Chapter Seven
Taken
Nathaniel wandered into the kitchen to see if Madeline was all right after her encounter with Devlin. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop on and a cup of coffee in her hand. Leaning over her shoulder, he peered down to see what she was reading. His eyes went wide when he saw she was doing a search on ghosts. He rubbed his chin. Oh, so she really did feel Devlin near her. He couldn’t believe Devlin had done that to her, and he certainly hadn’t expected him to threaten to kidnap Eloise. Sure, he’d always said he wanted her back as a ward, but to kidnap her was downright evil.
Things were turning out much worse than Nathaniel expected. He shouldn’t have become too complacent over the years just because Devlin hadn’t showed up. Now he was even more afraid for Eloise’s safety, especially now she was no longer a child. And he couldn’t help but fear for Devlin’s future. The way he was going he’d end up as one of Lucifer’s demons, and though he might enjoy a happy life on Earth in return, eventually he’d spend eternity in Hell.
Nathaniel covered his face with his hands. It was a good job angels didn’t usually cry for he would surely shed many tears. He felt empty like he’d lost something special. Though he was happy he still had Eloise to guide, the dream of having his best friend back one day was gone forever. Just the thought of Devlin suffering infinitely at the hands of Lucifer was tearing him apart.
Shaking himself from his deliberations, he glanced around. There were no breakfast dishes in the sink, so her guessed Eloise must be still in her room. Though he knew she liked to sleep late on Saturdays, he decided to check on her.
When he wandered into her room, he scowled. She was still in her bed, but she was wide awake with a pained look on her face. Worried Devlin might have been in her bedroom, he moved closer to her to try and read her thoughts. Before he had a chance, Madeline tapped on the door and poked her head in. “Sweetie, I’m going shopping today. Do you want to come?”
Eloise glanced up and frowned. “Not today, I don’t feel good.”
Madeline walked into the room. “Why, what’s the matter?”
“I have a sharp pain in my stomach.”
“Maybe you’re just hungry, love. I’ll make you some blueberry pancakes.”
“No, thanks, I feel nauseous.”
Madeline headed out the door. “Okay, I’ll bring you some tea.”
Nathaniel moved closer to the bed. It wasn’t like Eloise to refuse her favourite breakfast. She usually had such a good appetite. He rubbed his chin. He didn’t like the sound of this. Eloise rarely got ill. As he was about to connect with her mind to see how bad the pain was, Madeline came back in with a steaming mug and a plate of cookies. “Here, drink this. It’s herb tea, so it might make you feel better.”
Eloise sat up and sipped on the tea. “Thanks, Mum, but I don’t want the biscuits.”
Madeline put her hands on her hips. “You’re not on some silly diet, are you? I see you’ve lost weight lately.”
Eloise rolled her eyes. “No, Mum, I’m not. I feel really sick and I have for weeks now. I’m probably gonna die.”
“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic, Eloise.” She placed her hand on her daughter’s brow. “Hmm, you feel really hot. I think you might have a temperature.”
Pulling the covers back around her, Eloise shivered. “Well, how come I’m cold?”
“You’ve probably got a chill, so maybe I should take you to the medical centre.”
Eloise scrunched her face up. “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t even stand up to go to the bathroom. I’m in agony.”
“Oh dear.” Madeline wrung her hands together. “Hold on, love. I’ll go and phone for an ambulance.”
Eloise held her side and groaned. “Please hurry, Mum, the pain is really bad. There’s something wrong with my stomach.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” said Madeline, dashing out the door.
Nathaniel gazed down at Eloise. This didn’t look good and her father was away with his work again. He’d seen wards with symptoms like this before and it turned out they had appendicitis. He prayed Madeline would get Eloise to the hospital for tests because if she did have appendicitis, her appendix could burst.
Rushing back in, Madeline handed two pills and a glass of juice to Eloise. “Here, baby, take these with a cookie. It will help the medicine go down. The ambulance is on its way.”
Nathaniel glanced at the ceiling. Thank goodness she’d called for an ambulance, but he wished she’d call the hospital before administering pills to her daughter when she was in this condition.
After swallowing the tablets with the juice, Eloise nibbled on a biscuit, then laid back on her pillow. “I hope those tablets work soon because the pain is getting worse.”
“Just hang in there, sweetie. Help will be here in ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Mum. You’ll come with me, won’t you?”
