Saving Gideon (The Angel Chronicles Book 1)

by Mary May

  Evan spoke up. “If I’m not mistaken, Lasker is a name of Jewish origin. What were their first names? Do you know?”

  Sherrilyn thought for a moment. “Emile was the woman’s name and the man’s name was an odd version of Henry. I can’t remember exactly what it was.”

  Evan got a look of concentration on his face. “An odd version of Henry? A Jewish last name…” he trailed off, drumming his fingers on the arm of the couch. “Was it Heinrich?” he asked.

  Sherrilyn smiled. “Yes! That was it. Heinrich and Emile Lasker. I knew it was something similar to Henry.”

  Evan smiled. “Well, part of the mystery is solved, I think. They were definitely from another country, Germany, to be exact, judging from their names. Did you ever meet them?”

  She shook her head. “No, they had both passed on before I bought the estate; in fact, that’s why it was up for sale. No family to pass it on to and the taxes were paid in full and there weren’t any liens against it or anything. It came fully furnished, complete with Edgar.”

  Sabrina sat up off the couch. “Edgar came with the house, really? That’s rather odd, isn’t it?”

  Sherrilyn laughed. “Well, honestly, he unnerved me at first, but once I learned to see past his demeanor I’ve come to love the old coot. But to answer your question, it was in the contract that he was to live here for the rest of his life or until he decided to move on. There were funds set aside of a sizable amount to cover his expenses. I’ve lived with him for two years and I don’t really know a thing more about him than I did when I moved in. He is very tight-lipped when it comes to answering questions about himself, or the Laskers, for that matter. He was and still is very loyal to them.”

  The friends spent the rest of evening going over the mystery of who the Laskers were and what connection Edgar played in all of it. Gideon had listened with interest to the conversation. He was very intrigued with the old butler; he would bet his right wing there was more to the old guy then what you saw.

  Chapter 19

  Despite working in the yard all day, Sabrina was restless and unable to fall asleep later that night. She got up and padded barefoot down the hall and made a left turn, then a right turn, then down the sweeping staircase to go to the kitchen to get her some warm milk. She shook her head. “I won’t ever have to worry about not getting enough exercise living here!” she whispered to herself. She was still chuckling when she came into the kitchen. She poured some milk into a sauce pan and was waiting for it to warm up. Luke used to tease her about doing it the old fashioned way, but there was something about the act itself that relaxed her.

  As she stood stirring her milk, she heard voices coming from Sherrilyn’s room. It sounded like her mother was in there with her. Sabrina didn’t think much of it until she heard her mother raise her voice a little. She was too far away to hear what she said, but her mother sounded upset! Concern had her putting her sauce pan of milk on the back burner and walking down the hall to her friend’s room. She stopped at the door and could hear her mother pleading with Sherrilyn to stop being so stubborn and call the doctor. That was all Sabrina needed to hear!

  She tapped on the door as she opened it and found her mother sitting on Sherrilyn’s bed. They both stopped talking and her mother turned to look at the door when she came in. “What’s wrong, Mother?” she asked. Sabrina could plainly see that Sherrilyn wasn’t well at all. She walked quickly to the bed and sat on the opposite side. Sherrilyn rolled her head on her pillow toward Sabrina.

  “Hey, sweetheart, what are you doing up so late?” Sabrina took her hand in hers and was surprised at how cold it was.

  “I couldn’t sleep so I was warming up some milk. What’s wrong, Sherrilyn?”

  Catherine sighed then got up and was pacing the floor. “I know we agreed not to tell her, Sherry, but I really think we need to; she should know.”

  Sabrina looked from one lady to the other. “Tell me what? What’s going on?”

  Sherrilyn laughed weakly. “Well, I’m pretty sure we lost that option when she walked in, so we might as well let her in on it, too.”

  Sabrina had enough of the secrets. “Ok, out with it right now! What’s wrong?”

  Sherrilyn reached and patted the hand that was rubbing hers. “Sweetie, I’m not doing so well.”

  Sabrina felt her heart drop. She glanced up at her mother. “I can see that, but what’s wrong exactly?” she softly asked.

