoughts. Doctor Vandersluis walked in holding the young woman's chart, and took a seat on the stool near the exam table. "Hello Kayla." He said, "I hear you haven't been feeling well."

Kayla nodded, and related her symptoms to the doctor. The older man listened attentively, his expression growing more concerned by the minute. After Kayla finished talking, he examined her thoroughly, noting things in the chart as he went along. After he finished the exam, he made one final note before speaking, "Ok Kayla. I'm going to order some blood tests, and we may have to do a spinal tap."

"You don't think it's come back, do you?" Kayla asked, tears pricking the backs of her eyes.

Dr. Vandersluis hesitated. "I'm so sorry to tell you this. But based on the clinical examination, I'm pretty sure that the blood tests are going to reveal a relapse."

****

Tess sank heavily into sofa in the living room of the apartment. Andrew had traded places with her at the hospital while Monica was sleeping, and Tess had decided to come back to rest and think. She took a sip of the tea she had made, and tried to begin sorting out her jumbled thoughts when the doorbell rang. The older angel got up from the sofa and crossed to the front door, opening it to reveal a distraught looking Kayla.

"Kayla?" Tess asked immediately picking up on the young woman's distress, "Baby, what's wrong?" Kayla shook her head helplessly and burst into tears. "Oh sweet baby, come on…"Tess said, wrapping an arm around her small frame and leading Kayla into the living room, where they sat down on the couch. Kayla leaned into Tess as the older angel wrapped her tightly in an embrace. "It's alright, baby," Tess told her softly, "Just tell 'ole Tess what's wrong."

Kayla took a few deep breaths before speaking, "It came back, Tess." Another sob escaped her, "The cancer's back."

The young woman's statement went straight to Tess's heart, and she held Monica's assignment even tighter as she continued to cry, "It's gonna be alright, Kayla. Don't worry… it's gonna be alright."

Kayla continued to cry for a long time as Tess held her. The situation reminded her so much of the day Monica found out she would have another bout with the cancer. That had been hard enough on the Irish angel, and Kayla didn't have the knowledge about God that she did. Even though Tess had caught glimpses through Monica's experience, the older angel still couldn't fathom what Kayla was feeling at this moment. She gently rocked the young woman in her arms and found herself singing the same verse she had sang to Monica when the Irish angel had been so devastated on that day…

Nothing formed against you will succeed
As long as your heart's turned toward me
You'll get through this
No matter what it takes
I believe in you for Heaven's sake
You'll get through this
Oh yes you will

Tess finished the song and noticed that Kayla's cries had quieted. Now she was lying against Tess, completely spent. "I just don't know what I'm going to do," she said, her voice hoarse from so many tears. "I've never felt so alone."

Tess pulled away so she could look into Kayla's eyes, "Now listen to me baby," she said gently, but firmly, "you are never alone. You always, and I mean always, will have God right by your side. And when you're too weak to walk, he will carry you. Trust me on this one, and I know Monica would tell you the same thing."

Kayla lowered her eyes and toyed with the edge of one of her fingernails, "She has. That's one thing that always amazed me about her. Even after everything she's been through, she never stopped telling me to fight and trust in God. Even when she was too sick to move, she still told me that. I don't know how she's managed to hold onto a faith like that…. She's got a strength I wish I had."

"You've got that strength in there somewhere, Kayla," Tess replied. "As I recall, it was you who helped keep Monica fighting when she was losing her own will. The strength is there, baby, but you've got the same problem Monica does. You don't know how to recognize it in yourself. You've been fighting something that few humans have to, and even fewer beat, and that by itself takes a lot of strength."

Kayla was silent for a minute, letting Tess's words sink in. "I guess you're right," she said with a sigh. "You know, you and Monica have been such good friends to me these last few months. Almost like angels, I think."

Tess grinned widely, "Yeah, something like that."