“Of course, honey.” Madeline wiped Eloise’s face with a damp washcloth. “I’d better hurry and get dressed so I can follow in the car.” As she rushed out the door, Nathaniel sighed with relief. At least Eloise would get the best treatment at Creed Valley Hospital.
As Eloise curled up in her bed, Nathaniel paced the room and peered out of the window, then he sighed with relief as the ambulance pulled into the driveway. When Madeline opened the front door, two burly paramedics rushed in with a stretcher.
“Where’s the patient?” asked the older one.
“She’s in there,” said Madeline, pointing to Eloise’s bedroom. “Please hurry. She’s is in excruciating pain.”
“She’ll be right,” said the younger man. “We’ll have her at the hospital in no time.”
After checking Eloise’s blood pressure and temperature, and getting all her medical information, the medics fastened Eloise onto the stretcher.
“I’m sorry,” said the older man. “I know it hurts with movement, but we’ll be at the hospital soon.”
As soon as the paramedics had secured Eloise into the ambulance, Nathaniel hopped in next to her. The young medic climbed into the driver’s seat and the older one sat in the back with Eloise.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll go slowly so you don’t get bumped about too much.”
“That’s impossible on these bumpy roads,” groaned Eloise. “It hurts more when I move.”
“It won’t be long,” he said, checking her blood pressure again.
Her face looked quite pink and Nathaniel guessed she had a raging temperature, but she was still shivering as if she had a chill. As the paramedic wrapped a blanket over her, she held her stomach and groaned. “I feel sick.”
As they rumbled out the driveway, the medic gave her a bowl. “Don’t worry. We’ll be on the highway in a minute, then we’ll have a smoother run.”
“Is my mother following?”
The driver glanced out the rear vision mirror. “Yep, she’s right behind us.”
Nathaniel sent comforting messages to Eloise, but as he watched her suffer, he wished he was able to physically communicate with her to put her mind at ease. Although Eloise had lost weight lately, he was pleased she was healthy. Hopefully that would help her to recover quickly. So far, she’d only had the usual childhood illnesses, other than having a tonsillectomy when she was seven. He gazed down at her. He hoped if she did need an operation that it would go as smoothly as that one had.
When they arrived at the hospital, Eloise was wheeled into Emergency and checked by one of the doctors. After tests, he came out to speak to Madeline.
“I’m afraid your daughter has appendicitis and will need an urgent operation, Mrs O’Connor. I’ve booked her in to have an appendectomy this afternoon with one of our surgeons.” He handed her some forms. “Once you’ve filled in these and handed them back to the desk clerk, a nurse will take Eloise to her room.”
“Okay, thank you, Doctor.” With a worried look on her face, Madeline filled in the forms and handed them back to the receptionist.
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After checking them, the lady smiled. “Just follow the nurse and she’ll take your daughter to her room.”
When the nurse wheeled Eloise into a lift, Nathaniel followed. So far there’d been no sign of Devlin, but knowing how sneaky he was, he couldn’t afford to take any chances. After Eloise was settled into a private room, Nathaniel became even more edgy. Although he would’ve liked to go and chat to other angels in the hospital, he decided against it. It would be just like Devlin to turn up as soon as he left the room.
The nurse smiled at Madeline. “Doctor Reynolds will be here shortly to talk to you and your daughter, Mrs O’Connor, but it looks like Eloise won’t be able to have her operation until later this afternoon.”
Madeline frowned. “But she’s in a lot of pain. Why does she have to wait?”
Obviously embarrassed, Eloise glared at her mother. “Mum, there are other people here as well as me.”
“It’s not that,” said the nurse. “They can’t operate for six hours because she’s had medication and food this morning.”
“Oh, I see,” said Madeline, not looking at the black look Eloise was throwing her way.
The nurse handed Eloise a white hospital gown and bottle of yellow liquid. “Can you take a shower and wash your hair and body with this antiseptic soap, then put the gown on and hop into bed so I can check your vital signs.”
Eloise scrutinised the garment, then curled her nose up. “There aren’t any buttons on this ugly-looking thing. Do I have to wear it?”
“I’m afraid you do,” said the nurse. “It has a tie at the top and one at the side, so it can be easily taken off when you have your operation. Oh, and take your bra and pants off too.”
“What?” Eloise glared at her. “You mean I won’t be wearing any clothes? Not even my underwear?”
“That’s right,” said the nurse, “But don’t worry. Someone will cover you up with a sheet.”
“But that means everyone in the theatre will see me.”
Madeline patted her shoulder. “It’s okay, honey. No one will see you but the nurses and doctors.”
