Helsinki Sunrise

by Marion Ueckermann

  Her annoyance with Joel gained the upper hand again. Now she couldn’t phone Mikko to tell him about Adam, to ask him to pray. She was the only one who could offer any prayers for Adam’s recovery, and she didn’t know if God would listen to her petitions. There was nothing for Eveliina to do but try to get some sleep between her prayers, and wait for morning.

  First, she’d stop and buy a charger for her phone. Then she’d head to the hospital.

  The next time she saw Joel, she vowed to tell him she’d fallen in love with Adam. Her relationship with Joel was over.

  14

  The cellphone shop near home was Eveliina’s first stop. She bought a charger, as well as one for the car so she could revive her phone on the short drive to the hospital. Hopefully there’d be a spare outlet in Adam’s room where she could continue the charge while she read to him again. She really needed to call Mikko and let him know about Adam—get his missionary friends to start a prayer chain.

  Much as she couldn’t wait to get back to the hospital, she was desperately afraid to step through those ICU doors. What if things had gone horribly wrong through the night?

  Eveliina plugged Adam’s MP3 player into her car radio, and as she pulled away from the curb, she turned up the volume. He had great taste in music, even if it was all Christian. Listening to it soothed her soul and made her feel closer to Adam. But more than that, it made her feel closer to God. The songs revealed His awesome power, His healing touch. No wonder Adam had said there was so much more to life. She knew what she was listening to was true, that there really was no one else like God. She had missed out on so much.

  As she parked outside the hospital entrance, she switched the MP3 player to earphones and popped the tiny sponged devices into her ears. She needed the reassurance of these powerful songs to give her the strength to face whatever lay beyond the ICU walls. Especially after seeing all the missed calls from the hospital on her semi-charged phone.

  Standing in the passageway outside ICU, Eveliina turned off the MP3 player and placed it inside her bag before pressing the bell. She took a deep breath.

  One of the blue-clad nurses opened the door.

  The curtains were closed around Adam’s bed. Eveliina felt the life being squeezed from her heart as it thumped inside her chest. The staff had changed shifts. A different nurse, slightly plumper than the one she’d spoken to last night, sat behind the nurse’s station. She looked up at Eveliina and smiled as she handed over the protective clothing.

  Numbly, Eveliina took the blue gown, head and feet protectors, too scared to ask, but needing to know. “Ho—how is he doing today? Adam Carter.”

  The nurse bit her bottom lip. “You’re his fiancée?”

  Eveliina’s response was but a fleeting smile as she slipped the gown over her clothes.

  “They tried to call you last night. Wait here.” The nurse hurried off to Adam’s room and disappeared behind the drawn curtains. Eveliina wasn’t sure she could move even if she’d wanted to follow. Her feet were heavy, as if filled with lead. She struggled to cover her shoes with the feet protectors.

  Three solemn-faced nurses emerged a short while later. The one who’d been behind the station took a deep breath. “You can go in now,” she said.

  Why hadn’t they opened the curtains? Lord, please give me the strength for this. She felt her eyes moisten as she dragged her feet across the floor, wondering why she’d bothered with makeup this morning. It would surely be ruined before she got to Adam’s bed—not that it mattered, he wouldn’t see it, anyway.

  Curling her fingers around the curtain’s edge, she pulled back the fabric slightly and stepped through the opening.

  Looking at Adam, Eveliina’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling the sob that escaped. She rushed to his bedside and wrapped her arms around his body, sobbing. “Adam. Oh, Adam.”

  Seated upright in his bed, Adam grinned. “Here I thought you didn’t like missionaries—that you didn’t want to be my friend.” His chuckle was deep as he wiped away her tears. How she’d missed it. That and the twinkle in his eyes.

  “Oh you…if you weren’t all banged up, I’d smack you in the stomach right now. I’ll have to do this instead…” Thankful the curtains were closed and they were alone, Eveliina didn’t wait to show Adam how much she wanted to be his friend, and more.

