by Robin Helm
“Sure, Sis.” Grace raced after Lynne and handed her sister her purse and keys.
“Grace, would you stay with Janna or take her to your house until I get back?”
“No problem. You just take care of El. Janna will go home with me and spend the night. Love you, Sis. Call me when you know something.”
Xander’s thoughts burst from his mind, More than five days have passed, and she is only now on her way to the hospital! I have seen this disease many times, but never have I seen it continue to spread like this. It is very serious indeed. A dart was definitely thrown, and we all know that Keegan is the evil little fiend who is best at using that weapon. He will pay dearly when I find him. Xander’s voice had become low and threatening as his thoughts had progressed.
I only hope to be by your side when that time comes, Niall replied firmly.
Xander and Niall nodded to Grace’s guardian and followed their charges.
~~~~~~~~~~
Xander flew just ahead of the van, looking carefully for dark angels as Lynne pulled into the hospital parking lot. He continued through the doors as Dr. Childs met Lynne in the emergency room, Niall following on her heels. The doctor took one look at Elizabeth and led them back to an exam room. David, with Roark close beside him, joined them a few minutes later while the doctor was examining his daughter.
After a cursory exam, Dr. Childs looked at them and then to the ER nurse, saying tersely, “I’m admitting her immediately. Let’s go to the peds floor and get an IV on her.”
“Will we be here overnight?” asked Lynne.
“You’ll be here until she stops breaking out and the redness is gone,” the doctor replied swiftly, running his hand through his hair. She’s really sick. It has to be the strep infection. I’ve never seen a chicken pox case like this.
The doctor stopped to use the phone, sending El to the elevator on a gurney with an orderly. Lynne and David walked rapidly on either side of her, holding her hands and speaking softly to her. Elizabeth’s eyes were huge as she looked from her mother to her father.
As Xander strode just in front of Lynne with his hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder, he heard the fear in his charge’s mind, and he thought, I must tell her it will be all right. I wish she could hear my voice, and not just the thoughts I can put into her mind. If only I could take human form right now, but in this small hospital, I am sure everyone is well known to each other.
Dr. Childs met them in the children’s wing and directed them to a small room in which two nurses with their guardians waited by a table that held an odd looking board. As the nurses removed Elizabeth’s clothing and helped her into a hospital gown, Lynne stared at the board. It was shaped like a cross with straps at places for the feet and the arms. Lynne had a very bad feeling about that board.
As Elizabeth fought to free herself, one nurse laid her on the board and the other quickly helped to secure the girl’s flailing arms and legs with the bindings. Xander stood at the head of the bed and leaned over her, resting his face next to hers, his dark hair spilling over hers. He gently stroked her face with his large hands. Elizabeth began to scream and thrash as Dr. Childs approached her with the needle in his hands. Apparently, he would not leave this job for a nurse to do.
Xander bent even closer to the child and put his lips against her ear to whisper thoughts to her mind. Elizabeth, everything will be all right. You are never alone. Try to hold still, and it will not hurt as much.
Lynne felt like such a coward as she looked on the scene, but she knew that she would not help Elizabeth by crying in front of her, and she couldn’t stop herself from sobbing.
“David,” she pleaded, her voice cracking, “could you please stay with her? I can’t do this.”
Ever her rock, her husband replied in a tight voice, “I’ll stay. You go out in the hall. This won’t take long.” He gave her a quick hug before she turned away. Roark stood behind David with his hands on David’s shoulders to strengthen him.
As Lynne left the room to wait by the open door, she heard Elizabeth begging. It felt as if her heart were breaking into a thousand tiny pieces. Niall embraced her as she leaned against the wall and prayed. Lynne felt a strange peace settle over her as a still, small voice answered her prayer. She will be fine. Her faith strengthened, she thought, God is watching over El. He loves her even more than David and I do.