  “Long story short, my kidneys are failing, and unless I can get a transplant really soon I don’t have much time left on this earth.”

  Sabrina leaned back when the force of Sherrilyn’s words hit her. She looked at her mother again who tearfully nodded her head.

  “Ok, so you need a kidney transplant? People can live with one kidney, right? Surely it’s not that hard to find a donor? I’ll do it! We can call the doctor right now!”

  Catherine came to stand behind her and rubbed her shoulder. “It’s not that simple, baby, or I would do it. The donor must be compatible or it would do more harm than good.”

  Sabrina brushed tears from her face. “How do we find out if I’m compatible? I’m serious; I want to do this for you!”

  Sherrilyn smiled. “I know you would do it for me in a minute, honey, and I love you for it, but even if you were a perfect match, I wouldn’t let you do it. The surgery is risky for the donor as well as the recipient, and Charlie needs you too much for me to risk that.”

  Sabrina again turned to her mother, who was shaking her head. “She’s right, Sabrina. Your first priority is to Charlotte. She has already lost her daddy; we can’t chance losing you, too, if something goes wrong with the surgery.”

  Sabrina knew they were right but there had to be something she could do. “Isn’t there something like a data base for potential donors? Have you checked?”

  Sherrilyn was nodding her head “Yes, I’m registered with the kidney search foundation, so if a good match comes up they will call me. My problem is they have a waiting list, and I was just put on it less than six months ago, so there are a lot of people ahead of me and precious few donors.”

  Sabrina couldn’t stop the flow of tears that were sliding down her cheeks. “But there has to be something we can do. Isn’t there some medication they could use to help your kidneys until a donor could be found?”

  Sherrilyn smiled weakly. “Honey, I’m on every known kidney medication right now trying to buy some time, but it’s not looking good.” She paused then said, “You know that if the Lord chooses to call me home, I’m ok with that, right?”

  Sabrina hugged her gently, afraid to squeeze too tightly. “Of course, I do! But you still have too much work here that needs to be done! What about Lost Haven? The Lord didn’t put that calling in your heart to leave it unfinished like this; I know He didn’t!”

  She rubbed Sabrina’s hand. “Maybe I’m just the instigator; maybe I’m not supposed to see it fulfilled. Maybe someone else is supposed to do that part, honey. I don’t have all the answers. What I do know is that everything is in the Lord’s hands, my health, Lost Haven and what part I play in it.”

  Sherrilyn sounded so weak that Sabrina didn’t want to tire her out any more. “Why was mother trying to get you to call the doctor earlier?”

  Catherine went to the bedside table and opened a drawer and pulled out a medicine bottle. “I was trying to convince her to take her pain medicine; she is too stubborn for her own good! When she wouldn’t do that I was trying to get her to call him and at least let him know how badly she was hurting. You are the absolute worst patient, Sherry!” Sherrilyn just smiled…

  “Why won’t you take your medicine? You shouldn’t be in pain if you can help it,” Sabrina admonished.

  “I don’t like the way they make me feel, all loopy and droopy,” Sherrilyn complained.

  “If you’re going to go to sleep anyway, what’s the difference?” Sabrina pointed out.

  Sherrilyn opened her mouth then closed it, and then she smiled. “I guess whe
n you put it like that, there isn’t any, Give them here.” She held her hand out.

  “What! I’ve been saying the same thing for two hours and you wouldn’t budge! Sabrina says the exact same thing and then you see reason??” Catherine said in disbelief.

  Sherrilyn smiled. “Maybe she said it… nicer?”

  Catherine rolled her eyes. “Oh, whatever! At this point I’m just happy you’re taking them; the reason why isn’t important.”

  Sabrina and Catherine stayed and chatted with Sherrilyn until her pain medication kicked in and she drifted off to sleep. As they walked back down the hall, Sabrina asked her mother, “Isn’t there something more we can do? Someone we can call? Surely there is a specialist or someone else she can see for a second opinion.”

