Chapter 5
Not even caring of being rude, Andrew tighten his grip on Natalia's wrists and stood up. "What are you doing, Natalia?" he shouted. "My interest on you has nothing to do with this!"
"I-I'm sorry" Natalia started to whimper. She had never imagine he would react in such a violent way. "I thought you..."
"Just...!" Andrew raised a hand to stop her and closed his eyes to avoid saying something else. "Just get out of here," he said in an angry voice before he left his office and ran to the door of the building. Once on the street, he saw Monica's tiny figure walking as fast as she could. The angel of death ran to catch her and took her by an arm to force her to stop.
"Monica, this is not what you are thinking!" he said nervously, though he knew immediately that was not a good enough explanation.
She turned to face him, her dark eyes full of tears and anger. "What I'm thinking is that you were kissing her, Andrew! I saw it and you can't deny it!"
"I know I can't, but, baby, she kissed me. I never meant to..."
"It doesn't matter to me! You hurt me, Andrew, you betrayed ME!"
Andrew cupped her face tenderly and tried to wipe away with his thumbs the tears that were now crossing freely her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, angel, but..."
The sound of a desperate horn and a car stopping abruptly interrupted him and made both angels turn towards the academy. A trembling cab driver was out of his car in the middle of the street, looking at someone lying on the pavement. "Natalia!" Andrew shouted and ran towards the girl, Monica following him closer.
"I- I didn't hit her!" the driver stuttered. "She just fainted in front of me!"
"Monica, call 911!" Andrew asked and he saw the little angel running towards the building.
Ten minutes later, two paramedics ran into the Hillside ER room followed by two angels and a cab driver.
"Someone call Dr. Rosenberg!" a nurse shouted. "It's his daughter!"
Andrew, Monica and the driver went to take a seat at the waiting room. "Oh, God, please help me!" they heard the man murmuring, his head buried between his hands. "Please, let her be ok!"
Andrew and Monica looked at him in silence. The Irish angel knew she should talk to him and reassure the man God was listening to his prayer, but her heart was too troubled to help him. Andrew read her expression easily and followed her with his gaze when she stood up and walked towards a window. After some minutes, he decided to try to talk to her again. "Monica..." he started.
"Please, Andrew, this is not the right time," she said coldly.
"Angel, please, you have to believe me..."
"I think I'll call Mary Ann. She must be here." The blond angel saw her walking away and knew he could only start to imagine how hurt she was.
A nurse at the reception desk informed Mary Ann that her husband was already with their daughter as soon as the psychologist arrived. Monica took a seat besides her, and the four of them waited for about half an hour until Richard Rosenberg and his assistant went to meet them.
"How is she?" Mary Ann stood up immediately and asked her husband.
"She has no contusions or broken bones; the car didn't hit her."
"Thanks God!" the cab driver exclaimed before anyone else. "I told them I saw her crossing the street and a second later she fainted in front of me."
"I really thank you for coming here, sir," Richard offered with a polite tone, "but you can go now. Thanks for you help."
"Anytime" the man said shaking the doctor's hand.
"If she wasn't hit, then why was she unconscious?" Andrew asked as soon as the man was gone.
"I'm sorry, you are...?" Richard said looking at the angel.
"This is Andrew, Natalia's Drama teacher" Tess answered.
"I see." Richard and Andrew shook hands. "We have a big problem with her, Mary Ann, her condition is quite critical."
"But you said she has no contusions..."
"But she fainted because she's very sick." His next words were like a bucket of cold water for the angels and the mother. "She has leukemia."
"What? No way!" the psychologist started to cry and Monica wrapped an arm around her protectively.
"Are you sure?" Andrew asked not wanting to believe what he was listening.
"Yes, baby," Tess informed him. "The tests are clear. She has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia."
"This is all my fault!" Mary Ann yelled desperately. "I knew there was something wrong but I didn't care, I...!"
Richard hugged his wife closely, trying to soothe her. "In that case, this is my fault. I'm an oncologist for God's sake! How could I ignore the symptoms if they were written all over the wall? Excessive tiredness, changes of humor, losing weigh, strange bruises..."
"I'm sorry, Richard" Tess interrupted him, "but I think that blaming each other will not help your daughter. You'll have to be strong and be there for her. This is not about what you should've done before; now it's about what you'll have to do in the future."