Eloise frowned. “Well, that’s bad enough.”
The nurse strapped a plastic ID bracelet on Eloise’s wrist. “Can you check your details are correct? We don’t want staff mixing you up with another patient.”
Eloise stared at her. “You mean that actually happens?”
“Not if we make sure you have the correct information on your ID bracelet,” said the nurse.
After scrutinising the label on her arm, Eloise sighed and walked into the bathroom. “OK, it’s my info so you better not mix me up with anyone.”
While Eloise had her shower, Nathaniel looked out the window to make sure Devlin wasn’t lurking around. He wouldn’t put it past him to turn up now. Word quickly got around when there were angels about, especially in hospitals.
With her face scrunched into a scowl, Eloise padded out of the bathroom and pointed at the gown. “Mum, just look at this sack. It’s so gross. I can’t believe I have to wear it.”
The nurse pealed back the bed covers. “Just hop into bed, so I can put your pressure stockings and socks on.”
“Pressure stockings?” Eloise’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking?”
The nurse held out the long, white stockings. “Nope, not joking.”
Eloise climbed into the bed. “Jeez, I hope no one I know sees me.”
Madeline rolled her eyes. “Elle, how old are you, twelve?”
“It’s alright for you to say,” said Eloise. “You wouldn’t like to look like a granny. I mean, what if someone from school sees me.”
“That’s highly unlikely,” said Madeline.
As soon as the nurse had finished, Eloise pulled the covers over her legs. “It’s going to be a long six hours with this pain in my stomach.”
“It’s less than five hours now,” said the nurse. “Oh, and you’d better take that necklace off. You’re not allowed to wear jewellery in theatre.”
Holding the crucifix, Eloise scowled. “You’re kidding me, right? This isn’t just jewellery. It’s my protection.”
“Give it to me,” said Madeline, holding her hand out. “It’s only for a few hours.”
Eloise shook her head. “No, Grandpa gave it to me. He said I should always wear it. And whenever I’ve taken it off, something bad has happened.”
The nurse sighed. “Well you can’t have an operation if you don’t take it off.”
Madeline rolled her eyes and began unfastening the chain around Eloise’s neck. “That’s just superstition, Elle. You shouldn’t take any notice of Pop. He’s a silly old man.”
“He’s so not.” Eloise snatched the crucifix from her mother’s hand. “Dad wouldn’t like you saying that about his father. Anyway, if I can’t wear my gold cross, I want to hold it.” Keeping it in her hand, she turned on her side away from her mother and the nurse.
Nathaniel grinned. Madeline would have a pink fit if she knew Pop was a fallen angel and that her daughter was a descendant of one.
The nurse gave Madeline a sympathetic smile. “Once you’ve spoken to the surgeon and anaesthesiologist, you can go and have lunch, or go home for a few hours if you like. Just be back at three o’clock if you want to talk to Eloise before her operation.”
“I’ll stay here if that’s all right,” said Madeline, fussing over the pillows. “My daughter needs me.”
Eloise glanced over her shoulder. “No, I don’t. My belly hurts and I’d prefer to suffer on my own. I hate it when you fuss over me. I’m eighteen, not eight. You may as well go shopping or something. Besides, I’ll only be a grouch all day.”
Madeline stroked Eloise’s hair. “Okay, honey, but phone me if you need anything.”
“I just want this over with, so I can get out of here. I so hate hospitals.”
“All right,” said Madeline, giving her a kiss. “I’ll be back before you go into theatre.”
“Okay,” said Eloise, holding her side.
As the nurse put a blood pressure cuff around her arm, Nathaniel went for a quick check around nearby corridors and rooms to make sure Devlin or Lucifer weren’t sneaking about. When he flew back to the ward, the nurse had already placed the pulse oximeter onto one of Eloise’s fingertips and stuck the metal heart monitor electrodes onto her chest, but he knew what was coming next. Eloise always fainted whenever she saw blood and she was about to experience things she definitely wouldn’t like.
As soon as Eloise saw a needle in the nurse’s hand, she flinched.
“It won’t hurt,” said the nurse. “It’s just to stop you getting a blood clot.”
“But I thought the pressure stockings were for tha....”
Before Eloise had a chance to finish her sentence, the nurse jabbed the needle into her belly. “They are, but this is an extra precaution.”
Eloise’s face went pale, but at least she hadn’t fainted. “Oh, you’re right. I hardly felt that.”
