Fallen Angel (Prequel) Ominous Series © by Patricia Puddle

Chapter Four - Isolation

 

Isolation

After settling in a chair beside the crib, Nathaniel closed his eyes. Devlin had been his closest friend for thousands of years and now he’d lost him. No other angel could make him laugh as much as Devlin had, and none could take his place. Things would never be the same without him, but he couldn’t give in to him, not this time. Eloise’s safety had to come first.

Gazing down at her, he cringed. Her right eye was bruised and swollen and from the way her bottom lip quivered, he guessed she was either in pain or having a nightmare. Hopefully, she’d recover quickly and be returned to her mother. And as far as he was concerned, the sooner she was taken home the better. He certainly wasn’t leaving her alone in this hospital, not even for a minute. Devlin wasn’t one for making idle threats, he usually carried them out, but as far as Nathaniel knew, they’d always been for a good cause—until today.

As Nathaniel tried to sooth Eloise, the NICU door opened and Madeline was wheeled in on a wheelchair. As she peered through the glass incubator at her baby, Ramiel walked up to him. “It looks like your charge is in as much pain as mine. Madeline has to remain here for another three weeks to recover, so the baby will have to stay as well.”

Nathaniel sighed. “I guess they both need special care to recover, and Madeline certainly doesn’t look well enough to care for a sick baby.”

“I agree,” said Ramiel.

With tears in her eyes, Madeline gazed down at Eloise. “I can’t even feed my baby,” she sobbed.

“Don’t worry,” said a nurse. “She’ll still be able to have your milk. Later, a nurse will show you how to express it into a bottle.”

Madeline glared at her. “I don’t want my baby being fed my milk from a bottle. I want to breastfeed her myself.”

The nurse patted her shoulder. “You will. She’ll probably be back with you in a few days. You want her to get well, don’t you?”

Madeline sniffed. “Yes, of course I do.”

“Well, while she’s in here, you should make the most of it,” said the nurse. “Get as much rest as you can because once she comes back to you, she’ll be waking you every few hours.”

“It’s not fair,” said Madeline. “I can’t even hold my own baby.”

“You will soon,” said the nurse, wheeling her back towards the door.

As Ramiel turned to follow them, he glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, Nathaniel, I forgot to tell you. Michael found a new ward for Devlin and the baby is due today. That should keep him occupied, so hopefully he won’t bother you.”

“It’s too late for that, he already has, and he’s not happy.”

Ramiel raised a brow. “Oh, that’s not good.”

Nathaniel peeked down the corridor. “Where’s his new ward? I hope it’s not in this hospital.”

“I’m not sure,” said Ramiel. “Michael didn’t say, but with a bit of luck, it’ll be in another country.”

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “I’m not counting on it.”

***

After three days in intensive care, Eloise was carried back to her mother’s room.

“Here you are, Mrs O’Conner. Your baby is all yours again,” said the nurse.

Holding her daughter in her arms, Madeline smiled. “Oh, she’s so beautiful and her head’s a normal round shape.”