Monica Loses Her Memory. (A Touched by an Angel fanfic).
I do not claim Monica, Andrew or Tess as my characters, I'm just borrowing them and receive no income from doing so. All copyrights are freely acknowledged and respected.
"Miss Wings, the Father has an assignment for you." Stated Tess, a large elderly black woman with silver highlights in her mainly black hair.
"Oh Tess, what is it, do you know who needs our help?" Monica said, quite excitedly with a lovely Irish lilt in her voice.
"Listen to me Miss Wings. I SAID the Father has an assignment for YOU, not us. You will be going alone on this assignment, but you will never be alone, remember that." Tess corrected her sternly, as was her usual fashion.
"Oh, well I'll miss you and Andrew, but it won't be for long will it?" Monica asked her supervisor and friend.
"Longer than our previous assignments baby, but we'll meet again soon enough".
With those words, Monica found herself in a drab room just as the ceiling fell on her and a cloud of smoke filled her lungs.
Outside, the Bethlehem Township Fire Company Station 17 rescue engines pulled up to the kerb and the firefighters poured out of the cabs and set to rigging hoses to the nearest fire hydrants and started pouring water onto the blazing derelict house.
The Fire Chief called out to bystanders "Is there anyone inside?"
The bystanders just looked at one another without speaking, then one young blond man stepped forward and said "Yes, I'm sure I saw a young woman go inside to see if there was anyone needing help. I haven't seen her come out!"
"Okay," The Fire Chief called out. "David and John, get your BA gear on, make entry and look for the woman".
The two firefighters got their Breathing Apparatus on and grabbing their axes, tested the door for heat and finding none, broke the door down and went inside as the smoke rolled out.
David went upstairs and John checked the first floor, the smoke was bad, as was the rising heat and flames. There was no sign of any one inside the now well alight house and John soon gave up looking and backed out into the street to help pour water on the roof.
David also could not find anyone, but something, maybe a silent voice, or a golden glow perhaps seemed to attract his attention, "she's over here". He listened to the voice, it sounded so insistent but he didn't recognise it but followed it, and the disappearing glow to a pile of plaster and lath that had fallen from the ceiling and somehow spotted a slender hand peeking out from underneath the rubble.
He carefully cleared some of the worst debris and found an unconscious red-headed woman and pulled her free. Gathering her up in his hands, he turned to go back down the stairs only for the fire to flare up and the stairs collapsed as he did so. Contacting the Fire Chief on his radio he gave his position and the news that he had found the woman, but was now cut off by the fire.
"Hang on David, we'll put the ladder up to the window!" Matching deeds to his words, the crew soon had a ladder to the broken window and breaking what was left of the window glass, David was able to pass the woman out to the fireman at the top of the ladder, then climb out himself and joined his fellow team mates safely on the ground.
The crew tried their best to put the fire out but the building burned to the ground before the flames finally went out.
The young woman was rushed to the paramedics who confirmed that she was alive and apart from a few cuts and grazes, and a large bruise and lump on her head where the debris had fallen on her, was otherwise uninjured. But she would be taken to St Luke's which was the nearest Hospital.
A day or so later, the Head Nurse at St Luke's rang the fire station and asked to speak to the firefighter that rescued the young woman.
"David! Call for you."
"Firefighter David speaking?" He said.
"Oh yes, hello. I'm Cathy, the Head Nurse at St Luke's. You rescued a young woman recently from a burning house?" Cathy asked him.
"Yes, that's right. She was under some debris on the second floor. I was lucky to find her really."
"Well, that's the thing," Cathy said. "She wants to meet the person who rescued her and thank you, as well as ask you something, and I'll like to know some details too please. Can you come over?"
Checking the board and with his watch commander who gave him the all clear, David agreed to come over that very afternoon.
Arriving at the hospital he asked for Cathy and was shown to her station.
"Thanks for coming David." Cathy said, "Our patient has been asking for you every since she woke up. I'm afraid that she seems a little confused and apparently doesn't know her own name. We wondered if you might know her or could help her remember?"
"I don't know, I hardly saw her, there was so much smoke and debris. If it hadn't been for... Nothing, never mind." He finished.
