THE ARCHANGEL'S SECOND CHANCE

CHAPTER 5

Who?

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The rise of voices made by the two who met again has gathered the attention of all the passerby who happened to be at the 2nd floor’s elevators area: doctors, interns, patients, guardians, and even the guard who appeared after one of the elevators opened.

Feeling ashamed for embarrassing himself for the 3rd time, Ethan lowered his gaze and cleared his throat. Mandy, on the other hand, is already used with being the center of attention so she just laughed and waved her free hand on dismissal, while the young patient is just innocently eating her lollipop.

Giving the two a glance, Elliana smiled and looked at all the people who stopped to watch them. “It’s okay everyone, please go and head to where you guys are going.” With her words, the people followed without protests or side comments from the small commotion.

Once the coast is clear, she faced the two, her smile still on her face. “I was about to head back to my office. You guys can join me if you want.” She said, then looked at Ethan. “Especially you, sir.” The mention of the vampire’s name picked her curiosity.

“Okay.” Three different voices answered her with three different tones: a questioning one from the young patient who was both confused and sad of not being able to play more, an enthusiastic one from Mandy who remained unfazed, and a small, embarrassed one from Ethan who failed to look cool with the woman he wants to meet.

Elliana chuckled and faced the young girl. She crouched down to her level and tapped her black hair that is cutely tied by two pink ribbons. “As for you, sweetheart, I’ll bring you back to your room first, okay, Dianne?” she asked, making the young girl smile widely and give her a thumbs up.

Once settled, Elliana stood up and held Dianne’s hand. “You two can go first.” She said, making the two of them turn to each other before turning back to her. “You should settle…whatever happened back in the main lobby.” She continued, unsure of her next words which caused the temporary pause.

Elliana smiled and looked down on Dianne who’s looking up at her. “Let’s go?” she asked, making her giggle and put the lollipop in her mouth before skipping along Elliana who’s walking towards Dianne’s room, which is fortunately located at the 2nd floor.

Left alone, Mandy initiated the action and gestured for him to follow her. Going in the elevator, she pressed the 59th button, the highest floor of the hospital which is next to the rooftop. Once the door closed, the two stood with huge distance between them.

The silence they had didn’t last long when Mandy chuckled, causing for Ethan who situated himself at the elevator to lift up his gaze and look at the doctor who’s near the door, staring at him with a wide grin. “Are you that happy to see a doctor chase a funny, cute, and naughty kid?”

Ethan put on a small, awkward smile and rubbed the back of his neck. “I never thought that’s going to be the first scene I’ll see when I first step inside Proxima.” He honestly stated, his cheeks are tinted with pink, making him look like a squirrel because of his brown hair and reddish face. “You know, this is a hospital and such.” He nervously added.

“Well,” Mandy put his right hand in her coat’s pocket before extending her left hand for a handshake. “I’m Mandy Moore. A cardiologist who happened to be assigned to Dianne Huston, a kid who’s unfortunately diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome.” She introduced with a small smile.

“Ethan Eisenmann, Dela Vin Enterprise’s head of Public Relations Department. I’m here because Vincent told me so.” He took on her offer and briefly shook hands, both now have a smile on their faces. “Is Dianne’s case that bad?” he asked, trying to make them comfortable to each other while on the ride up to the highest floor.

Mandy nodded. “It’s rare and risky, actually.” She opened up. “It is a rare inherited heart disorder that characterized by disturbances affecting the electrical system of the heart.” She said, then heaved a deep sigh and a pout made way on her lips.

“Imagine being diagnosed of such disease at the age of 5. She’s been confined here for three years since the parents asked us to monitor her 24/7.” She said. “Brugada is as rare as only having 5 out of 10,000 people diagnosed with it. And not only that, this syndrome is prone in giving sudden deaths.” She explained.

Even a non-doctor civilian like Ethan can understand how difficult that case is. “Sudden deaths…” he trailed off. “That sure is terrifying.” He said, making the two of them sigh in unison.

Their agreement in that aspect made the two of them turn to look at each other’s eyes. Ethan’s chestnut-colored eyes looked straight at Mandy’s bluish ones. That short moment of looking in the depths of their soul made them feel a strange connection they cannot identify, but they sure know it changed something inside them.

Ting! They both blinked and faced the front, both felt surprised that their hearts dropped after hearing that and saw the door opened, revealing people from the 8th floor entering the elevator.

