CHAPTER 13

The night that followed was calm and peaceful to both angels in human form as after some reluctance, Monica ended up giving in to sleep and Andrew remained unconscious due to the medication against the snake venom. Tess, Adam and Rafael remained at the hospital, watching over their friends' resting and offering their prayers of thanks for their recovery. None of them heard from Sam or Ruth and wondered what their superiors would tell them when they were reunited again.

The love between two angels had never been heard of before and if in the beginning Monica and Andrew's relationship came as a surprise and caused great concern, later, Tess, Rafael and Adam opened their minds to understand that their friends were soul mates and that what brought them together was love in its most complete form.

When the first sunrays shone inside Monica's room she was already awake and with sad eyes she gazed through the window and observed as the sky turned clearer. The small noise in the bedroom door, followed by Tess' entrance, caused her relief and anxiety at the same time.

"Tess?"

"Hey, baby! I didn't expect to see you awake so early!" The supervisor spoke, smiling at her dear charge as she approached the bed.

"How is Andrew? "

"I knew you'd ask for him first thing in the morning! He's just fine, angel girl."

"Please, let me see him?"

"You will see him. But only after your breakfast!" She stated, with a mix of joy and authority.

A while later, and after much insistence, the Irish angel received medical permission to go see Andrew. Wearing a robe over her hospital gown and accompanied by Tess, Monica was taken to the room at the end of the corridor in a wheelchair. But when the nurse opened the bedroom door, the little angel ignored her own medical condition and raised to her feet to approach Andrew's bed, breaking down in tears as she finally saw his asleep face.

"Here, baby, have a seat." Tess was quick to place the chair at Andrew's bedside. The angel of death remained unconscious but the nurse informed them his vital signs were good and that he was expected to regain consciousness soon.

"And please try to calm down, angel girl. You know Andrew is fine and it'll be just a matter of time before he wakes up." The supervisor gently admonished, feeling sorry for her charge.

Monica stroked Andrew's short hair and squeezed his hand, not missing how pale and tired his face was. Biting her lower lip, she wept in silence for long minutes; memories of everything that they had been through in the desert crossing her mind in painful flashbacks. The Irish angel did not know how long she remained by Andrew's side in complete silence. She was only aware of it when Tess gave her shoulders a light squeeze.

"Baby, I'm coming back soon. Will you be alright if I leave you here for a couple of minutes?"

"I will be fine, Tess." She replied, her voice was hoarse with emotion.

"Okay. I won't be long."

Before the supervisor left the room, she heard her charge's voice once again. "Tess?"

"Yes, baby?"

Tears still remained in Monica's eyes, but a tiny smile could also be seen on her face. "Thank you. For everything."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, angel girl. I'm the one who received a precious gift!"

After the older angel left, Monica turned her eyes back at Andrew, praying that he would regain consciousness soon, but at the same time aware that he should rest as much as possible.

But her expectations were ended sooner than she could imagine. All of a sudden, Andrew's hand moved slightly and she watched in awe his fingers slowly curved around hers.

"Andrew?"

The blond angel slowly moved his eyelashes and let out a small sigh before stirring his head to the side. Feeling her heart almost bursting inside her chest, Monica rose to her feet and watched with apprehension as he finally opened his eyes and her name was the first word he could utter.

"Monica..."

Fresh tears fell freely from her eyes at hearing his voice and she had to control her sobbing as her dearest friend, her soul mate, regained fully consciousness.

"Andrew... I'm here..."

"Angel..." He squeezed Monica's hand, still drowsy due to the medication that was running through his veins.

"You're at the hospital. Tess, Adam and Rafael brought us here." Her trembling voice was a hint of how nervous she was. "The doctors say you'll be alright...that your human form is healing..." She added, biting her lower lip as she could barely keep her emotion under control.

He nodded and closed his eyes for a second, opening them again to look inside soft brown pools, loathing to see so much suffering still lingering in them. "My sweet angel...you were my protector..."

"No... I wasn't. I was so afraid of what could happen to you, I-"

"Shh..." He gently interrupted her, disentangling his fingers from hers to touch her lips. And it was all that it took before Monica finally broke down and cried, holding his hand in both of hers and kissing its back.

"I'll be fine now, angel. I promise you." He said, a couple of minutes later, when she managed to control her breathing.

Monica nodded her head. "I know... I prayed so much..."

"I'm so proud of you, sweet angel... So honoured for having you in my existence..."

With trembling hands, Monica looked around her. "You've been unconscious for a long time, you should drink some water…" She said, both with genuine concern and also in a way to interrupt his praising.

Before he could even answer, however, the bedroom door was opened and Tess came along, showing great surprise to see that the blond angel had awakened.

"Angel boy!" She exclaimed, rushing to the bedside.

"Hey, Tess…"

"Oh, dear Father, I have so much to thank You for!" She spoke, more to herself than to her two friends.

"He should drink some water, Tess; it's been almost two days since he last drank any fluid…" Monica was quick to inform, with the utmost protectiveness that was common of her beloved Andrew.

