Muriel came to the side of the bed and took Peg’s hand in hers.
“Tell me what happened.”
Mike left the bedroom and returned to the front door. Sam remained outside, staring up at the edge of the roof. Mike joined him and looked up as well.
“Is there a problem?” Mike asked.
“Nope, this is a Passover house. The angel of death isn’t going to stop here.”
“How can you tell?”
“By the blood.”
“You see blood on my house?”
“Yep.”
“Sam, that’s gross.”
“You wouldn’t think so if you knew it meant your firstborn son is going to live and not die.”
Mike stared hard at Sam. “And Peg will be all right, too?”
“She’s going to have the boy. Beyond that, I can’t say. The two of you may have to go through Pharaoh’s testing.”
“Pharaoh’s testing?”
“To prove what is in your heart.”
“You’re mixing your metaphors. The plagues were for the Egyptians, not the Israelites, and the Passover came after the plagues, not before.”
“It did, but Papa works in circles, not lines. He’ll give the promise then let our circumstances take us around the back side of the mountain before fulfilling it. The blood on your house will work, but its power isn’t proven until your faith and obedience overcome the challenges against it.”
“I’m not sure what that means, but you must have been reading in Exodus this week.”
“Nope. I’m in Lamentations.”
Mike hesitated a moment then told him about Peg’s dream. “The angels worried me. That’s why I asked you if she was going to be all right.”
“There are plenty of messengers around here, not just in heaven. I’ll think on it, but don’t be too quick to believe it’s bad. Even a dream with warning often has a way of escape.”
“What should I do?”
“Take care of her. Your part is easy.”
“Okay,” Mike said. “Come inside. We also need to talk about your case.”
The two men went into the kitchen.
“Do you know what I see in here?” Sam asked.
“No idea.”
Sam pointed at a fruit bowl on the counter next to the refrigerator.
“A bunch of perfectly ripe bananas.”
“Would you like one?”
“Yep.”
Mike handed Sam a banana.
“Make sure Peg eats one tonight,” Sam said. “She needs plenty of potassium.”
“Yes, Doc,” Mike replied.
Sam peeled the banana. They sat at the kitchen table while Mike told him about the information obtained from Dressler’s computer.
“Do you know Dressler?” Mike asked.
“Nope.”
“I want to talk to him, but he hasn’t returned my phone calls. His wife is—”
Mike stopped.
“What?” Sam asked.
“Dressler’s wife is in the hospital receiving treatment for cancer. Peg’s car is in the parking lot at the emergency room, and I need to pick it up. Could you give me a ride over there? Maybe we can talk to Dressler.”
During the drive to the hospital, Mike told Sam about his bike ride along Cohulla Creek and the encounter with Mr. Forrest and Jack Hatcher near Horseshoe Bottoms. Sam listened without interrupting.
“What do you think?” Mike asked when he finished. “If this was a movie, it would be a good place for the Lord to tell you something specific that will help me defend you.”
Sam shrugged. “Believe me, I’d like more light myself. Cohulla Creek is a pretty spot. Years ago, I would go for long walks far back into those woods. I’d hate to see it ruined.”
They parked beside Peg’s car and walked around to the hospital’s main entrance. Babies were born in Shelton, broken bones set, and minor surgery performed, but serious cases were whisked to Asheville or beyond. It puzzled Mike that Dressler’s wife was receiving care at the local hospital. There were only two floors to the facility. They approached the information desk.
“Mrs. Dressler’s room, please,” Mike said.
An older woman serving as the volunteer on duty punched a few keys and looked at her computer screen.
“Room 237.”
They walked down a spotless hallway to the elevator area. Mike pushed the Up button. The elevators at the Barlow County Hospital were nursing-home slow. It took an incredibly long time to travel up one floor. Mike fidgeted while they waited for the elevator door to open.
“If Dressler is here, let me do the talking,” Mike said.
“Are you going to tell me that every time we go somewhere?”
“Yes, until further notice. Keep all your blood-on-the-doorpost comments to yourself.”
The elevator door opened, and an orderly rolled out an old woman on a gurney so Mike and Sam could enter. At the second level, Mike impatiently waited for the door to open then walked quickly down the hall. Sam lagged behind.
“Come on,” Mike called over his shoulder.
Sam didn’t respond. Mike reached room 237 as a nurse exited.
“Is Mr. Dressler here?” Mike asked.