  Catherine sadly shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I’ve taken her to doctor after doctor and they all say the same thing -- without a transplant soon she won’t live much longer.”

  Sabrina stopped walking. “Mother, I can’t bear to lose her…I can’t stand the thought of burying someone else.”

  Catherine wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly. “Oh, baby, I know… I feel the same way, but you have to ask yourself something…what is best for her? I would love to be selfish and keep her here with me, but that wouldn’t be right, would it? The old saying about if you truly love someone you will let them go applies here, I think. As much as we love her and as much as we would dearly miss her, if going on to be with Jesus is what is best for her, then we need to be ok with that. She needs to hear that from us…that we will be ok if she goes home. I don’t want her to linger in pain waiting for me or you to accept it. Does that make sense?” Sabrina stood in her mother’s embrace and nodded, letting the tears fall as she struggled to make the decision to let her friend go if it came to that.

  The next afternoon everyone gathered around out front to tell Catherine and Evan good bye. Catherine hugged Sabrina. “Oh, I’m so happy you’re only an hour away! Why, we can just hop in the car any time and come see one another!” She bent down and picked up Charlotte, hugging her close and telling her that she would see her again real soon. While Sabrina was giving her stepfather a hug, she saw Catherine and Sherrilyn whispering about something that had Sherrilyn shaking her head no and her mother frowning. Wondering what on earth that was about and truthfully being too scared to ask, she ignored it for now.

  After they had driven off down the winding driveway, Sabrina turned to Sherrilyn with a big smile. “Well, you got me now! I hope you know what you’re doing.” She walked up and laid her arm on Sherrilyn’s shoulder, feeling her bones under the bulky sweater she was wearing. She just smiled and patted her hand.

  “Honey, old Sherry knows exactly what she is doing. Don’t you doubt that for a minute. I’m so happy to have you and Charlie staying with me I can hardly stand it!”

  Sabrina laughed. “Are you ever going to tell me who gave Charlotte the nickname Charlie?”

  Sherrilyn shook her head. “No, ma’am, that’s not my story to tell, like I said before.”

  “Well, you may not know this about me, but I love a good mystery to solve, so don’t you doubt for one minute that I’m going to let this go!” The ladies laughed as they went back in the house.

  Gideon thought it would take Sabrina a while to feel at home in the large oddly-designed house, but he was wrong. Within days she and little Charlotte had settled right in. She had gotten a letter from the insurance company stating that her check would be issued in a few days, so she had started scouring the paper and local reality listings for a house. She was sitting at the kitchen table doing just that when she heard a crash then a thud then a low moan from Sherrilyn’s room. She ran down the hall with Gideon right on her heels, jumping over Charlotte who was playing on her scooter in the hallway, and they rushed into her room.

  Sherrilyn was lying face down on the rug beside her bed, her chair overturned next to her. Sabrina fell on her knees next to her, reaching out to gently turn her over, scared to death at what she might see. Gideon went around to the opposite side to feel of her life force and it was what he didn’t feel that caused his chest to hurt. Her life force was nearly gone! Sherrilyn was so pale; she looked gray and she was trying to tell Sabrina something but she was too weak to speak very loudly. Sabrina leaned down and put her ear next to her mouth. “What? Sherrilyn, say it one more time.”

  This time she could make out what she wanted. “Find Edgar!”

  Sabrina dragged a blanket and a pillow off the bed and made her as comfortable as she could. “Ok, I’m going to go get him; I’ll be right back, ok?” Sherrilyn just nodded, too weak to speak anymore.

  Sabrina felt shaky and panicked as she scooped up Charlotte on the way out and ran as fast as she could to the west end of the house where the old butler stayed. Gideon stayed with Sherrilyn. She reached out for him and he took her hand. She was saying something, so he bent closer.

  “Don’t leave me, big guy…” She whispered.

  “I’m right here, Sherrilyn. Can you feel my hand?” She nodded and so they waited for Sabrina to return with the butler.

  She pounded on his door when she got there. “Edgar! Edgar! It’s Sherrilyn! She fell out of her chair and she is asking for you! Please open the door!”