"Oh, okay, will you at least see her then, it may help her to recover her memory at least?" Cathy asked.
"Okay, be glad to help". Thinking "wow, wonder if Cathy's available to take out"
Cathy took David to the woman's bedside and introduced him as the firefighter who got her out of the burning house.
David took his first look at the mystery woman and immediately forgot all about asking Cathy out when he saw the radiant beauty laid in the bed, her rich auburn hair gleaming on her pillow, her stunning looks and there was a glow about her that attracted him to her.
"Hmm, hi, erm I'm David. I erm helped rescue you."
The next thing he knew, he was being held by a pair of strong arms as the woman hugged him tightly and cried into his shoulder.
"Oh thank you, thank you! Do you know me? Do you know my name?" She sobbed into his, it must be said, broad shoulder.
"No," David had to admit. "But I'm sure we can find out." He said trying to comfort the young woman and admitting to himself, deep down, I really want to help this lady if only to be able to spend more time with her.
"Oh, will you? Oh, thank you, sir."
"My name's David, not sir. And I'd be delighted to help you find out who you are"
There was a "hummmph!" from the direction of Cathy at this point, but she knew it was just part of his character which he couldn't help, any more than she knew she'd just lost the hunky fireman to the stunning redhead in a hospital gown.
With a little help from "Jane Doe's" fingerprints and the assistance of the Bethlehem Police Department, it soon emerged that her name WAS Doe, Monica Doe and she'd just moved into the area. She was single and had no family, but had inherited some money, through quite exactly from where no one could say.
David and Cathy helped Monica buy some new clothes and she moved in with David shortly after she was discharged from the hospital. He had spent every hour of his off duty time by her bedside trying to help her regain her memory and in that short period, they had fallen deeply in love with each other.
Some months later, they married, Cathy was Monica's Maid of Honour and the two had become great friends. The day in the church became a sign of things to come, at least it did according to the minister!
The ceremony was short and sweet for neither had much family, Monica had none, and David was an only child and his parents has long since passed away. So on his side, it was mainly his fellow fire crew and on Monica's was Cathy and a couple of strangers.
But as the minister spoke the wedding vows, he felt a great joy as he said "We are gathered here today, in the sight of God to bless this couple". He later said it was if God Himself was standing beside him.
When the church choir sang the hymns to close the ceremony, a choir which wasn't the best singers it must be said, but this time, when the choir sang, they sounded like angels he said afterwards.
And although he never admitted this to anyone, he could have sworn that he heard a voice saying "I bless this marriage in My name."
David and Monica attended church every week and even though David had never been much of a churchgoer before meeting Monica, he became one of the church's main volunteers, anything that need mending or repairing, especially wooden items, he could be depended upon to fix it and fix it so well that often there was no sign that it had been broken or repaired.
Over the months that followed, they found a lovely little restaurant that they both loved and where often to be found enjoying an evening meal with pretty much any excuse! One evening it was their first month anniversary of their marriage, another was David's birthday and another important date was when Monica missed her period. The two owners of The Angel's Delight seemed to be as excited as David and Monica at each visit.
Over the next few months Monica's pregnancy was an easy one and as the baby inside her grew, so did the expecting parent's delight. The mother's glow was noticeable by the ninth month and the couple enjoyed as much time together as was possible. In bed David would lie behind Monica, helping her support the "bump" gently holding and caressing his child through Monica's stomach wall until one morning Monica's waters broke and the loving couple piled into the family car and drove the short route to the Hospital where Monica was rushed into the delivery room.
Cathy as head nurse was present as was the doctor who had guided Monica through her pregnancy though she privately admitted she hadn't had much to do, it was almost as if a guardian angel had been keeping guard.
The birth of their boy was smooth and quick and once the umbilical cord was cut and he was tidied up he was returned all clean and wrapped in a blanket to Monica and David where they welcomed him into their arms.
As agreed over the last few weeks, the boy was named Joshua and it was arranged for him to be baptised at the first available opportunity.
A month later, and the Baptism took place in the same church that they were married in.