  His lips responded to hers.

  Keeping her face pressed against Adam’s, Eveliina finally whispered, “I’m so glad that oxygen mask wasn’t on.”

  “And I’m so glad that kiss was appropriate—now that we’re engaged, I mean.”

  She pulled away from Adam. “I never said I was your fiancée. The staff just assumed it, I suppose.”

  Adam’s smile never left his face as he relaxed into the pillows. “I wonder where they got such an idea.”

  Eveliina looked at the ceiling and mumbled. “I might have said something about being your future wife.” She turned to Adam. “I needed to get in to see you, and they would only allow family.”

  “Future wife? But then, who knows what tomorrow holds? I guess you weren’t really lying.” His smile faded, and sadness replaced the twinkle in his eyes. “It’s just that we—”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Shh. I know what you’re going to say. Don’t. Not now. Not before we’ve had time to talk. But first, I want to know what happened. When I left twelve hours ago you were comatose. I thought you were”—Eveliina choked on the word—“dying.” She wiped away the tears that threatened before brushing her hand over his face, his arms, his feet. “And thanks to me, you were covered in red paint. Now you’re pink as a newborn baby.”

  Feigning shock, a frown rippled Adam’s brow and his mouth formed an ‘O’.

  Eveliina wanted to kiss it back into shape, but she resisted. Now was not the time. She could get away with that first kiss.

  Adam would not let her get away with another. In his eyes, he was a Christian—she wasn’t.

  She laughed. “OK, maybe not a newborn baby. More like a beautiful bronzed missionary.”

  “You think I’m beautiful?” He seemed amused. “Because I’m bronzed or because I’m a missionary?”

  She bit the corner of her thumb. “Both.”

  Adam closed his eyes, a satisfied smile on his face.

  “Adam? Are you OK?”

  He nodded and opened his eyes.

  Eveliina took his hand in hers, and he allowed her. “Are you up to telling me what happened?”

  “Well, according to the nurses, you hadn’t been gone long, when I suddenly woke. It felt like I was merely waking from a good night’s sleep. Except for the bandage on my head, and my strapped arm, I felt absolutely fine. They called my doctor in. He examined me and said my awakening with no apparent side effects was nothing short of a miracle. But then he said the strangest thing—that it was perhaps because my fiancée was a woman of faith.”

  “Oh, Adam, I’ve been praying so hard for your recovery.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes.” She lifted his hand and pressed it against her lips. “God has answered my prayers.”

  Adam’s eyes searched hers. “Question is…has He answered mine?”

  Eveliina was certain He had. She knew he’d been praying for her salvation. But before she spoke with Adam, she needed to know— “What happened to all the red paint?”

  “First thing this morning, I insisted the nurses allow me to bathe and clean up, certain my mystery fiancée would stop by come visiting hours. I told them I needed to look respectable for the woman I’m to marry.”

  “You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?”

  “Never.” He grinned and squeezed her hand. “Besides, they described her as a beauty, deeply in love—I had to dress to impress. The paintball look wasn’t going to cut it.”

  Suddenly it dawned on Eveliina. All the solemn faces, the drawn curtains… “Those nurses were in league with you, weren’t they?”

  “Absolutely. I wanted
to surprise you.”

  “Do you know how close I came to running out of this ICU?”

  Adam slid his good arm around her. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “Adam, I have something important I need to talk to you about, but I need to know if you’re up to a serious conversation.” The time had come to keep her word to God. She needed Adam to lead her back to Jesus.

  “Of course. What is it? What’s wrong?”

  As Eveliina opened her mouth, the curtains were flung open.

  “OK. Break it up you two lovebirds.” The nurse standing behind Dr. Karjanlahti giggled. “We need to get this patient down to Radiology for another CT scan.” He patted Adam’s leg. “How are you feeling this morning, Mr. Carter?”

  “On top of the world, Doc. When can I go home?”

