A Man's Heart Within

Chapter Three - Divine Insight

Chapter 3: Divine Insight

"Why can't things just be simple?"

Dr. Angela Ziegler, born in Switzerland to two loving parents, was a medical prodigy. She lived a childhood which would be considered normal by most standards. Living in a middle-class family, as both of her parents were field medics in the military, she would play with a few nearby friends every day, always smiling and laughing. Her parents, raising her to be as kind as they could, would teach her a few things from their profession from time to time, and were amazed by how much she retained and was able to adeptly perform. Always praising her, Angela grew into a life of happiness and caring, helping her friends and spending time with her parents whenever possible.

Sadly, life's twisted sense of humor ensures that no one receives their fairy tale life, and Angela lost her parents to the war. The sergeant who came to the door was in tears, both from the pain of losing so many friends, and just as much from having to tell this young girl that her parents were dead. He struggled through, eventually explaining that they died attempting to save a group of civilians, being gunned down in the process.

From that moment on, no one ever saw Angela with that same smile on her face, that grin of endless mirth and joy. From that moment on, it was all business.

Having been taught a few lessons about caring for people, she turned their house into a homeless shelter. From early in the morning, as the sun came up and the birds began to sing, all the way through into the night, when most were sound asleep. She managed everyone who came through, giving all who came food, clothing, and a comfortable place to stay for a while.

It took no time at all for people to hear about the poor orphaned girl, who despite her losses, was still trying her best to look out for others. Due to this knowledge being spread, donations from all across the country came in to support Angela and her endeavors. With this funding, Angela began to run a small clinic out of the shelter, treating those who needed help, completely free of charge.

Once Angela reached her 17th birthday, she got her first job offer.

As she shifted through the mail, much of it letters containing bank statements or expressing gratitude in one way or another, she saw a letter that was unlike the others, almost shining with a picturesque white envelope and golden stamp. It was a letter from Hôpitaux Universitaires de Geneve, one of the top hospitals in Switzerland. Realizing that with this, she would have the potential to help so many more people, she quickly wrote a response in agreement.

Knowing that she couldn't just leave the clinic, she enlisted the help of one of her childhood friends, Emily.

"Emily, please. I need this job but I cannot leave all of these people here without help. I'll shift the account over to your name and you can hire help and I'll come back to help sometimes and I'll-"

"Angela, love, calm down. Of course I'll help", she replied, laughing. "This is the first time in a while that I've seen you so passionate about something, so this is no problem at all. Maybe it's time to give you a little mercy, eh?"

Practically beaming, Angela hugged her friend tightly. "Thank you so much, Em! I cannot thank you enough. I'll shift over the account before I leave, so you won't have to worry about a thing."

So, packing her things, she gathered her clothing and looked around her small room, realizing that this may be the last time she ever saw it again. With a sigh, she glanced around the room, to see if there was anything she missed. Living a life of work for the past few years of her life, she had few personal effects to attend to. The one thing she took with her was the golden necklace her parents had gotten her, just a month before they had died. It was beautifully crafted, with golden wings and a halo in a small heart. Engraved on the back were the words, For our little Angel.