sir,” snarled the first fiend. “I am Lieutenant Garshwell. We have been despatched to your command to assist in overseeing the demise of Phoebe Wren and her interfering parents. What are your plans, Captain?”
Garshwell was intense and unwavering, his bulbous eyes fixed on Schnither, awaiting his Captain’s command.
Impressed by the efficiency of Lieutenant Garshwell, and with his ego suitably stroked by such respect, Schnither was full of his own importance, and entirely believing of his own hype. How quickly his re-inflated pride helped him to forget the humiliation he had felt in Abaddon’s chamber!
“Follow me,” Schnither commanded, his voice sounding more confident than he felt, since in the pit of his stomach he was still smarting from his encounter with Abaddon the Defiler. “We will put a stop to this hope and redemption nonsense once and for all.”
And with a whoosh of his powerful black wings, Schnither bolted upwards and exited through the ceiling with his evil cohorts following obediently behind.
C HAPTER 12
There was an unmistakable sense of urgency in the speed at which Phoebe, Demetrius and their Heavenly escort were moving towards Medical Miracles Hospital. Although the hospital was not far away, it felt to Phoebe that she had hundreds of miles to go. Ordinarily, she would have enjoyed her surroundings, taken time to appreciate the beauty of the sky and the trees and the wildlife around her, but today she barely noticed these things and was focused only on reaching her destination as quickly as possible.
“What if we’re too late? What if they get to Dad and Mum before we do? What if they’re already there? ” Phoebe’s questions jangled off her lips in quick succession, and she felt strangely disappointed by her own lack of faith – had she learned nothing from the peculiar events of the last few hours?
As if he could read her thoughts, Cosain spoke. “You must not be so hard on yourself, Phoebe. The happenings of the last few weeks are extraordinary for you; these things do not just happen every day in the human world. I think it would be more unusual if you weren’t wondering what is going on. But you cannot live in the ‘ what ifs ’ – they serve no purpose but to unsettle your spirit and divide your mind. But do not worry, Phoebe, we will not be too late this time.” Cosain’s confident words reassured Phoebe, and she felt the rising sense of panic begin to disperse and in its place began to grow a calm that was entirely contrary to circumstances.
The anomalous group continued their fast paced journey until Medical Miracles Hospital was in sight. Phoebe could see her parents’ blue Jeep sitting in their reserved parking space, and the sight of it somehow reassured her that with the angelic troop on their side, things would be okay. She and Demetrius ran ahead through the hospital’s automatic glass doors, and the familiar sounds and smells of the hospital filled Phoebe’s senses. Behind a clear screen Doris, the kindly hospital receptionist, looked up from her paperwork. She peered over her half glasses at Phoebe and Demetrius, and then broke into a sincere and welcoming smile.
“Excuse me, Doris.” Phoebe spoke to the pleasant receptionist before she had a chance to greet the teenagers. Doris had worked at the hospital since the day it opened, and to her the role of receptionist was more than just a job. She made it her business to put everyone who came through the hospital doors at ease, and with her kind smile and motherly nature that was something she did extremely well.
“Oh hi, Phoebe honey,” Doris smiled. “Are you looking for your folks? They finished up just a while ago and have been loading up the car. They’ve been up and down in that elevator a dozen times, I’m sure! They’ll be exhausted! Do you want to go up to the office, or wait here and I’ll call them for you?”
“Maybe I’ll just go up if that’s okay?” replied Phoebe, who was
Garshwell was intense and unwavering, his bulbous eyes fixed on Schnither, awaiting his Captain’s command.
Impressed by the efficiency of Lieutenant Garshwell, and with his ego suitably stroked by such respect, Schnither was full of his own importance, and entirely believing of his own hype. How quickly his re-inflated pride helped him to forget the humiliation he had felt in Abaddon’s chamber!
“Follow me,” Schnither commanded, his voice sounding more confident than he felt, since in the pit of his stomach he was still smarting from his encounter with Abaddon the Defiler. “We will put a stop to this hope and redemption nonsense once and for all.”
And with a whoosh of his powerful black wings, Schnither bolted upwards and exited through the ceiling with his evil cohorts following obediently behind.
C HAPTER 12
There was an unmistakable sense of urgency in the speed at which Phoebe, Demetrius and their Heavenly escort were moving towards Medical Miracles Hospital. Although the hospital was not far away, it felt to Phoebe that she had hundreds of miles to go. Ordinarily, she would have enjoyed her surroundings, taken time to appreciate the beauty of the sky and the trees and the wildlife around her, but today she barely noticed these things and was focused only on reaching her destination as quickly as possible.
“What if we’re too late? What if they get to Dad and Mum before we do? What if they’re already there? ” Phoebe’s questions jangled off her lips in quick succession, and she felt strangely disappointed by her own lack of faith – had she learned nothing from the peculiar events of the last few hours?
As if he could read her thoughts, Cosain spoke. “You must not be so hard on yourself, Phoebe. The happenings of the last few weeks are extraordinary for you; these things do not just happen every day in the human world. I think it would be more unusual if you weren’t wondering what is going on. But you cannot live in the ‘ what ifs ’ – they serve no purpose but to unsettle your spirit and divide your mind. But do not worry, Phoebe, we will not be too late this time.” Cosain’s confident words reassured Phoebe, and she felt the rising sense of panic begin to disperse and in its place began to grow a calm that was entirely contrary to circumstances.
The anomalous group continued their fast paced journey until Medical Miracles Hospital was in sight. Phoebe could see her parents’ blue Jeep sitting in their reserved parking space, and the sight of it somehow reassured her that with the angelic troop on their side, things would be okay. She and Demetrius ran ahead through the hospital’s automatic glass doors, and the familiar sounds and smells of the hospital filled Phoebe’s senses. Behind a clear screen Doris, the kindly hospital receptionist, looked up from her paperwork. She peered over her half glasses at Phoebe and Demetrius, and then broke into a sincere and welcoming smile.
“Excuse me, Doris.” Phoebe spoke to the pleasant receptionist before she had a chance to greet the teenagers. Doris had worked at the hospital since the day it opened, and to her the role of receptionist was more than just a job. She made it her business to put everyone who came through the hospital doors at ease, and with her kind smile and motherly nature that was something she did extremely well.
“Oh hi, Phoebe honey,” Doris smiled. “Are you looking for your folks? They finished up just a while ago and have been loading up the car. They’ve been up and down in that elevator a dozen times, I’m sure! They’ll be exhausted! Do you want to go up to the office, or wait here and I’ll call them for you?”
“Maybe I’ll just go up if that’s okay?” replied Phoebe, who was
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