  The neurologist gave Adam a stoic look. “Not for at least another two days. We need to keep you under observation.” He patted Adam’s leg again. “Perhaps by the weekend. If you continue to remain stable, we’ll move you into a general ward tomorrow.”

  Dr. Karjanlahti turned to Eveliina. “I’m sorry, Miss Mikkola, but we have to take your fiancé away from you for a while.”

  Adam winked at her and a smile tugged at his mouth. He definitely was not letting this one go. Not for a long time.

  “Why don’t you wait at the coffee shop downstairs? I’ll send someone to call you as soon as you’re able to see Adam again.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  Taking her chance to get back at Adam, and get something she really wanted, Eveliina bent down and kissed him full on the lips. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

  “Ooh-la-la.” The nurse laughed as she wheeled Adam’s bed out of his room. A second nurse came alongside to help.

  Eveliina waved Adam off and whispered another prayer. Please, God, let the scan come back clear. Complete Your healing in Adam. Complete Your healing in me.

  ****

  Would they ever get their chance to connect? Eveliina raised the white porcelain cup to her mouth and sipped her cappuccino as she mused about Adam. First they were interrupted by Joel, then Adam’s fall, and now by the CT scan.

  Was Adam lying beneath that donut-shaped machine, as curious about what she’d wanted to say as she had been about his own declaration back at the cottage? Had that really only been yesterday afternoon? It felt like a lifetime had passed between then and now.

  After her third cappuccino, Eveliina became antsy. Why were they taking so long? She was desperate for Adam—not only to be with him, but for him to lead her back to Jesus. She didn’t want to make any mistakes. Adam would show her the right way.

  No longer could she put this off, run the risk of being interrupted again. She’d go back to Adam’s room and wait for him. The moment he returned, she’d ask him to show this lost black sheep how to find her way back home to the fold.

  15

  “What took you so long?” Adam smiled as Eveliina walked into his room. Why did she have to look so cute in her blue gown, cap, and booties?

  “When did you get back?” She hurried to his bedside.

  Adam rubbed his chin. “Must have been at least a half-hour ago.”

  “Nobody called me. I’ve been waiting and waiting in the coffee shop. One more cappuccino and I probably wouldn’t sleep tonight.”

  “They’ve been pretty busy here. A patient in the corner coded. They had to rush him to the OR. I’ve been lying here praying for him—and thinking.”

  “About me, I hope?”

  Adam stared at Eveliina as she spoke, captivated by her mouth. Her smile was bewitching, her accent alluring, and the kiss that had come from her soft pink lips, unforgettable.

  He cleared his throat. “Yes.” How could he tell her there couldn’t be anything between them, not until she’d settled her relationship with God, and Joel? He knew she had feelings for him, as he did for her, but Eveliina needed to make some hard choices, or he would need to.

  “I have to tell you something.” Where to start? Some help would be great, Lord.

  “And I have something to tell you, too, Adam. But you go first.”

  “No, no. Ladies first. I insist.”

  “OK.” Her smile was brighter than he’d ever seen. “These past few days have been…”

  “Trying?”

  Eveliina pulled a face at him. “I was about to say life-changing.”

  Adam raised a brow. “Really?”

  “Yes, and it’s all because of you.”

  “That bad?”

  She let a giggle slip. “No. That good. When you got injured yesterday, I begged God to save your life. In turn, I promised to give Him mine.”

  “Eveliina, you can’t bargain with God like that.”

  “Why not? I’m sure many have done so before. Besides, He answered my prayers.”

  “And now? You want to give your life to Him?”

  “Yes. Oh, Adam, I knew you’d understand.”

  But did she understand?

  “Problem is…you have to give Him your heart because you want to, not because you feel obligated to.”

  Eveliina sat quietly, fidgeting with the sheet. She looked Adam straight in the eye. “Something like the difference between giving you my heart, and giving it to Joel?”

