Chapter 9

After Mark sent Michelle home for the day after having been there all night with Kaia in her hospital room, Mark took a walk down to the chapel. He looked inside. No one was there. He decided to step into the chapel and take a seat on the front mahogany bench. He looked in front of him. There was a painting of Jesus with His arms stretched out in front of Him. He was ascending to Heaven, the sunbeams circling around Him. He eyed the painting in silence, then softly sighed. He folded his hands, closed his eyes, bowed his hands and prayed.

"O Lord of all the Earth. I come to You a hurting man. A crumbling man. I come to You in prayer. Not for me, but for my daughter Kaia. Lord, You know the circumstances of the situation we are facing. You see all and know all. Lord, please…please help my daughter. I'm not ready to lose her yet. I'm not ready to let go of her yet. Neither is Michelle. She's only 6 years old. Please, Lord. Come into this hospital. Come into her room, Lord Jesus. Please put a hand over her. Please touch her and heal her."

Tears began to fall from his tired green eyes. "Please, Lord. We love her. We love Kaia so much. We know she was a blessing from You. All good things come from You. Please, Lord Jesus. Answer my prayer. I'm begging You. Don't take our daughter away from us. Not yet. Not now. I know You are a Miracle Worker. Please, perform one miracle for me and Michelle today. Heal our little girl. She means everything to us. We love her dearly. Touch her and heal her, Lord Jesus. Thy Will Be Done. I also ask for Your forgiveness towards me and my actions yesterday. I was out of control. Please forgive me. In Your Precious Holy name I pray, Amen."

Mark unfolded his hands and wiped the tears from his eyes as he looked at the painting before rising from the bench. He walked to the doorway of the chapel and looked at the painting once more.

"Thy Will be done, Lord. Thy Will be done."

-Mark walked back down the hall towards Kaia's room. He started to enter in but stopped. He saw a woman with long dark hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She was wearing white nursing garments and was holding a clipboard.

"Oh. Hello."

The lady turned his direction. "Hello," she greeted with a warm smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know someone was in here. I'll come back in a little while."

"I assume you're the father of this child."

"Yes. Mark Calaway is the name."

"Come on in, Mark. I'm just reading over Kaia's charts."

Mark came into the room and looked at his little girl hooked up to monitors and breathing tubes. He sat down in the chair close to the end of the bed. The woman eyes the chart a little longer before checking the heart monitor.

"Oh, dear me. I can't believe what happened." She turned her eyes to Mark. "I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I will keep you all in my prayers."

Mark nodded. "Thank you. Much appreciated. How long have you been a nurse?"

"Since I was 24. Kids were my specialty."

"Hmm. Wait. Were? Were your specialty?"

"You probably don't know me. I mean, it's quite obvious you don't know me. But I know you."

"What do you mean?"

"The name is Scott. Jamie Scott."

Huh?

"Jamie…Scott."

Jamie gave Mark another warm smile. Mark covered his eyes.

"No. No. This can't be. This can't be happening. This can't be happening right now."

"Mark? Are you alright?"

Mark looked up. "You're telling me you're Jamie Scott? The woman that was supposedly choked to death by a man named Chris. The next thing you'll tell me is that Alyssa Scott is your daughter."

Jamie's face turned serious. "She is."

"What?"

"And what you think supposedly happened to me did happen."

"You…you can't be real."

"You're the only one that can see me. No one knows I'm here in this hospital room right now talking to you."

"How? How can this be?"

"You question God's ways?"

Mark rose from his chair. He looked at Jamie not saying a word for a moment.

"Unbelievable."

"Believe it. I came down here to say thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For caring. For trying to help Alyssa…when nobody else would."

Mark glanced at Kaia, then back at Jamie.

"I wasn't much help. I'm sorry for what happened to her."

"Don't think of what happened to my daughter as a bad thing. Think of it as a good thing. She's in a better place now. She's safe in the Masters' arms. She's in a place where nobody can hurt her ever again."

Mark turned towards the window looking out at the blue sky.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

When there was no reply, he turned around. Jamie Scott was not in the room. Jamie Scott was gone. Mark sighed as he turned back towards the window. He glanced at Kaia in the hospital bed. He walked over and sat in the chair at the side of her bed. He looked at his baby girl lying there. He looks at her left hand and gently took hold of it. He placed his right hand over hers. A single tear fell from his black eye Chris gave him a few short days ago.

"Please, Kaia," Mark said softly. "Don't leave me."

Mark closed his eyes and bowed his head in a silent prayer, still holding onto her left hand.

Kaia's eyes began opened. She blinked till her vision was clear. She didn't know where she was. She looked at her surroundings. She was in a room. She was in a bed. She had a breathing tube in her mouth and wires stuck to her. Kaia looked to her left. She blinked her eyes again. Kaia saw her father sitting beside her, head still bowing. Kaia slowly raised her right hand and touched the top of Mark's right hand. Mark lifted his head slightly and looked up.

Mark saw Kaia staring at him. She blinked. Mark chuckled quietly as a smile spread across his face. He brought her little right hand to his lips and kissed it. His right hand reached forward and brushed the bangs out of Kaia's eyes.

"Hey, baby girl," Mark whispered.

"Daddy?"

"Shh. Relax. Don't say a word. You're in a hospital. You have a breathing tube in your mouth. I'm getting a nurse. I'll be right back."

Mark walked out of the room and found their doctor at the nurses' desk. He told the doctor that Kaia had opened her eyes. The doctor asked the nurse for some assistance, then walked into room 104. Mark took out his cellphone and dialed Michelle. The phone only rang twice and she answered.

"Mark?"

"She woke up. She opened her eyes."

Michelle began crying and praising God on the other end of the phone call.

"I'm getting my purse and walking out the door. I'll be there shortly."

"I'll be here."

Mark ended the phone call, then pressed his back against the wall and slid down to the floor. He brought his knees up to his chest and folded his hands in prayer.

"Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You."