Xander used all his willpower and millennia of training, trying to hold his thoughts in check. He was more affected than he could believe was possible. He moved to stand by Elizabeth, across from David, with one strong hand on her shoulder, and the other softly stroking her dimpled cheek, struggling to present a face of stone to Roark, David’s guardian. She’s so terrified that she cannot even think coherently, Xander muttered.
“Daddy! Daddy! Please take me home! Please, Daddy! Don’t let them! Don’t let them!”
Her father had always taken care of everything for her. Xander knew that Elizabeth could not understand how her father could let them hurt her.
“No! No! Daddy, no!” she wailed in her high-pitched child’s voice.
It was the hardest thing that he had ever done, but David took a few steps to stand at Elizabeth’s head, gently stroking her face and hair, holding her eyes with his, and speaking softly to her as the nurses held her arm immobile so that the doctor could put the IV in place. Roark put his hands on David’s arms. You must be strong. This is what is best for Elizabeth. God will never allow you to suffer more than you can stand. His grace is sufficient for you, David.
“It will be all right, my El. Everything will be fine. I love you so much,” David crooned, holding her face between his hands as he leaned down over her.
Xander kept his hand on her arm while Dr. Childs finished his work. The mighty guardian leaned closer to her again, and whispered in a soft voice, Hold still, precious one. It is almost over now. Feel my strength, Elizabeth. I am here, and I will never leave you.
After the IV was in place, she quieted, exhausted and sniffling from the ordeal. Her lower lip quivered, and her tears were still wet on her cheeks. The doctor moved back from the table so that the nurses could bind an IV board to Elizabeth’s arm and free her arms and legs from the straps. When they were finished, one nurse lifted the little girl while the other slid the board out from under her.
Now that the worst was over, David stepped to the door and called Lynne back into the room.
“I’ve started her on Acyclovir and an antibiotic. The Acyclovir may not be effective, as it’s supposed to be administered within twenty-four hours of the initial breakout, but it’s all we have. I’ve also given her something to help her sleep. I’ll check back on her tomorrow. The nurses will call me if I’m needed,” an unsmiling Dr. Childs told Lynne and David. “Right now, she needs to sleep so that her body’s natural defenses can fight the infection.”
The young pediatrician hurried back to a roomful of waiting patients at his practice while Elizabeth was wheeled to her room with her parents walking silently beside her.
A short time later, a lady from the admissions office brought the paperwork to the room for them to sign, and a nurse moved Elizabeth from the gurney to her bed. An orderly came in and left two trays of food, explaining that food for the patient and one parent was provided. The other parent would need to go to the cafeteria. It didn’t matter. None of them were hungry.
“Mommy, I want you,” Elizabeth said plaintively, holding out her free hand. Lynne looked at the IV in her other hand with the board bound to her arm to hold it straight. Elizabeth seemed so tiny with her dark, waist-length hair spread over the pillow and her glistening brown eyes, which seemed to take up half of her face, pleading for comfort.
Lynne wiped her tears covertly and plastered a smile on her face. She climbed into the bed with her child and held her, stroking her hair and carefully avoiding the IV and tubes. David collapsed in a recliner for the night. In a few minutes, they were all asleep. Every four hours, a nurse came in to check on Elizabeth, but they were all too tired
to wake fully.
The family rested, but Xander, Niall, and Roark stood guard through the night, unmoving and unsmiling.
~~~~~~~~~~
Four days later
Xander wanted badly to take Elizabeth and go to a safe place. He had seen dark ones in the halls each time Elizabeth’s door had opened. The place was crawling with filthy demons, though none had dared to enter her room. It would take a small army of them to withstand three protectors.
Lynne would not leave the hospital without Elizabeth, and her child would not have let her go in any case, so David handled everything at home – taking Janna to school, doing laundry, and bringing Elizabeth’s favorite movies to play in the VHS player provided by the hospital. Every afternoon he picked Janna up from Peniel and together they came back to the hospital, giving Lynne enough time to take a quick shower in Elizabeth’s bathroom and change into the fresh clothes Grace had sent her.
