Lost Soul (27 page)

“They all feel terrible,” Michael groaned.

“I bet they do, sweetie; I bet they do.” Jessica laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes and off his cheeks, cradling his cheek in her hand.
 
Her face still looked like it was lit from the inside with a hundred watt bulb.

Michael scanned the room to make sure they were alone before voicing his confusion.
 
“I don’t understand why I even have wounds at all, though.
 
My flesh isn’t real, Jessica.”

“It is now,” a deep voice said.

Jessica and Michael’s heads both swiveled toward the sound.
 
An ordinary-looking man in a tee shirt and jeans stood in the corner that was previously empty, a mischievous look on his unfamiliar face.

“Dominion Emit, is that you?” Michael asked, something about the man’s countenance giving him away.

“Yes, son, it is.
 
How do you like my body?
 
I couldn’t very well show my true image to your friend.
 
She’d be scared silly.”

Michael chuckled and rolled his eyes.

A look of confusion was etched on Jessica’s face.

“Jessica, this is Emit.
 
He’s my…instructor….I guess you could call it.
 
He’s a few rungs higher on the angel totem pole than me.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Jessica responded automatically, but hesitated as she reached out her hand to shake.
 
What was the proper protocol for meeting angels?
 
She wondered.
 
Should she bow maybe, or curtsey…take a knee?

Emit put an end to her dilemma by grasping her half-extended hand and giving it a hearty shake.

Just then a stream of voices carried down the hall and a few seconds later Rachel, Rider, Paige, and Zach came tromping into the hospital room, oblivious to the angelic visitation.

“Michael!
 
You’re awake!” Rider exclaimed, rushing to his father’s side.
 
The others crowded around the bed as well, their voices tumbling over each other as they expressed their joy at his revival.

Michael reveled in their attention as Jessica and Emit looked on in satisfaction at how quickly the teens had bonded to him.
 
After a few moments, Paige happened to notice the quiet visitor hovering in the corner, watching their show of affection with a look of pleasure in his eyes.

“Michael, who’s your friend?” she asked, silencing the others with her question, all eyes turning to see who she meant.

“I am Dominion Emit, dear Paige.
 
I am Michael’s superior and I have come to give him some interesting news.”
 
Six mouths dropped open at this announcement and everyone gaped at the angel in disguise.

“You have been an enigma, Michael, from the very beginning,” Emit explained.
 
“No other guardian has challenged the Master’s plan like you have.”

Michael’s face reddened in embarrassment as his new family bombarded him with curious stares.

“You have been stubborn, and selfish, and disobedient, Michael, but you have also displayed an extraordinary level of commitment and love.”

Michael swore if his family’s eyebrows got any higher they would jump off their faces.

“The Father has seen your passion for Jessica throughout the years and your devotion to her is beyond compare.
 
You remind Him of Himself, you know,” Emit chuckled.
 
“Too in love for His own good.
 
You continue to love her despite all arguments to the contrary, just like the Father loves His children.”

Jessica’s eyes welled with tears at the comparison and a sob caught in her throat as she looked at her lover in wonder.

“But you were given a job to do, Michael, and despite your desire to be with Jessica, you have fulfilled your duty in a most extraordinary way, choosing in the most critical moment to protect your charge instead of your soulmate.”

Michael’s ears perked at the unexpected term.
 
How could Emit call Jessica Michael’s soulmate when they were two different species?

“Yes, Michael, I meant what I said.
 
I do believe Jessica is your soulmate and apparently so does the Father because he has sent me here to give you an incredible choice, one he has never given another angel before.
 
You can exchange your angelic nature for that of a human if you wish.”

Michael gasped as the magnitude of Emit’s offer sank in, but Emit wasn’t finished.

“Think carefully before you decide, young guardian, for this exchange would not be without cost.
 
You wondered why your conjured flesh endured such trauma from the shooting.
 
Well, it is only a taste of what could be.
 
The body you now inhabit is human, Michael, and it is susceptible to injury and disease.
 
It will not last for all eternity; it will age and it will die.
 
If you choose to renounce your divinity you will become human in every way and you will be bound by human limitations.
 
Will you trade your divinity in exchange for free will?”

A sudden silence filled the room as Emit’s proclamation came to an end.
 
The children’s eyes lighted from one to another’s in amazement while Jessica’s face was stricken with grief.

“No, Michael, you can’t.
 
Don’t do this,” she pleaded, pressing her hands against his chest.
 
“I’m not worth it, Michael, I’m no one, nothing.
 
I don’t deserve for you to give up your life.”

“Oh Jessica, can’t you see?
 
Don’t you understand?” Michael explained, a rapturous smile lighting his face.
 
“You ARE my life, you are my everything.
 
I would give up everything for even a moment with you.”

“Besides, being an angel isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Michael teased, taking her hand and pulling her down onto the bed.
 
“Angels never get to kiss,” he explained, planting a wet smack on her lips.
 
“They never get to hug.”
 
He held out his arms to embrace his children.
 
“And they never get to make love,” he whispered in Jessica’s ear.

“So what if I’m mortal and someday I’ll die?
 
I’ll still have a soul.
 
We’ll just spend the rest of our eternity together in heaven.
 
No big deal.”

Jessica bit her lip in a fruitless attempt to stop the tears from falling.
 
“You’d really do that for me, Michael?
 
Become a human and give up all your power?”

