A Guardian Angel

1

"Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens was killed-" 

 The sound of a man being strangled escaped Alexanders lips as Eliza delivered the terrible news.  Eliza glanced at Alex as he signaled for her to continue.

"...The surviving members of this regiment have been returned to their masters," Eliza concluded, as her eyes flickered from the piece of parchment in her hands to her husband.  She could see the pain in Alexander's eyes.  

"Alexander, are you alright?" she cautiously asked, her voice full of sorrow and care.

"I have so much work to do" Alexander whimpered.

Suddenly, a cry cut through the tense silence in the room like a hot knife through butter.  "Philip!" Eliza screeched, as she remembered her son.  She bolted out the door and straight into Philip's room.  As she ran towards the crib, an icy cold feeling, like jumping into a freezing river, passed through her.  "Hush, Hush.  Everything's alright dear, mother's here," Eliza cooed as she rocked the baby in her arms.  Philip's cries decreased as he looked up.  "Did something wake you?" Eliza asked the child as Philip motioned towards what appeared to be thin air.  "Alright," Eliza giggled as she placed her son back into his crib and walked back out towards Alex.

"Was everything alright?" Alex asked.

"Yes, yes, he just woke up, that happens with babies sometimes," Eliza responded.  

"OK, as long as he's alright," Alex mumbled.  "I guess I'll go check on him."

Alexander carefully crept into Philip's room and peered into his crib.  "Hey there little guy, you 'lright?" he asked, as Philip attempted to grab his hand, that he was waving above the boys head.  "You know, little guy, you're going to change the world.  You're going to blow us all away," he whispered to his son.  "-And-," Alexander cut himself off with his sobs.  "I won't lose you - I won't allow myself to lose another person that I love," Alex quietly cried as he picked up Philip.  After Alex had wiped away his tears he looked at Philip properly.  "Huh, freckles.  Didn't think you had freckles.  Am I really that bad of a father?" Alex asked, placing the baby back in its crib.  "Good night Philip," he whispered, as Philip drifted off into a somber sleep.

                                                                                           . . .

"What. The. Hell?" John Laurens asked after Alexander had left the room.  First, he appears in the Hamilton's house for no reason, then a small baby notices him and begins to start crying, then he tries to shush the baby by touching its face, then it cries even louder, and freckles begin to pop up around its cheeks, then Miss Schuyler runs in, and passes through him...  John was at a loss for words.  So much had happened in the past few minutes, and he couldn't comprehend any of it.  "This can't be heaven or hell, because Miss Schuyler, Alex, and their son(?!?) are here, and I'm pretty sure purgatory does not look like this," Laurens cried out, once again attracting the attention of the baby.  "Great!  Now its awake!  Is this some task to see whether I go to Heaven or Hell because God couldn't choose?" John practically screamed.  The baby, Philip, awoke and began to giggle.  Apparently John's frustration amused it?  "OK, listen here, ya little prick, I don't understand this, and I'm pretty sure you don't either, so don't laugh at me!" John yelled at Philip.

A sudden realization then hit John.  "How come can this little kid hear me, but neither Alex or Miss Schuyler can?" he wondered allowed, as he began pacing in front of the crib.  "I am kind of like...... it's guardian angel or something?" John laughed, as he  lent on the crib to look at Philip.  "So, Philip, is it?  Well I'm John Laurens, and I guess I'm your guardian angel?  I'm not really sure to be honest," John said, looking at the kid.  Philip then threw his hand into the air and began to gesture around wildly.  "Oh!  Am I meant to do what Alex did?" he asked Philip, as he waved his pale, ghostly hand above the baby.  Philip giggled as he tried to reach for John's hand.  John laughed at the baby's startled look when his own tiny hand passed through his translucent one.  Apparently, Philip also found this amusing as he giggled.  He didn't seem to mind the cold, wet feeling you get from passing through a ghost.  

"G'night, 'lip!" John laughed as he practically glided to one side of the room.  Maybe being Philip's guardian angel wouldn't be too bad.