That’s a change, thought Nathaniel. She normally passed out.
The nurse pulled Eloise’s ponytail back, then popped a net hat on her head.
“Great, now I really do look like a granny,” she moaned.
The nurse chuckled.
“Hey, it’s not funny,” said Eloise. “There are some cute interns at this hospital. I’ve seen them.”
“I wasn’t laughing at you,” said the nurse. “I was thinking how pretty you looked even with the cap on.”
The door suddenly opened and a tall dark-haired doctor walked in and smiled. “Good morning, Eloise, I’m Doctor Reynolds. I’ve already spoken to your mother and I’m afraid you have an acute appendicitis, so you’ll be having an appendectomy a bit late this afternoon.”
Eloise bit her lip. “Will it hurt?”
“You won’t feel a thing, and when you regain copiousness, you will be given pain medication. You’re a healthy young woman, so don’t worry everything will be fine.” He turned to leave. “Right then, Dr Allen, th
e anaesthesiologist, will be in to see you shortly and I’ll see you at three o’clock.”
“Thanks, Doctor,” said Eloise.
After he’d gone, Dr Allen walked in and asked Eloise some questions. After writing his notes, he smiled. “Okay, young lady, I’ll leave you in the good care of Nurse Susan. She’ll look after you and get you ready for your operation and I’ll see you later this afternoon.” Nodding to the nurse, he headed out the room.
The nurse drew the curtain around the bed. “Right, I’ll leave you to rest for a while.”
Nathaniel felt sorry Eloise had to wait for her operation, but it was better than her getting sick from the medications and cookie she’d had earlier. Though he knew Eloise was healthy and would probably survive the operation without difficulty, he couldn’t help worrying. There’d been a few wards he’d been confident about in the past, only to lose them unexpectedly.
He glanced down at Eloise and sighed. She seemed to be in too much pain to sleep and was struggling to get comfortable. After an hour, she managed to doze off, but fifteen minutes later, the nurse checked her blood pressure and woke her up.
“Sorry to disturb you, Eloise, but it’s nearly time to go up to theatre and your mother is here to see you.”
Eloise’s eyes fluttered open and she held her side and groaned.
“You’ll be all right, sweetie,” said Madeline. “They’re going to take you up to theatre so the anaesthesiologist can get you ready for your operation. I’ll be waiting here for you, so don’t worry.”
Before Eloise had the chance to complain, a male nurse wheeled her down the corridor towards the theatre. Nathaniel followed and as soon as she was pushed into the pre-op room, Doctor Allen walked in and smiled. “Okay, Eloise, just relax while I get your IV line set up, then I’ll give you something to relax you, Okay?”
Eloise glanced around and scowled. She obviously didn’t like being in a room so close to the theatre. As Doctor Allen searched for a vein to put the IV line in, she stared up at him, watching his every move.
Uh-oh. Nathaniel knew what was coming next. She was bound to pass out this time because this procedure usually hurt.
As the doctor held the needle and tube near Eloise’s arm, she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists.
Doctor Allan adjusted the intravenous bag, ready to administer the medications and fluids that would flow into her bloodstream through the tubes. “Don’t worry, you’ll have no pain soon, Eloise.”
Nathaniel smirked. The doctor didn’t need to worry about hurting Eloise. She’d passed out as soon as she’d seen the size of the needle. By the time she came around again, the IV line was already connected, but as soon as she saw the little tube in her arm, she retched like she was going to throw up.
A nurse grabbed a bowl. “Here, use this.”
After wiping Eloise’s face with a damp wash cloth, the nurse pulled the blanket around her shoulders. “Try and rest. Doctor Allen will be giving you a pre-op medication that will relax you, then before you know it, it will all be over.”
“Nurse, can I please have my undies back? They’re only operating on my stomach.”
The nurse smiled. “It’s okay. You don’t need them.”
“But they’re really small.”
“You don’t have to worry, you’ll have a sheet over you,” said the nurse. “Doctors operate on people all day.”
As the nurse took the bowl away, Eloise tucked her blanket tightly around her body, obviously afraid it would fall off.
“I’ll be back in a little while,” said the nurse, heading out the door.
Nathaniel chuckled. At least Eloise had tried to save her modesty. When he glanced at the clock, he realised it was nearly time for her operation. At least then she’d be out of pain, even if it was only until she woke.
After checking the monitors, Doctor Allen asked Eloise her name and birthday, then checked her vital signs. The sedative entering her bloodstream through the IV needle seemed to be taking effect and she closed her eyes. But as soon she was wheeled through the large double doors into the operating theatre, she glanced around, her eyes wide.