“I had no power as an angel, Jessica, because I was powerless to claim the one thing I truly wanted — the freedom to give myself to you.
 
Will you take me, Jessica?
 
If I give you my soul?
 
I’ve already given you all of my heart.”

Jessica could only nod in response as her heart filled with overwhelming joy at Michael’s offer and she threw herself wholeheartedly into his arms.

“Oww!” he cried at the impact as the weight of her body hit his battered flesh.

“I’m sorry!
 
I’m sorry!” Jessica wailed as she rained kisses all over his broken body, her hands caressing the exposed skin.

“Hey Emit,” Michael asked when Jessica finally stopped her torrent of kisses, “now that you’ve given me this wonderful opportunity to be with my soulmate, as you like to call her,” the two exchanged a giddy smile, “I’m kind of, uh, anxious, to be with her, if you know what I mean.
 
Is there any way you could do me one more little favor and hook me up with a new body instead?
 
You know, a slightly less hole-y one?”

Emit laughed a giant guffaw that filled the room with angelic joy.
 
“Not a chance, lover boy!
 
You got yourself into this mess, and now you’re going to have to live with the consequences.
 
I will make you one promise, though.
 
I’ll make sure you’re healed in time for the honeymoon!”

Michael buried his face in his hands to stifle his laughter as Emit’s chortle disappeared along with his body.
 
When everyone’s giggles had subsided, Michael took a moment to close his eyes and give thanks for his incredible life.

chapter twenty-four

The next day, Zach and Michael sat in the hospital room playing cards and talking about deep existential concepts like the abilities of angels, the importance of self actualization, and how to impress girls.
 
The others had gone to do some sightseeing before the teens had to go back to school, but Cody had been much more interested in picking Michael’s brain, so Zach had decided to stay behind and keep Michael company for a few hours.

“Cody and I haven’t had the best relationship all these years,” Zach explained.
 
“It was mostly my fault.
 
I guess you could say I didn’t make him feel very welcome.
 
We’re working it out now, but I still think Cody might be a lot happier if he wasn’t stuck with me all the time.”

Michael nodded.
 
He totally understood the desire to have your own life, to be free to make your own choices.
 
He wished he had the power to do something to help his imprisoned son.

“Have you ever tried to leave Zach’s body, Cody?” Michael asked, shuffling the cards.

“No, but he wanted to once.
 
There was one time when we were visiting my uncle in the hospital and we saw this little boy….”
 
Zach dropped his head as he remembered the emotional agony of that moment — Cody desperate to leave but too afraid to go.

“He was just a little kid, though, and Cody knew if he took his body he’d probably never see me or Paige again.
 
Plus he was waiting to meet you.
 
I’m not sure what he’d choose if he ever got the opportunity again, but it was kind of a once in a lifetime thing anyway.
 
I mean, what are the odds he would ever get that chance again?”

“Taking over another person’s body is definitely not an ideal solution,” Michael agreed, although he’d give just about anything to trade in this one, he thought, moaning in pain as he tried to readjust his position.
 
Anything except Jessica, of course.

“Cody’s really curious about this whole body-conjuring thing you do, though,” Zach continued.
 
“Do you think it’s possible for him to do it too?”

“I’m really not sure.” Michael shrugged, then winced at the pain it caused.
 
“Angels definitely have powers that humans don’t have, but humans have a lot more power than they realize.
 
It’s all about faith, you know?
 
Your abilities are usually only limited by your beliefs.
 
Has Cody ever tried to conjure anything?”

“No, but he has been able to take control of my body several times before, he just has to want it bad enough.”

“Exactly.”
 
Michael nodded.
 
“Why don’t you try?” Michael suggested.
 
“Maybe start with something small instead of a whole body.
 
I’ll try to give you a few pointers.”

“Okay,” Zach reluctantly agreed with an anxious look on his face.
 
This was some freaky stuff.
 
“Like what?”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m dying for some decent food.
 
Why don't you try conjuring up something for us to eat?”

“What do you want?” Zach asked.

“Anything would be better than this slop,” Michael complained, pushing away the tray of mystery meat the nurse had left him.
 
Eating good food was definitely one of the greatest pleasures of being human, but finding something good to eat every time his stomach growled was getting to be a challenge, especially trapped in a hospital.
 
“You know a lot about ice cream, right, since you work at an ice cream parlor?
 
Why don’t you try that?”

“Yeah, sure, I make the ice cream all the time.
 
It’s really simple, actually,” Zach agreed.

“Okay, so Cody, just start imagining the ice cream appearing in front of you.
 
Concentrate on it.
 
Can you see it in your mind?
 
Now make it real.”

“HOLY COW!” Zach screamed, jumping back from the barrel of ice cream that suddenly appeared in front of him.
 
“OH MY GOD, CODY, YOU DID IT!”

Michael laughed, a giant shoulder-shaking guffaw that immediately left him grabbing his stomach in agony, tears spurting from his eyes as he howled in pain.
 
His body’s reaction set off the heart rate monitor and soon a nurse was bustling into the room to check on her patient, amazed to find him and his visitor doubled over in laughter, a huge tub of ice cream on the table between them.

“What’s going on in here?
 
Is everything okay?” the nurse asked, checking the machines that were monitoring Michael’s vitals and pushing her patient back onto the bed.
 
“You should be resting, Mr. Andrews, not having a party, and what on earth do you plan to do with all that ice cream?”