Chapter 13
Andrew and Monica spent the rest of the night together praying at Eliza's bedside, praying that somehow, someway, the dearly loved child would pull through. Even when the first rays of sunlight inched their way across the hospital room floor, they found themselves still awake at the injured teenager's side. It didn't seem long after sunrise before a knock at the door startled them both from their musings. Turning toward the door, both Monica and Andrew then noted Tess and Gloria making their way inside.
"Hey." Gloria greeted so softly that her voice was barely audible, as though she was afraid of waking Eliza. But there was another tone in her caring voice as well. Sympathy. Monica would've recognized it anywhere. She'd heard it uncountable times in her own gentle, Irish lilt when she approached assignments who had been hurt in some way, shape or form. It almost pained her as much to hear it as it did to say it to others. So she simply nodded in greeting as Andrew granted them a proper hello.
Tess wasted no time in moving over to where Monica stood and draping a comforting arm across her baby's shoulders in that motherly way she had done so many times before, but none under circumstances so extreme. "How are you doing, baby?" She questioned gently in that deep, throaty voice she always had, although she no-doubt already knew the answer to that question without having to ask at all, as Monica merely managed a miniscule shrug in a way of telling them exactly how she felt. But she willed herself not to cry again as she nodded toward her lifeless-looking daughter on the bed. "There's been no change." She informed them in a voice so quiet they almost couldn't hear her. She didn't bother asking how they knew to come here, as neither Andrew nor she had been home to tell them, but she knew they had their sources, as did she. There was no need to ask.
But it was then that Gloria asked her something that would have surprised her under any other circumstances, but at the moment she could've asked her if she sky was falling and it wouldn't have surprised her one little bit. "Monica, I know this isn't the best time. But could I talk to you for a second?" She inquired softly as she motioned toward the open bathroom door to imply that she had meant to speak to her in privacy. Monica didn't even bother with questioning glances. She was so numb emotionally from everything that had been happening that she could only nod slightly and follow her pupil into the small hospital bathroom, where the young trainee quickly closed the door behind them.
Turning to face her supervisor then, Gloria took one deep, cleansing breath before beginning, not knowing if there was any possible way to ease into something like this. But she knew she had to say something, and quickly. "Okay…I…um…I haven't told Tess yet." She began gently, finally seeming to settle on a way to tell her dearest friend in the world something like this. "But I…" She began to stutter again before she drew something from her pocket and held it up for Monica to see. "I found this in our bathroom this morning. It's not mine. I know it's not Tess'. I just…I had to tell you before anything more happened." She handed the small, but clearly crucial item to her supervisor and waited anxiously for her reaction. Would she be surprised? Angry?
Monica's heart stalled cold in her chest as she stared down at the tiny object in her grasp. She knew what it was. She knew whose it was. And she knew why it had been there. She suddenly felt nothing but gratitude toward Gloria for not going straight to Tess. It had been incredibly thoughtful. But other, more important feelings were zipping here and there through her mind right now. She recalled taking the test the morning Andrew had brought her the picnic basket for lunch. She had recalled waking up that morning feeling a little strange. Feeling so…other. She remembered that feeling all too well. Even though it had been almost fourteen years since she had felt it the last time. But she had recognized it right away and had felt she just had to know right away.
She had taken it, but left in the bathroom when she'd returned to her room to finish up the rest of her packing. She had never seen the result, as Andrew had then climbed up to her window and she had forgotten all about it – as strange as that seems. She had gotten distracted when he had come up and when Tess had nearly caught them. She had never known, for just that same night Eliza had been struck by a drunk driver and she had thought about everything but that pregnancy test.
But now, as she looked at it, the reading was there, loud and clear as though the Lord Himself was screaming down at her to realize the truth. It was positive.