  The butler opened the door and without a word hurried to Sherrilyn’s room a lot faster than Sabrina would have ever given him credit for. She ran along behind him. When she reached her room, he was already bending down to pick her up off the floor. Sherrilyn wasn’t much more than just skin and bones, but she was still heavier than what Sabrina thought the old butler could manage, so she put down Charlotte and rushed to help him before he dropped her. Her help wasn’t needed; he picked her up smoothly and without any trouble laid her gently on the bed.

  She was asking him for something but Sabrina couldn’t hear what she was saying. She did hear Edgar’s reply though. “No,w Miss Sherrilyn, are you sure you want that? I’ll go get it but you have to be absolutely sure.” Again she said something and whatever it was convinced him to smooth down her blankets and turn and leave the room without saying a word to Sabrina.

  She walked slowly over to her friend’s side. “Sherrilyn, can I get you anything? Do you want me to call the doctor?”

  Sherrilyn shook her head and whispered, “No,” then asked where Edgar was.

  “I’m not sure… I think he went to go get something for you.”

  That seemed to relax her because she sighed deeply and then got really still.

  Sabrina panicked and shook her. “Sherrilyn, Sherrilyn, say something!”

  Her lips moved, so Sabrina leaned closer to hear what she was saying, “Stop shaking me…I’m not dead yet…” she whispered. Sabrina felt sick with relief.

  Edgar came back with an old mason jar filled with some thick brown liquid and was unscrewing the lid. When he took off the lid the smell was awful. It had Sabrina and Gideon both backing away. Sabrina put her hand over her mouth and nose and was trying to keep Charlotte from smelling it.

  “What is that stuff? You’re not fixing to give that to her, are you?” Gideon looked at the foul-smelling liquid, trying to judge what it might be, when Edgar lifted her head and held the rim of the jar to her lips. Gideon and Sabrina both jumped for the jar to knock it away when the old butler grabbed Sabrina’s wrist with surprising strength and said, “Nicht! Trust me! ” while staring straight into Gideon’s eyes.

  Living as long as he had, Gideon had been surprised a few times, but nothing compared with this. The old butler could see him! This whole time he knew Gideon was there and never once did he give any indication of it.

  Edgar slowly released Sabrina’s wrist and while keeping Gideon locked down with his stare he again lifted Sherrilyn’s head and put the jar to her lips. She drank a few sips and then nodded her head and he eased her back down on her pillows. Within moments her color improved remarkably, and her breathing was deeper and steadier. Gideon continued to hold the old butler’s gaze
as he reached and felt her life force. It had grown so much stronger! What could he have given her to bring about such a dramatic change? The butler just nodded his head at Gideon, and Gideon gave him a look that said this wasn’t finished, and then Edgar turned back to his mistress.

  “Miss Sherrilyn, do you require anything else of me? Miss Sabrina is here and so is little Miss Charlotte.”

  Sherrilyn spoke in a voice that was a lot stronger than before. “No, Edgar, I don’t need you for anything else, thank you.” Edgar bowed at Sabrina and then took his leave.

  Sabrina let out a shaky breath and sat on the side of her bed. “Are you ok? You scared me half to death! What in the world did Edgar give you?”

  Sherrilyn laughed softly. “I honestly don’t know. It smells like death and tastes even worse, but it works miracles. He will only give it to me when I’m in really bad shape; he told me it’s too dangerous to give it to me very often.”

  Sabrina sighed. “Well, I’m just grateful he was here and had whatever that was to give you.” She reached down and lifted Charlotte into her lap. The toddler still looked uncertain about what all had just happened. She tried to reach for Sherrilyn but Sabrina held her firmly in her own lap “No, baby, let Aunt Sherrilyn rest. She doesn’t feel good right now.”

  When Charlotte couldn’t go to Sherrilyn, she squirmed and wanted down, so Sabrina let her slide down to the floor. She then walked over to where Gideon was standing and tried playing her favorite game of catch the wings. She got upset when Gideon wouldn’t play with her by swooping them back and forth so she could chase after them, so she went back to her scooter in the hallway.