"You're right, Tess, thank you" the doctor said. "Come on, honey, We're moving her to my department so we can start with the treatment right now."
The three angels saw them walking to the elevators and not saying a word, Monica was about to follow them when her supervisor's commanding voice stopped her. "Hold on there, Miss Wings. Where are you going?"
"I'm going with Mary Ann" the little angel tried to sound obvious so she didn't have to hear what was coming next.
"You're not going anywhere until you two tell me what's going on between you."
"Tess..."
"Ah, ah, ah, no. Don't even try that, Angel girl. I know you two very well and it's obvious there's something wrong."
Monica looked at Andrew in silence and fresh tears started to well up her dark eyes. "Please, Tess, not now. I can't do it right now," she murmured before she practically ran towards the stairs.
"Baby..." Tess started to say but when she saw she was out of reach, she turned to face Andrew. "You will explain me this, Andrew. This is something serious, that much I can tell!"
He looked at the older angel with a defeated expression. "You're right, this is serious. I hurt her today, in a way I never imagine I would and I don't know what to say to make her see I didn't mean to!"
"What happened?"
The angel of death sighed before he could answer and look at somewhere else but the supervisor's face. "Natalia went to the academy in the afternoon to apologize for the fight. I told her it was no problem but she misunderstood my interest..." He met her dark eyes once more before adding, "She kissed me... right in the moment when Monica arrived to my office."
"What?!" Tess' voice was a mix of anger and surprise. "Monica saw you kissing another woman?"
"I never corresponded her, Tess! You know there's none for me but Monica!"
"It doesn't matter that I know it, Mr. Halo! What matters now is that my angel baby is hurting and she's alone and she has a job to do before anything else!"
"I never meant to hurt her, Tess, you have to believe me."
His pleading eyes did Tess and she knew he was hurting as much as Monica. "I know, baby, I know," she said hugging him, "but I think you'll have a hard time trying to make her see it."
"But she will have to. There's no other way for me, Tess," he replied blinking to fight the tears that he felt threatening his eyes.
It was very late that night when Andrew arrived to the oncology waiting room. He searched for Monica but the little angel was nowhere around. He then walked towards Mary Ann, who was all alone seated on a couch still crying quietly. The angel took a seat besides her and smiled when she turned to face him.
"Hi," she said. "I though you were gone by now."
"No." He wanted to ask her about Monica but he thought she was worried enough with her daughter. He waited until she wiped her tears away to keep on talking. "How is Natalia?"
"Not too good but that's obvious. She's started with prednison and..."
"And?"
Mary Ann stood up with a jump that almost startled the blond angel. "And she doesn't want to talk to me or her father! She blames us! She thinks we're just looking for a way to take her out of the ABC!" Andrew looked at her in silence for some minutes, not knowing what else to say. "Maybe you could talk to her..." the psychologist said at the end.
The angel of death stood up doubting of what to say. "I- I don't know if that would be a good idea right now..." He didn't want to tell her what had happened before, and that maybe because of him, Natalia had been about to be run over.
"Please, Andrew, go and talk to her! She's told me you've always been kind with her. I need to help my daughter and I don't know what to do! I'm becoming desperate, please, Andrew, help me!"
"All right," the blond angel said sighing heavily. He didn't want to see his student but the pleading tone of her mother's voice made him remember he had an assignment in the first place.
"I'll go and get some coffee while you go, ok? She's in room 302."
The angel saw her walking away and then he headed to the door and knock at it softly before getting in. "Hi, Natalia," he offered and took a seat on a chair next her bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Please, go" she whispered turning to the other side.
"I want to help you. You need to talk."
"That's not what you thought before."
"I'm sorry if I was rude..."
"Why are you here, Andrew?" she turned and looked at him through teary eyes. "Are you here just because you pity me?"
"No, I'm not. I want to help you."
"You didn't want to back there at the ABA."
"I'm sorry..." the blond angel stuttered, "but in that way, I can't..."
"Will you stay here until I fall asleep?" she pleaded taking his hand. Her tone surprised him as well as the change in the conversation, but it also made him felt quite guilty.
"Sure," he answered though he felt he would regret it.
"Will you come back tomorrow?" Natalia murmured while she drifted off to sleep.