“No, I think he left to get something to eat.”
“Did he say when he’d be back?”
“No, but he’s never gone for long.”
Mike turned to Sam.
“We could wait in the lobby and catch him on the way in. I don’t want to intrude into his time with his wife—”
While Mike talked, Sam pushed open the door to the room.
“Where are you going?” Mike asked sharply. “We don’t know these people.”
Sam didn’t respond but continued into the room. Mike looked up and down the hallway. No one seemed to be paying attention. He followed Sam into the room.
The woman in the bed was a bony silhouette beneath the sheets with a single IV tube attached to her left hand. She looked old, but after a closer look, Mike suspected she was in her mid-fifties.
It didn’t take medical training to see she was near death. Four times since becoming a minister, Mike had been present when someone died, and on two occasions he’d heard the telltale breathing pattern that signaled the end. He stopped just inside the door. Sam walked directly up to the bed, held the woman’s hand for a second, and gently touched her on the cheek.
“Marie,” Sam said. “Papa sent me to you.”
“No,” Mike began, then stopped.
The ragged breathing continued. Mike stepped to the end of the bed and watched.
Sam leaned over and began speaking into the dying woman’s ear. Mike couldn’t hear what he said. Mike nervously glanced at the door. There could be an ugly scene if Brian Dressler walked in while two strange men hovered around his helpless wife. Sam touched two of his fingers to his tongue and placed them on the woman’s forehead. He sighed loudly several times and blew into the woman’s face. He seemed to be watching something closely then straightened up and turned to Mike.
“We can go now.”
Relieved, Mike moved toward the door. In a few seconds, they would be in the hallway where they could either leave or wait for Dressler. He glanced back to make sure Sam was in tow. When he stepped forward, he collided with the wooden door as it opened into the room. Stunned, Mike staggered backward.
“What the—,” Dressler said.
Mike put out his hand and touched the wall.
“Sorry,” he said as his head cleared. “We were stepping out of the room to wait for you.”
Dressler stared at Mike but didn’t move out of the way.
“Andrews, isn’t it?” he asked.
“That’s right, Mike Andrews.”
Dressler extended his hand. “I remember you from Maxwell Forrest’s office. I heard you went into the ministry. Thanks for coming. Marie and I don’t have a pastor to help us and haven’t attended church in years.”
“That’s okay,” Mike managed. “And this is my friend, Sam.”
<
br /> Dressler shook Sam’s hand.
“We should have waited in the hall,” Mike began.
“No problem. You just startled me. I’ve been here by myself for a couple of days. No one has visited.” Dressler paused. “You may not have heard, but I’m no longer with the bank.”
“I know,” Mike replied. “Braxton Hodges is the one who told me about your wife.”
“I see. Please, sit down.”
There were two wooden chairs in front of the air-conditioning unit and a comfortable chair that could be converted into a nighttime couch. Mike and Sam sat in the wooden chairs.
“Hospice nurses were coming to the house,” Dressler continued, “but she reached the point that I couldn’t handle the in-between times.”
“Braxton told me she was receiving treatment for the cancer,” Mike said.
“No, we’re finished with all that.” Dressler looked at the floor. “There’s nothing to do but wait. She’s been unconscious for three days. The doctor said she might go anytime.”
“Her eyes are open,” Sam said.
Sure enough, Marie Dressler’s eyes were open, and she was staring at the ceiling.
“Marie!” Dressler said.
When Dressler spoke, his wife’s eyes moved in the direction of his voice. The dying woman began moving her lips and making sounds, but Mike couldn’t distinguish the words. Dressler immediately leaned over with his ear close to her mouth. Mike caught a few words but had no idea what she was saying. He glanced at Sam, who was sitting with his eyes closed, a slight smile on his face, and his hands clasped in front of his stomach. Mike looked back at Dressler. As his wife continued whispering to him, the former banker’s left cheek revealed the trail of a tear. Dressler remained riveted in front of his wife’s face.
In a few moments, he kissed his wife on the forehead near the spot Sam had touched with his fingers. Then, he leaned over and spoke into her right ear. The woman’s eyes remained open but revealed no emotion. When Dressler withdrew, she closed her eyes and continued breathing with a steady pace that didn’t sound like the harbinger of death. Dressler sat down with a thud and closed his eyes.
