Retribution and Sins

Chapter 16

The hospital was a normal buzz of activity for a Thursday evening. However, it was a full moon week, and the ER was a little on the crazier side. The night before their morgue handled more cases than what was customary. It looked as though there was a war on the East Side of London. The street cleaners that next morning cursed and complained about the state of the streets. Saying there was far too much debris of metal, ashes, and blood. Four crew members already dropped from vomiting and fainting as it was.

A buzzer was going off in one of the examining rooms, and all doctors went running. All doctors were yelling to each other at the same time. Machines were beeping and running on overhaul trying to keep the young lady on the gurney alive. She was fighting for her life. The paddles were being brought out, gelled up, and ready to be applied, when a bright light blinded everyone in the room. A high pitch noise filled the air, and no one could hear, or see anything. The woman's wings spread open wide then in again. The light and noise vanished, all was as it should be, except the woman was alert, and sitting up in bed.

" What's going on?" Azrael asked, looking around the room. " Where am I?"

" You're in the ER. In the hospital." a doctor approached her. " I'm Dr. Stonebridge."

" Why am I here?" Azrael asked him, wide eyed and scared.

" You took a nasty tumble outside your residence, and hit your head pretty badly." Dr. Stonebridge answered her. " Don't you remember?"

Azrael looked at the doctor. He was a nice looking man with soft features. Brown wavy hair, hazel eyes that were mostly blue, strong jawline, nicely dressed, and a beautiful warm smile. It put her at ease. There was something familiar with his looks. He looked very much like Adam, if Adam cleaned himself up. Wait a minute, Adam! That was why she was here.

" Yes. I do remember. I wasn't outside my residence. I was.....Oh my God...Adam!" Azrael started to cry.

Dr. Stonebridge put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. The picture of her reality began to come into focus now, and he did not need subtitles to figure it out. Now, the blood test results he received earlier made sense.

" There. There. Wipe your eyes. It will be ok. I take it Adam is a boyfriend?" Dr. Stonebridge asked her.

" Was. He left." Azrael said coldly.

" What a shame." Dr. Stonebridge said through much sympathy, squeezing her shoulders. " Well. I don't know if this will be good news or bad news, but......."

" I know doctor....I'm pregnant." Azrael said it. She said it without fear, without being nauseus, without hesitancy.

" Yes." Dr. Stonebridge was taken back by her confidence. " How do you feel about that?"

" How do I feel?" Azrael stated the question back. " Mostly angry that the father has left me, that I am alone with another life that I have no idea what I am doing, I am a hunter, for God's sake! So HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM DOING?"

" It's natural that you would feel this way, Azrael, being a single mother, but there are options." Dr. Stonebridge offered.

" I know to what you are referring to, Doc, and the answer is, NO!." Azrael said, emphatically. " Now, if you'll excuse me. I would like to rest now."

Knowing he upset her, Dr. Stonebridge, knew he was defeated, and he left her alone to rest. He was making points in the comfort department with her, but he blew it. Now, he felt, he may never reach her. Picking up his clipboards, he left the floor for the shift and the day.

Johnathan and Anthony reached Azrael's room, as soon as she drifted off. She looked the peaceful angel laying there sleeping. So beautiful and glowing. Anthony had never seen her more beautiful. Johnathan wanted to wake her, but Anthony stopped him. Instead, they went to the nurses station. Dr. Willis was more than happy to give them information.