After one day of allowing adult church members to visit and being flooded with people, the hospital had proclaimed Elizabeth to be quarantined and prevented anyone except immediate family to enter her room. Elizabeth was bored and very cranky. She was ready to get the IV out and go home.
Finally, after eleven days of breaking out, there were no new lesions.
“Mommy, when will they take this thing out of my hand?” she asked Lynne, holding up her arm.
“Dr. Childs said that he would probably take it out today if everything looks good when he checks you, Sweetheart. We might even go home today!” Lynne said enthusiastically.
Lynne turned to the sound of the door being pushed open. “How is my favorite patient this morning?” he asked, after sitting on the foot of the bed.
“I think she’s much better, Doctor. I don’t see any new lesions.”
“Take it out, please,” Elizabeth said to him, holding out her bound arm.
“Let me check a few things first,” he replied, turning to get her chart.
Elizabeth raised the arm with the board and was going to hit him when Lynne caught her arm and frowned at her.
“He said he would take it out; he promised,” Elizabeth whispered indignantly to her mother, affronted that he was not moving fast enough to suit her.
“He will, El. Be patient just a little longer,” her mother said quietly but firmly into Elizabeth ear.
Dr. Childs turned back with a quizzical expression, wondering what he’d missed. He pulled up Elizabeth’s gown and looked at her stomach and legs, checked her arms, and looked in her mouth. As he scribbled on her chart, Elizabeth started trying to remove the bandages that held her IV board in place. In her opinion, she had been patient for a long time.
Stifling a chuckle, Xander agreed wholeheartedly with her assessment.
“Woah! Slow down, Elizabeth,” the doctor said with a twinkle in his eye and an amused smile. “Let me help you with that.” He caught her arm and began to undo the bindings himself. It’s good to see her back to her saucy little self.
David came in just as the doctor was removing Elizabeth’s IV and putting a band aid on the site.
“Are we ready to go?” David looked at Dr. Childs. He’s such a good man, thought David. Really kind.
“I think so,” replied the doctor, more cheerful than he’d been in many days.
David was beyond happy. He couldn’t wait to have his family back home and together again.
David held out his hand to Dr. Childs. As they shook hands, he said, “Thank you so much for caring for my daughter. I want to invite you to come to our church, Tabernacle, out on Great Falls Road. We’d love to have you visit us.”
“I’ll think about it,” replied the younger man with a smile.
Xander smiled knowingly at Niall and Roark. Keegan is very skilled with his darts, but he is no match for the Great Physician. I doubt that we’ll ever hear anything of that particular demon again. Vega will not be pleased. He fixed them with a steely gaze as he spoke menacingly. We must be even more vigilant, for they will never stop attacking until they have killed Elizabeth, and I will be slain before I allow that to happen!
If Niall and Roark were surprised by the vehemence with which Xander spoke his last words, they kept their thoughts to themselves, only nodding in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~~
The group of dark ones assembled once more, grumbling and screeching in frustration. Vega was exceedingly displeased, and his expression ensured that someone would pay. As the pitch rose to a keening wail, Vega called for Keegan.
“Come before me to receive your payment, Keegan,” Vega barked, glaring at him with undisguised hatred. “You know what my subordinates receive for failure? The same thing Kieran and Adrian got.”
The others chortled, looking forward to the spectacle.
Vega motioned to Nyx who was perched in a corner of the ceiling, watching the proceedings with hawk-like eyes, awaiting his summons.
Shrieking in terror, Keegan turned to fly, but Nyx swooped down and grabbed him by the throat before he could make his escape, the long, sharp nails of his dark fingers sinking into the neck of his helpless victim. Vega’s avenger held him in a vise-like grip with one hand, keeping him suspended in midair, wings extended and hovering, while he drew his sword and sent the smaller demon, howling, to his just reward.
Chapter 7
“Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.”
Psalm 33:3
Fall, 1995
Xander watched over Elizabeth and listened to her thoughts as she lay on her bed with her legs bent and her feet crossed behind her, happily coloring a picture of Jasmine, her favorite Disney princess. She had on her Jasmine dress-up outfit that Aunt Grace had given her for Christmas. Aunt Grace gives the best presents, flitted through her mind.