  Adam felt the crushing weight of her words. Foolishly, he hadn’t thought of how much this would hurt. “You feel obligated to me?”

  “Of course not. If I felt any obligation, it would be to Joel. But you? Adam, you have my heart.”

  I do?

  “And God? Do you feel obligated to Him?”

  Eveliina bit her bottom lip.

  Adam took her hand. “You don’t have to be afraid to answer. God already knows. You can’t hide the truth from Him, ugly or beautiful.”

  She sighed deeply. “Perhaps part of me does feel a certain sense of obligation to keep my word. But…I really do want to know God again. Will you show me how? Will you to teach me all you know about Jesus?”

  Lord, she’s played so many games over the past few days, and yet, I know this isn’t another ploy. You’re working in her heart, changing her, drawing her to Yourself.

  “Do you believe God used my accident to bring you back to Him?”

  “Yes, I do. With all my heart.”

  “So then, do you believe God will take a bad situation and use it for good?”

  She hesitated before answering. “Is this a trick question?”

  He squeezed her hand lightly. “No. Not at all.”

  “Then, yes, I believe that.”

  Adam took a deep breath. He had to ask the next questions. “Do you believe God had a purpose for your mother and father’s accident? Will He bring good out of their deaths?”

  Eveliina lifted the edge of the sheet again. She quietly stroked the fabric between her index finger and thumb. Adam allowed her the space to process his questions. As her tears began to fall, he sat up and slid his good arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

  She buried her head in his chest. “All these years, I’ve been such a fool.”

  “And through all those years, Eveliina, God has never forgotten you, never given up on you. He loves you passionately.” He lifted her face and dried her tears with a corner of the sheet. “Do you realize that your parents’ plane crash during their African mission trip is what gave Mikko his burning desire to serve God in Africa, too? It was on his third trip he and I met. We became great friends. It was because of our friendship that I unexpectedly found myself flying halfway across the world last week. And if I hadn’t, I would never have met you.”

  “I don’t know if I would have found my way back, if God hadn’t brought you into my life.”

  “Would you like to pray with me?”

  “I’m a little rusty.”

  Adam touched her face before tucking a thick strand of hair behind her ear. “God doesn’t mind.”

  Adam first offered a prayer of thanks to God for allowing their paths to cross. He than
ked God for bringing Eveliina to the place of understanding her need for a Savior.

  Eveliina’s sinner’s prayer that followed was the most beautiful thing he’d heard. Even though she stumbled often over what to say, there was no doubt in his mind that her repentance was truly genuine. Adam completed their time of prayer, thanking their Father for the new life Eveliina had in Christ.

  After he said “Amen,” Adam lifted Eveliina’s head and gazed into her misty eyes. He was sure his smile would run out of face. “Do you know the angels in heaven are throwing the biggest celebration right now? If we listen really carefully, we’ll probably hear their shouts of joy, right here in this room.”

  “And I’m sure once Mikko and my grandparents know, we’ll hear their shouts from one side of Finland to the other.”

  Suddenly, the curtains they’d drawn before praying were pulled back and a nurse stepped inside.

  “Mr. Carter. You have another visitor. Your brother has come to see you.”

  Adam was about to correct her that he didn’t have a brother when the thought crossed his mind that it could be Mikko sneaking in to see him. He was the only other person Adam knew in Finland. Perhaps Eveliina had contacted him and told him about the accident.

  “Can only be Mikko,” he whispered to Eveliina.

  Eveliina’s face brightened to a smile. “Mikko.” She turned toward the open curtain.

  Adam watched a familiar blond man step into his hospital room. On his right hand he bore a sun tattoo.

  ****

  “Joel. Wh—what are you doing here?” How did he know she was here?

  Joel closed the curtain behind him. “I came to see for myself what my girlfriend is up to.” He turned to Adam. “Or should I say your fiancée? You care to explain what’s going on here, Eveliina?” Like ripples on Lake Sahajärvi, veins undulated the smooth skin of his neck.