Not even caring of being rude, Andrew tighten his grip on Natalia's wrists and stood up. "What are you doing, Natalia?" he shouted. "My interest on you has nothing to do with this!"
"I-I'm sorry" Natalia started to whimper. She had never imagine he would react in such a violent way. "I thought you..."
"Just...!" Andrew raised a hand to stop her and closed his eyes to avoid saying something else. "Just get out of here," he said in an angry voice before he left his office and ran to the door of the building. Once on the street, he saw Monica's tiny figure walking as fast as she could. The angel of death ran to catch her and took her by an arm to force her to stop.
"Monica, this is not what you are thinking!" he said nervously, though he knew immediately that was not a good enough explanation.
She turned to face him, her dark eyes full of tears and anger. "What I'm thinking is that you were kissing her, Andrew! I saw it and you can't deny it!"
"I know I can't, but, baby, she kissed me. I never meant to..."
"It doesn't matter to me! You hurt me, Andrew, you betrayed ME!"
Andrew cupped her face tenderly and tried to wipe away with his thumbs the tears that were now crossing freely her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, angel, but..."
The sound of a desperate horn and a car stopping abruptly interrupted him and made both angels turn towards the academy. A trembling cab driver was out of his car in the middle of the street, looking at someone lying on the pavement. "Natalia!" Andrew shouted and ran towards the girl, Monica following him closer.
"I- I didn't hit her!" the driver stuttered. "She just fainted in front of me!"
"Monica, call 911!" Andrew asked and he saw the little angel running towards the building.
Ten minutes later, two paramedics ran into the Hillside ER room followed by two angels and a cab driver.
"Someone call Dr. Rosenberg!" a nurse shouted. "It's his daughter!"
Andrew, Monica and the driver went to take a seat at the waiting room. "Oh, God, please help me!" they heard the man murmuring, his head buried between his hands. "Please, let her be ok!"
Andrew and Monica looked at him in silence. The Irish angel knew she should talk to him and reassure the man God was listening to his prayer, but her heart was too troubled to help him. Andrew read her expression easily and followed her with his gaze when she stood up and walked towards a window. After some minutes, he decided to try to talk to her again. "Monica..." he started.
"Please, Andrew, this is not the right time," she said coldly.
"Angel, please, you have to believe me..."
"I think I'll call Mary Ann. She must be here." The blond angel saw her walking away and knew he could only start to imagine how hurt she was.
A nurse at the reception desk informed Mary Ann that her husband was already with their daughter as soon as the psychologist arrived. Monica took a seat besides her, and the four of them waited for about half an hour until Richard Rosenberg and his assistant went to meet them.
"How is she?" Mary Ann stood up immediately and asked her husband.
"She has no contusions or broken bones; the car didn't hit her."
"Thanks God!" the cab driver exclaimed before anyone else. "I told them I saw her crossing the street and a second later she fainted in front of me."
"I really thank you for coming here, sir," Richard offered with a polite tone, "but you can go now. Thanks for you help."
"Anytime" the man said shaking the doctor's hand.
"If she wasn't hit, then why was she unconscious?" Andrew asked as soon as the man was gone.
"I'm sorry, you are...?" Richard said looking at the angel.
"This is Andrew, Natalia's Drama teacher" Tess answered.
"I see." Richard and Andrew shook hands. "We have a big problem with her, Mary Ann, her condition is quite critical."
"But you said she has no contusions..."
"But she fainted because she's very sick." His next words were like a bucket of cold water for the angels and the mother. "She has leukemia."
"What? No way!" the psychologist started to cry and Monica wrapped an arm around her protectively.
"Are you sure?" Andrew asked not wanting to believe what he was listening.
"Yes, baby," Tess informed him. "The tests are clear. She has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia."
"This is all my fault!" Mary Ann yelled desperately. "I knew there was something wrong but I didn't care, I...!"
Richard hugged his wife closely, trying to soothe her. "In that case, this is my fault. I'm an oncologist for God's sake! How could I ignore the symptoms if they were written all over the wall? Excessive tiredness, changes of humor, losing weigh, strange bruises..."
"I'm sorry, Richard" Tess interrupted him, "but I think that blaming each other will not help your daughter. You'll have to be strong and be there for her. This is not about what you should've done before; now it's about what you'll have to do in the future."