Observing his young charge had long since begun to give him an indefinable pleasure he had never before experienced. Of all the children he had protected since the creation of humanity, she had become more special to him than the rest. She was blessed with a beautiful mind and a lively spirit. Elizabeth is a joy to me. He had tried to stop the thought, but he was too late. The words had escaped him and seemed now to hang in the air. It unsettled him.
Niall and Alexis, in the music room with their charges, glanced at each other; then quickly looked in opposite directions.
They heard me, Xander thought uncomfortably. He groaned inwardly, and deliberately changed his focus back to Elizabeth, listening again to her thoughts as they leapt from her coloring to the melodies she was hearing. He smiled again.
Elizabeth’s mind was humming contentedly as she listened to Janna’s piano lesson. Lynne had begun teaching Janna to play six years earlier when she was eight, and Elizabeth had enjoyed listening to her mother’s instructions and hearing the music from the time she was a baby. Five-year-old Elizabeth was captivated by all sorts of music. The wonderful sounds seemed to speak to her.
Janna was playing “Reverie” by Debussy, hoping to have it prepared in time for the spring recital, as Lynne listened and gave suggestions for tempo, dynamics, and fingering.
Elizabeth hopped off of her bed and began to dance around her room, moving slowly, pretending that she was a ballerina. Suddenly, she ran downstairs to the music room and threw open the door. Xander followed her, curious.
“I can do that!” she exclaimed to her surprised mother and sister.
“You’re a little too young for lessons now, El, but I’ll start teaching you, too, in a few years,” her mother said, smiling at her indulgently.
“But I can do it now!” Elizabeth insisted stubbornly, her chin jutted out.
Xander could hear how perfectly reasonable it all seemed to her. She had no doubt at all that she could play the piece. He leaned his head to the side, a little puzzled. What now?
Niall looked at Xander skeptically. She really thinks she can play the piano.
Do you think it’s possible? asked Alexis as she raised her eyebrows. She’s only five.
I have no idea, Xa
nder calmly replied. I suppose it’s possible. Our Master told me Himself that she was especially gifted.
Even-tempered Janna rarely showed annoyance at anything her sister did, but she was annoyed with Elizabeth at that moment, both for interrupting her lesson and for thinking that she could play what it had taken years for her to master.
“No, you can’t. I’ve been practicing for six years to get to this level. It takes a lot of work. Now, please go back to your room so that Mama and I can finish my lesson. I have homework to do,” said Janna with a trace of irritation and a slight frown.
Elizabeth slammed the door and stomped back upstairs to her room, slamming that door as well, just to be sure that everyone knew she was not happy.
A small smile played around Xander’s lips as he watched with amusement to see what she would do next. She never failed to interest him, nor did she disappoint him this time. He could hardly wait for someone from her family to peek in the door and see what she had done.
About fifteen minutes later, when her lesson was over, Janna hung her head, hiding her face in her long, dark hair.
“Mama, I’m sorry that I was mean to El. She’s little, and she doesn’t understand how hard it is to learn to play. I shouldn’t have discouraged her.”
Pushing Janna’s hair back and lifting her daughter’s chin with her hand so that she could look into her eyes, Lynne said tenderly, “Oh, Sweetheart, I think it would take much more than your gentle remonstrance to damage your sister’s confidence. But, since you feel guilty about it, why don’t you go talk to her? El loves you so much, and she wants to be just like you. Go tell her you love her, and apologize. You know she can’t be angry for very long. She’s probably already forgotten it. I love you, Janna.” Lynne hugged her older child and kissed her cheek.
Xander heard Janna and Lynne talking. Here comes Janna. This should be good.
Alexis and Niall floated through the walls of Elizabeth’s room, chuckling and looking forward to the reactions of their charges. If Xander’s thoughts were any indication, it would be quite diverting.