"You're right, baby, I'll get your doctor here right now!"

Andrew and Monica did not have a chance to exchange any more words for the following minutes as soon the doctor and nurses who were watching over him came along and started the procedures to check on his vital signs. Under much reluctance, Monica was taken back to her room but Tess assured her that she and Andrew would be reunited again very soon.

And an hour later, when Monica was still asking how much longer it would take her to see Andrew again, her bedroom door opened and the nurse, accompanied by Rafael and Adam, brought the blond angel in a stretcher to stay in the same room with her.

"I just happen to have a great power of persuasion!" Adam joked, visibly proud of himself for arranging for their friends to stay together.

"Who wouldn't have thought of that anyway?!" Tess retorted, slightly bothered that he was the one to do it before she tried.

Trying to hide his amusement, Rafael turned to Monica and Andrew and saw it as Monica moved to climb down her bed in order to stay closer to her dearest friend.

"There you go, angelita!" He said, helping her down. And with joy the three angels watched as she and Andrew held each other's hands.

"Hi again, angel." Andrew spoke, gazing at her with utmost affection.

"What did the doctor say? Will you be able to stay here?" She wanted to know, still very worried about his condition.

Smiling, Andrew nodded his head. "Yes, I will. I guess Adam convinced him that I'd heal faster if I stood right here at your side." He explained, throwing the other angel of death a thankful look.

"Sorry, buddy, but I guess it doesn't need much effort to come to that conclusion!"

"Thank you, Adam." Monica spoke, also gazing at her friend with much gratitude – and not noticing how Tess rolled her eyes with slight jealousy.

Wanting to give the couple of angels some time all by themselves, Adam cleared his throat and spoke again. "I don't know about you guys but I'm kinda hungry!"

Realising his intention, Rafael nodded in agreement. "Oh, me too! I heard there's a great cafeteria in the patio."

They motioned to leave the room, but noticing that Tess remained where she was, gazing at her two charges with a smile on her face, they exchanged an impatient look.

"Aren't you coming, Tess?" The Hispanic angel asked.

"No, baby, you two can go ahead, I'm not that hungry now."

"You sure? I heard the blueberry muffins are delicious!" Adam spoke, smiling mischievously as she turned to him with interest.

"Blueberry muffins?"

"Lots of them!"

The supervisor looked at Monica and Andrew with some guilt. "Babies, will it be alright if I leave you for a few minutes?"

"We will be fine, Tess. Please take a break, you all must be quite tired." Monica spoke, without realising Rafael and Adam's amusement and at the same time feeling sorry for her loyal friends as she knew their vigil had been a long one.

Once they left the room, the Irish angel felt a gentle tug in her hand and turned her eyes back to Andrew.

"You didn't tell me how you are feeling, angel."

Her heart nearly ached with so much love – he was the one whose condition was delicate, he was the one whose human form had been seriously hurt. Yet, Andrew was worried about her.

Deeply moved, she stroked his cheek with affection. "I feel... so full of love... I wish I could put it into words but I can't..."

He shook his head, his smile never fading. "You'd never have to, sweetie. what you did... it goes beyond anything that can be said." He took her hand and kissed its back, noticing that she lowered her eyes with sadness. "What is it?"

"Everyone is telling me that what I did was an act of courage but the truth is that... for a moment I felt tempted to accept his offer... in order to save you..." Two long tears fell from her eyes as she faced him again. "I'm so ashamed of even considering it..."

Reaching out, he wiped her tears and laid his palm gently over her cheek. "And yet you resisted. Even though all hope seemed to have gone... even though you felt all alone and faced with despair, you still had faith." Andrew made a short pause, loathing to still feel so weak as all he wanted was to hold her tightly in his arms and comfort her troubled heart. "Despite the fact that you look just perfect to my eyes, angels have weaknesses and fears too. You overcame yours and put our existence in the Father's hands. What you did, my sweet angel, was not only an act of courage. It was also an act of love." He placed a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. "And I could not expect anything different from you."

"The thought of seeing you suffering... of losing you was... the scariest one that could ever cross my mind."

With a bit of effort, he moved to the side and gently guided her to lie down next to him. And once she did so, Andrew wrapped his free arm around her small form, bringing her closer to him. And when the Irish angel rested her head over his shoulder, the angel of death could finally heave a sigh of relief.

"It's over now, Monica. We made it, with the Father's help; He's blessed us in many ways. Keep this in mind to soothe your heart, sweetie."

"Okay..." She replied, almost in a whisper.

"And also keep in mind that I love you very much."

The tiniest smile formed in her lips as she raised her head to face him. "I do. In my mind and in my heart, for the rest of my existence."

Andrew inched closer and brushed his lips against hers, in a soft kiss that did not last for long, but which brought her the peace she had been longing for since the moment she woke up in that hospital.

When they parted, she returned to rest her head over his shoulder. Feeling his lips kissing her temple, Monica closed her eyes. Her heart was lighter and beginning to heal.

Both angels in human form fell asleep a while later.