"You're right, Tess, thank you" the doctor said. "Come on, honey, We're moving her to my department so we can start with the treatment right now."
The three angels saw them walking to the elevators and not saying a word, Monica was about to follow them when her supervisor's commanding voice stopped her. "Hold on there, Miss Wings. Where are you going?"
"I'm going with Mary Ann" the little angel tried to sound obvious so she didn't have to hear what was coming next.
"You're not going anywhere until you two tell me what's going on between you."
"Tess..."
"Ah, ah, ah, no. Don't even try that, Angel girl. I know you two very well and it's obvious there's something wrong."
Monica looked at Andrew in silence and fresh tears started to well up her dark eyes. "Please, Tess, not now. I can't do it right now," she murmured before she practically ran towards the stairs.
"Baby..." Tess started to say but when she saw she was out of reach, she turned to face Andrew. "You will explain me this, Andrew. This is something serious, that much I can tell!"
He looked at the older angel with a defeated expression. "You're right, this is serious. I hurt her today, in a way I never imagine I would and I don't know what to say to make her see I didn't mean to!"
"What happened?"
The angel of death sighed before he could answer and look at somewhere else but the supervisor's face. "Natalia went to the academy in the afternoon to apologize for the fight. I told her it was no problem but she misunderstood my interest..." He met her dark eyes once more before adding, "She kissed me... right in the moment when Monica arrived to my office."
"What?!" Tess' voice was a mix of anger and surprise. "Monica saw you kissing another woman?"
"I never corresponded her, Tess! You know there's none for me but Monica!"
"It doesn't matter that I know it, Mr. Halo! What matters now is that my angel baby is hurting and she's alone and she has a job to do before anything else!"
"I never meant to hurt her, Tess, you have to believe me."
His pleading eyes did Tess and she knew he was hurting as much as Monica. "I know, baby, I know," she said hugging him, "but I think you'll have a hard time trying to make her see it."
"But she will have to. There's no other way for me, Tess," he replied blinking to fight the tears that he felt threatening his eyes.
It was very late that night when Andrew arrived to the oncology waiting room. He searched for Monica but the little angel was nowhere around. He then walked towards Mary Ann, who was all alone seated on a couch still crying quietly. The angel took a seat besides her and smiled when she turned to face him.
"Hi," she said. "I though you were gone by now."
"No." He wanted to ask her about Monica but he thought she was worried enough with her daughter. He waited until she wiped her tears away to keep on talking. "How is Natalia?"
"Not too good but that's obvious. She's started with prednison and..."
"And?"
Mary Ann stood up with a jump that almost startled the blond angel. "And she doesn't want to talk to me or her father! She blames us! She thinks we're just looking for a way to take her out of the ABC!" Andrew looked at her in silence for some minutes, not knowing what else to say. "Maybe you could talk to her..." the psychologist said at the end.
The angel of death stood up doubting of what to say. "I- I don't know if that would be a good idea right now..." He didn't want to tell her what had happened before, and that maybe because of him, Natalia had been about to be run over.
"Please, Andrew, go and talk to her! She's told me you've always been kind with her. I need to help my daughter and I don't know what to do! I'm becoming desperate, please, Andrew, help me!"
"All right," the blond angel said sighing heavily. He didn't want to see his student but the pleading tone of her mother's voice made him remember he had an assignment in the first place.
"I'll go and get some coffee while you go, ok? She's in room 302."
The angel saw her walking away and then he headed to the door and knock at it softly before getting in. "Hi, Natalia," he offered and took a seat on a chair next her bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Please, go" she whispered turning to the other side.
"I want to help you. You need to talk."
"That's not what you thought before."
"I'm sorry if I was rude..."
"Why are you here, Andrew?" she turned and looked at him through teary eyes. "Are you here just because you pity me?"
"No, I'm not. I want to help you."
"You didn't want to back there at the ABA."
"I'm sorry..." the blond angel stuttered, "but in that way, I can't..."
"Will you stay here until I fall asleep?" she pleaded taking his hand. Her tone surprised him as well as the change in the conversation, but it also made him felt quite guilty.
"Sure," he answered though he felt he would regret it.
"Will you come back tomorrow?" Natalia murmured while she drifted off to sleep.