Mandy cleared her throat and slowly moved backward, the direction where Ethan is silently standing by the end corner, his left hand is now hidden inside his pocket and he busied himself by staring at the floor and watching his right foot tap the silvery floor. Their timing’s wrong. He mentally complained. Wait- He questioned his own thoughts. Their timing never interrupted anything though. His other side countered.

It’s better if I’m close to him, I don’t want strangers to be near me. Stranger danger, right?  Mandy thought and slowly chuckled, making him look at her who’s now beside him, the both of them were in their own world. “It’s better when we’re together, don’t you think?” she asked in a small voice and beamed at him. Yeah, rock the cool image, Mands!

Ethan found himself melting at her smile. His heart beat slowly became faster, a sense of anticipation is swelling up inside him as he waited for her reason of suddenly whispering that question. “Because I prefer to be with people I know and not with strangers.” She whispered.

“Oh.” His response mirrored his disappointment, that for some reason built up in his system after hearing her answer. But for Mandy, his tone sounded uninterested and unconvinced, making her brows knit together. “I’m not lying.” She quickly defended. Did I fail my plan?

Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned to look at her and internally panicked when he saw her staring at him offendedly. “No. T-that’s what I-” his attempt in explaining failed when Mandy just frowned with a small pout and turned away, silently giving him her answer: I won’t listen.

Meanwhile, Elliana and Dianne were talking inside her room, that room she’s been occupying for 3 years. “Promise me you won’t make Doctor Mandy chase you again?” she asked and raised her pinky, making the young patient nod and beam with her lollipop still on her mouth.

“Okie.” Once Dianne intertwined their pinky fingers, Elliana smiled and put her hand at the back of her head while the other is on her back. “Lay down now, Dianne.” She said and helped her lay down. “I will go and wake you up when it’s time for lunch.”

Dianne’s round black orbs look up on Elliana as she hummed a lullaby and put her palm on her forehead, that thing she always does whenever she’s coming in to help her sleep. “You’re so kind, Doc Lia.” Slowly, Dianne’s eyes started to close, falling in on her dreamland.

With a smile, Elliana activated her ability and let her power she channeled to flow on to the young girl. Faint, bluish-white light appeared between her palm and her forehead and obvious relief was seen through Dianne’s lips that curved up to a smile even when her eyes were closed.

Elliana built hospitals for centuries to help humans as subtle, yet as effective as she can. Miracles Exist, So Does Hope. Proxima Medical Center’s motto isn’t a lie. Known to its 100% success rate, the hospital is being visited by different people from different places and different social status.

“Have a good nap, Dianne.” She whispered and gently tapped her forehead before standing up, not doing any noise before walking out and shut the door silently. With a victorious and proud smile, Elliana walked towards the elevator to go up to where she told the two to wait.

It was Elliana Winters who made their perfect success rate possible. She mixes in her abilities to make them feel better, aside from the medicine and machineries given to help the patients recover or completely heal. It was subtle, but sure is effective.

She can maximize the success rate by minimizing her use of ability. It was killing two birds with one stone. If only I have the ability to change how humans think. She mentally sighed as she went in the elevator. If I can, then I already healed everyone in one go and make humans think it’s possible for them to be healed that quick. She thought as she pressed the 59th button. But unfortunately, I am not a god.

“Dianne would’ve been out the hospital if I can just remove Brugada Syndrome within her.” she muttered, her eyes were focused at the elevator’s buttons as her thoughts run deep within her. “Who’s that? Your adopted human child?” hearing that familiar deep voice made her quickly turn and saw Vincent smirking at her as he leaned comfortably on the metallic elevator wall.

“What-how-ha?” she looked around with panic evident in her emerald orbs that was once filled with regrets regarding her beloved patient. Once she saw that the CCTV camera’s red light which indicates whether it’s on or not is not on, she heaved a sigh of relief before facing the said man once again.

“You are abusing your power.” She said, shaking her head on how she found herself stuck in the unmoving time again. The culprit, on the other hand, just smirked and shrugged as he crossed his arms, showing his confidence. “Do you have nothing better to do?” she asked with her brow raised.

With her question, Vincent chuckled and looked straight in her eyes. “Honey, I’m busier than you think.” He said, his voice that resonated inside the elevator made his grey eyes look more intimidating as she stared deep in his fascinating pair of windows of the soul.

I wonder why his mere presence keeps pulling me in. He seems like an oblivion that will give me assurance that no matter how impossible it might be, I won’t feel alone and unimportant as long as it’s him that’s with me. That train of thoughts that passed by her mind as her heart unconsciously beat along the rhythm of her impulsive thoughts made her clear her throat to snap her out of her own thoughts.  