“It’s okay,” said Doctor Allen, administering the anaesthetic through the intravenous tube. A second later, her eyelids fluttered and she drifted off again. After checking to make sure she was unconscious, the docto inserted a thin soft tube into her nose and pushed it down into her stomach to suck out any fluids that might interfere with the operation. Nathaniel had seen this done many times, but he never liked it. Nor did he like watching the pliable tube that was connected to a ventilator being pushed down her throat and windpipe, but he knew it had to be done in order to help her breathe throughout the procedure.
Though he hated the sadness in hospitals, he loved the excitement and energy of new births and recovering happy patients. Having the company of angels would have been a bonus, but Eloise’s safety came first. He didn’t think he could bear it if anything happened to her and he felt privileged to be her guardian. Although he sometimes felt a twinge of envy knowing other guardians got to travel and go on night flights, there was no way he would risk her safety, especially now that Devlin had threatened to kidnap her. Nathaniel loved guarding Eloise more than any ward he’d ever had and he’d never risk her safety. Gazing at her under the bright lights, he sighed. The poor girl was going to be in pain for a while until she recovered from the operation, and he prayed it would all go smoothly.
When all the monitors were checked and the doctors were satisfied that Eloise was breathing properly, the surgeon began to mark where the incision was going to be in her abdomen. Nathaniel glanced around the room. For some strange reason he had a horrible feeling of impending doom and he prayed it wasn’t because Devlin and Lucifer were hanging around in dark hidden corridors, though he couldn’t smell the vile stench of Lucifer.
Hovering above the operating table, he gazed down at Eloise. She seemed to be totally unconscious, yet she was making the strangest murmuring sounds. He tried to enter her mind to see if she was still in pain, but for some reason he couldn’t get in, which made him worry even more.
As the surgeon inserted the knife into Eloise’s flesh, Nathaniel turned away and cringed. He couldn’t understand it. He didn’t normally get squeamish during operations, but for some reason he couldn’t bear to see Eloise’s body being mutilated like that. Closing his eyes, he pressed his fingers to his temples, hoping to clear his mind. Angels weren’t supposed to have hang-ups like that and he knew he should be watching the operation to make sure his ward was coping. Determined to do his job properly, he glanced back at Eloise. She looked so vulnerable, he had an urge to scoop her into his arms and take her to his cloud to comfort her. He couldn’t do that, so he whispered to her soul. “You’ll be all right, Eloise. Just stay strong and fight and you’ll be back in your own bed before you know it.”
Once the doctors had finished the operation, Eloise was stitched up and her vital signs checked before she was wheeled into a recovery room. Nathaniel was relieved the surgery had gone smoothly, but he couldn’t relax until Eloise was conscious again. Hovering over her body, he tried to enter her mind to see how she was coping, but when he couldn’t reach her psyche, he began to panic. As he paced the room, a nurse kept checking Eloise’s blood pressure and heart rate, and from the concerned look on her face, it seemed he wasn’t the only one that was worried. When the nurse called her supervisor in to help, Nathaniel reached for his crucifix and prayed.
“What’s the problem?” asked the Sister.
The nurse scratched her head. “This patient seems to be taking too long to come around. Her blood pressure is a bit low, but she should be awake by now, unless she was given too much anaesthetic. What do you think, Sister?”
“She seems to be breathing all right and her heart rate isn’t too bad. She’ll probably wake up soon, but you’d better let the doctors know. I’ll keep an eye on her as well.”
After the nurses left the room, Nathaniel gazed down
at Eloise. She might be eighteen, but she looked so small and vulnerable just lying on the hospital cot like that. He just had to get through to her psyche to make sure she was all right, but when he tried to enter her mind again, he realised her soul was gone. As he froze with shock, an image of Devlin with Eloise in his arms flashed into his mind.
Jesus Christ!
Crossing himself, Nathaniel stared down at Eloise’s body. No wonder she couldn’t be roused. Devlin had kidnaped her soul. He clenched his fists as he tried to work out how he’d been outsmarted, but then it occurred to him that Devlin must’ve found a loophole to get to her soul while she was sedated with powerful mind-numbing drugs—but where had he taken her?
Flying out the door, he tried to think. Then he shot through an open window into the clear night sky. There was only one place Devlin would take Eloise where his lies would be believable—and that was to his cloud beneath Heaven.