Something More

Patient Zero

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Imee Therese's POV:

"Imee! Anthony! Please come over here! I have somebody I want to talk with both of you!"

"Huh? What is it, Catherine?"

Anthony then pushes my wheelchair to where Catherine is standing right now.

"Alright, Catherine. Tell us what you want to tell us." Anthony wants to know what she is hiding from us.

"Well, the doctors told me about this patient...who is said to be the carrier of the disease that you have fought, Imee." Catherine explains. "Right now, he's in a coma and his chances of surviving is slipping away. Perhaps you should do something about him..."

I don't speak a word at Catherine...as we entered the private hospital room where that patient...I'll call him Patient Zero...is lying and fighting for his life. As I entered the room...I feel a strange presence around me...as if another lost soul is seeking for my help...

With nobody noticing me, I closed my eyes and tried to tell the Lord what's going on...but then, I began to hear a child crying...and a vision appears before me...a little kid sitting at one side, sobbing. Standing at my own two feet, I approached the crying child.

"Hello, dear. Why are you crying? Is there something that I could help?" I smiled at the kid to cheer him up.

"I'm all alone...sniff...with no friends...sniff...and now...sniff...I will die...sniff...and nobody will remember me...sniff..." The kid replies while he is sobbing...

"That's not true, my child. God will never leave you alone."

"No! You don't understand! Even God will hate me!" The boy in my dream refutes. "I've done something terrible that everybody...I mean everybody, even God, will hate me so much!"

"Please don't say that!" Then I take a deep sigh and taps the boy's shoulder. "God will always forgive you whatever sin you have...just tell me what's wrong. Is this something to do with the disease that was spreading through downtown?"

"Yes, milady....I accidentally make that disease when...I make sex with a prostitute....I didn't know that the prostitute is carrying something that I didn't expected...a rare form of a STD that could kill us within minutes...but I make it complicated with my own blood...making the disease more airborne and deadly. The next thing I knew before I lost consciousness, all of the occupants of the nightclub where I am working was contracted by the disease..."

"Perhaps...I have already spread the disease throughout the downtown...harming everyone...even you, milady." The boy added. "I have been one of your fans after the miracles that happened in this city...but after doing something horrible...and harming you, perhaps I'm not worthy to be in your sight...I'm not worthy to live again...I'm not worthy to see God ever again."

I hugged the boy who, in the verge of death, is desperate for love...desperate for understanding...desperate for compassion...

"My child, don't lose hope. Yes, I was contracted with that dangerous disease...I was convulsed and foams were forming in my mouth...but in any means, I forgive you. But...how you will be one of my followers if you do things that is not pleasing to our God? If God will give you a second life, please, leave that disgusting place immediately....this is not the job God wants you to have...search for a more decent job according to the talent that He has given to you..."

Then, I saw a tongue of fire descending from above...and slowly, it entered upon my heart...making my wounds in my hands and feet glow. My Good Lord is given me another wonder, that He has done during His ministry, to convert this sinful boy.

"Milady, you really are the Servant of God." The boy, seeing the tongue of fire merging into my body, turned to me and bowed his head in adoration.

"Blessed are you, my little child. For God will give you another chance to start over again..."

And as I lay my hands over the kid's head, I tell him one last directive...

"When you wake up...when you recovered, the first thing you need to do is to go to a church and confess everything to a priest, who will never judge you as God does. There, the Lord will point the signs to redeem yourself."

"I will, milady."

Then I said an inaudible prayer, as the light that comes form the wounds of my hands spread throughout the boy...as my vision begins to turn black...I'm starting to wake up...

Then the sounds returned...the scene of the hospital room where Patient Zero is resting...

"...hnnng..."

"Oh, Imee. You're awake." Anthony noticed that my moan. "Did you dream, sleepyhead?"

"Well, yeah. But...can you tell me what's happening with the patient right now?"

"Umm...nothing changes with his conditions as of this moment." Catherine approached me and replied. "Though his friends are already here to pray over him...expecting for the wor-whoa!"

"....hnnng..." And before everybody knew it, another moan was heard...but not from me...but from somebody else. Then...

"KYLE!!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!!" I heard shouts of joy...as their friend wakes up from coma and survived the disease that he was carried. Now, he should be fulfilling his promise to me to return to the arms of God once he recovered.

"Imee...is this something to do with your dream?" Anthony asked me smilingly.

"Well...sort of. Hehehe!"

Then I whispered to Anthony and Catherine about the dream that I have...about Patient Zero Kyle, who in the form of the child, has confessed about the disease and repented for the responsibility that he has.

"I see. You have done yourself another miracle, huh?" Catherine smiles and tells me.

"Hehehe! Well, that's what God is telling me to do, you know?" I giggled and replied. "Hmm...you know, guys. Have you done a miracle by yourself?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Hehehe! How can we make a miracle by ourselves?" Anthony laughs in denial. "Good for you that God has given you a mission that you've done so many miracles. But as for us...how should we? We're sinners!"

"Pffft...hehehe! Come on, why don't give it a try? It's just simple as a pinky!"