“Your staff is already here, why bother sending one if you’ll personally come here anyway?” she asked, diverting the topic to save herself from dwelling too much in her unexpected attachment with the man in front of her. He’s a vampire, Lia. He’s not from your kind.

“That’s because…” he paused, and that silence he made as his feet make soft taps against the metallic floor made her uneasy. Why do I feel so drawn? “You and I,” his lips curved up into a smirk as he stopped in front of her, his grey orbs that doubles up her questions bore holes as if he was staring deep in her soul.

“What are we?” surprised with the question she asked, both she and him stopped in their tracks as they remained stuck with each other’s pair of eyes. “Tell me, who are you to me?” slowly, Elliana blurted out another question: a question that is spoken softly, yet made them unable to speak up.

Who am I to her? Vincent repeated her question. Having no definite answer on the least expected set of words, he responded with an equally troubling answer. “Who am I to you?” practically throwing the question back at her, Elliana’s brows furrowed as she thought about it.

His grey eyes, physique, presence, his everything. While weighing everything within her, her right hand moved on its own as it slowly reached for his right cheek. “Who are we to each other?” the moment she asked that, her eyes widen in surprise as she relegalized where her hand is.

Vincent, on the other hand, felt warmth for the first time. Her skin that made contact with his ignited warmth inside of him, giving him the familiar feeling of welcoming light for the first time in his life. “Earl”. For a split second, he saw Samantha standing in front of him, a bright smile on her face as her hand provided him the comfort he longed for.

But that delusion faded when Elliana removed her hand, causing for him to quickly pull her hand, automatically bringing her close till she hit his chest. “Hey! Let go of-” her protests were interrupted when he looked down on her. “Samantha.”

That name stopped her and created a swirl of foreign emotions within her. The sole mention of that name made her feel as if her heart will burst due to the continuous quick beats, her knees will give up on her, her mind will explode due to nonstop throbbing, and her whole body is far from okay, causing or her to reach for air and cling on to the man who quickly supported her as soon as she suddenly felt weak.

Blue. Red. White. Green.

The set of flashes made her close her eyes as she silently plead for the four colors to stop flashing. Make it stop. However, the pain just tripled, causing for her to scream as she dug her nails on his arms. “Ah! Stop!” with her clenched teeth, her last ounce of strength to stand was used, causing or the both of them to fall down the floor.

Feeling the panic rush inside of him, Vincent hugged her, feeling the burning sensation on her back as she screamed in pain. “My life is his.” In the middle of the painful battle she’s facing, she heard an unfamiliar, yet seemingly familiar voice inside the chaos inside of her. “Earl.”

As that voice created vibrations inside her mind, she suddenly sensed gentleness slowly penetrating her body as the pain pulls out of her. As the pain gradually subsides, she slowly opened her eyes, then saw Vincent who’s holding her in his arms, with his warm lips on her neck, sucking her blood in the least painful way possible.

Surprised, she held his arms tighter, causing for him to stop and move away after licking the last drop of blood on his lips. “You suddenly reacted to her name.” he said, quickly speaking up for himself. “I touched you and felt the burning heat within you so I tried to soothe it out by-” his words were interrupted when suddenly, Elliana moved in to give him a hug.

“That is the first pain I’ve felt for centuries.” She said, her voice is so soft as her vision slowly gets blurred as tears began to form and flow on her cheeks. “Thank you…for saving me.” Hearing her show him gratitude made Vincent speechless.

Indeed, it was the first time Elliana felt that she needed someone to hug and comfort her as she cries. Angels are born to provide comfort as they provide what others lack. They are made to fill in the missing pieces in any kinds, but no one was built to give them the same treatment- they are pillars without pillars.

“I’m so scared.” She doesn’t care about their difference, all she can feel right now is the fear of experiencing it again, knowing well that she’s not used with it. “Why?” she asked, followed by a long pause, stopping Vincent who’s slowly reaching out to her as he debates with himself whether to hug her back or no.

“Who is she?” spitting that question out, she pulled away from the hug and looked at Vincent’s eyes. Seeing her tears that reflects the light above them, the innocence of the angel who was hurt for the first time gave him no reason to push her away or to give an answer that will dissatisfy her.

“She is…” hesitating to mention anything about Samantha, he reached for her cheeks and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “She was…a woman who lived 500 years ago.” He said, looking straight in her eyes as he wiped her tears, the remaining warmth of the liquid remained between their skins.

“Samantha was…someone I knew.” He spoke.