A Winter Of Angels

Chapter Six

When I finally awoke, I was in my bed surrounded by my mother, my father, a doctor, and Jeph. I could hear chattering from outside my room. How many more people could possibly be here? I thought to myself.

The doctor then checked on me and turned to my parents and Jeph.

"He'll be fine. May need a couple days to rest and heal but nothing too dramatic." The doctor said. My mother looked like she was about to cry but she held it together.

"Oh, my poor baby." She said. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and smiled sweetly. I could see the tears building up in her rued but she wiped them away before they collapsed to the blanket from her face. My father stood there, his arm around her waist.

"So, Jeph, you said you saw three boys beating Tad up?" My father asked. Jeph nodded.

"Yessir, three of 'em. Two were holding his arms while the third smacked the living daylights out of him. I confronted them right as I saw it. I put an end to it and drove those kids away." Jeph said. "Then I carried him to the house and the rest you know." My father nodded and my mother smiled.

"Well, I gotta hand it to ya, Jeph. That was mighty kind of you." My father said. My mother nodded and she went over and gave Jeph a hug.

"Oh ma'am, you didn't have to-" Jeph said, interrupted by my mother.

"You are a part of this family now, Jeph. You deserve it." My mother said. Jeph blushed.

"Well shucks, Mrs. Duke. I appreciate you and your family's hospitality and your kind nature. It means alot." Jeph said.

"It was you." I said shocked but in a calm manner of speaking. My parents turned around and looked at me. My father lightly chuckled.

"A little late to the party now, Tad." My father said.

"No, no. It's alright." Jeph said smiling and he looked at me. "Yes Tad, it was me."

"I thought it was Jesus." I said. Jeph tried to think of something to say.

"Well, in a sense, he did." Jeph said.

"No, like Jesus was the one who walked over to me when I fell. I saw his feet. I saw the white robe. There was light everhwhere." I said to him. Jeph nodded.

"Well..." Jeph turned to my parents. "Could I have a....word with Tad alone if that's alright?" Jeph asked my parents. My mother nodded.

"Certainly." She said and the two of them left. It was just me and Jeph now. He pulled up a chair and sat down beside me.

"When I told you about my mother holding me in that hospital, I left something out. Something that was very important." He told me. I sat up in bed slowly so as to not hurt myself.

"Well, what was it?" I asked. He smiled and told me.

"When I was twelve years old, I was in an accident. A very bad accident. And this accident messed me up bad. I thought I was going to die. I was in the hospital and... every night before I went to sleep... I'd talk to an angel." He said. My jaw dropped.