The priest led the service of Baptist and the choir sang "Rock of Ages" and "Praise Him" and once again, the choir seemed to be enhanced as they sang their hearts out and there was silence as they finished, everyone present was that impressed by the hymns.
The priest then did the baptism, Cathy stepped up as God Parent and just for a moment, the priest could have sworn that there was a glowing figure of a man next to Cathy as she took her vows at this time. But no, surely not.
"Joshua, I baptise thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen".
As the congregation echoed the Amen, the priest felt a tremor as if a powerful voice capable of shaking the very earth had said Amen, but on one else seemed to notice. And just like at the wedding of David and Monica, the priest felt a hand on his shoulder and although it was impossible he was sure he heard a voice whisper in his ear, 'I bless you in My name, My Joshua'
Young Joshua was a very popular boy in town, always well behaved and his quiet confidence made him a lot of friends, of his age and older as he grew.
Although they tried for a little brother or sister for Joshua, he remained an only son for David and Monica. Fifteen years past, the regular meals continued at The Angel's Delight, Tess and Andrew became good friends and Cathy was always welcome at their house.
Then the news went around town that the priest who had married them 16 years ago and blessed Joshua at his Baptism was seriously ill and was not expected to survive the week. Joshua surprised everyone by asking to see him. The priest was asked if he would permit it and something made him agree to the child's visit.
A couple of night's later Joshua stood by the elderly priest's bedside and asked to be left alone with him so he could pray with the dying man. When they were alone, Joshua asked the priest "Who can you see?"
"Well, you Joshua. There's no one else here, though I hope to be with God shortly."
Without looking round, Joshua said "I want you to meet one of the angels that surround us Father. This is Andrew, he will take you to My Father and you will be blessed so much for all you have done for Us".
As he said that a glow filled the room and Andrew, from The Angel's Delight materialised for the priest to see the glory of God as the Angel of Death approached and offered him his hand to take the priest's soul to the Heavenly Father who awaited him with open arms. As he took the priest into the light of Heaven, he said "The Father is looking forward to meeting you again, for it was He you felt in Church when you married Monica and David, and also at Joshua's Baptism"
At the priest's funeral in the church, when the new priest asked if there was anyone who wished to say something, Monica squeezed David's hand, kissed him fondly on his cheek, then with Joshua they approached the lectern and Joshua took the mic.
"We shall all miss the late priest but you should all know that he is with God, the Heavenly Father. I know, I handed his soul over the Angel of Death myself."
There was an uproar in the church at that statement, Some called for the child to be removed, others stood in stunned silence and just one or two sat there and believed.
Monica raised her hand for silence. "Joshua speaks the truth, as do I for I am an Angel, sent by God to this man (indicating David) to bring forth the Son of God to this world once more. I know this now as it is time for me to know. David, I have loved you these many years and still do, but God has called me back to him now. I know that you will find happiness in the arms of another. It is The Father's wish that you do so. Cathy, look after him please."
There was no outcry this time for as Monica spoke, she started to glow, not as if she was pregnant, but with the golden glow of Heaven and God's truth. The glow seemed to permeate the entire church but then people noticed that the Owners of The Angel's Delight were also present, dressed in white and likewise glowing. Also the choir was not alone any longer, but accompanied by a Heavenly Choir, resplendent in their glowing robes and God's Heavenly light shone all around.
The choir started to sing, the people wept tears of joy for the sounds were so beautiful and as the glow disappeared they noticed that the angels had gone, along with Monica and Joshua.
They gathered around David and Cathy asking questions, How long had he known? What did it feel like to have helped bring the Son of God back to the world?
He hadn't known until that very minute, he couldn't answer that. It was left to the new priest to take over and with everyone's faith renewed he completed the funeral he knew his church would be full this weekend and every weekend for they had witnessed the power of the one true God. How fitting it was for what was the town's name? Why, the same as the one that the original Son of God was born, Bethlehem!
David and Cathy soon married, under special consideration from the church, as Monica hadn't died, nor divorced David, but do man's rules apply to an Angel?
Especially when God had wished it.
They were soon blessed with more children, all of them fully mortal, not like Joshua, born of man and Angel, but they were brought up right by their parents, to love all and respect others.