The three men sat in silence for several minutes. In most circumstances, the enforced quiet would have felt awkward, but at the time it seemed the natural thing to do. Finally, Dressler looked up.
“I shouldn’t have ignored you—,” he began.
“Is everything okay now?” Sam asked.
Dressler nodded.
“Including what happened in Mobile?”
“She was speaking so softly, how could you hear?” Dressler responded in surprise. “Did you read her lips?”
“That’s not important. What matters is that she can run free into the arms of the Master. She needed His forgiveness and yours.”
“But she was more in the right than I was.” Dressler shook his head. “It made me mad at God when she became sick. I should have been the one to suffer.”
“But Papa is good enough to let both of you make amends.”
Sam turned to Mike. “I’m finished here. Why don’t you pray together while I step into the hallway?”
Before Mike could respond, Sam rose from his seat and left the room. Mike watched the door shut behind him then turned to Dressler, who had a puzzled look on his face. Mike wasn’t prepared to explain Sam’s actions and didn’t want any questions.
“May I pray for you?” he asked quickly.
Dressler nodded.
Mike bowed his head and closed his eyes. He spoke hesitantly at first but in a few moments gained confidence. Words started coming easily. As soon as he finished one sentence, the next one stood ready to take its place. Several times, words of familiar Bible verses prompted his requests for Brian and Marie Dressler. He didn’t rush, but let the pace of the prayer form as his inward impressions set the tempo. He continued until nothing remained to say except “Amen.”
He glanced up into Brian Dressler’s face. Marie’s eyes remained closed, but the banker’s eyes were at peace. He reached across and shook Mike’s hand.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said warmly. “While you were praying, it seemed the weight of the world rolled off my shoulders. The past few months have been unbelievably difficult.”
“You’re welcome.”
Mike stood.
“Tell the other man from your church how much I appreciate you coming,” Dressler said.
Mike tried to think of a smooth segue into legal matters, but when he saw Marie Dressler’s serene face over her husband’s shoulder, he didn’t have the heart to bring it up. He took a step backward toward the door.
“I will. Call if I can help you.”
MIKE RETURNED TO THE HALLWAY; SAM WASN’T IN SIGHT. MIKE approached the nurses’ station and handed his card to the woman behind the counter.
“I’m a minister helping the Dressler family. Can I be placed on the list to obtain information about her condition?”
The woman took the card. “I’ll clear it with her husband.”
“Of course.” Mike glanced down the hall, but there was still no sight of Sam. “Did you see a heavyset, white-haired man come out of Mrs. Dressler’s room?” he asked the nurse.
“No, but I just returned from break.”
Mike walked slowly down the hallway, peering into rooms with open doors, half expecting to see Sam leaning over someone he’d never met. But there was no sign of him. Mike returned to the elevator and downstairs to the main lobby. Sam was sitting in a chair reading the newspaper.
“What are you doing?” Mike asked.
“Not what we thought when we came here tonight.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Mike admitted. “After I prayed, I couldn’t bring myself to ask Dressler any questions about your case. I’ll have to find another time to bring it up.”
“That’s okay. Have you noticed how most people thought the Master should be doing one thing, but He was often interested in doing something else?”
“Yes.”
“Why is that?”
Mike thought a moment. “Because He only did what He saw His Father doing.”
“Yep. And living that way is what this life is all about. Tonight did more for my case than a bunch of those motions you filed at the courthouse.”
They walked out into the night air. With the setting of the sun, air from the mountains drifted down on Shelton. Even in the middle of summer, evenings were often cool. Mike shivered slightly.
“Where did you meet Marie Dressler?” he asked Sam as they stepped from the sidewalk to the parking lot.
“In that hospital room.”
“I mean before tonight.”
“Never.”
“Then how did you know her name?”
Sam grinned. “It’s on the plastic bracelet they wrap around your wrist when you come into the hospital.”
Mike chuckled. “Okay. But it didn’t say anything about Mobile on the bracelet, did it?”
“No, Papa shared that with me.”
“Are you going to tell me about it?”
“Nope. That stuff is washed from the record books of heaven.”
They neared the cars.
“Is she going to live?” Mike asked.
“Yep. I believe she’ll live forever. I threw her a lifeline, and she grabbed hold of it with all her might. Her flesh is weak, but her spirit is willing.”
“But what about here on earth? Is she going to get well? I’ve never seen a miraculous recovery from terminal cancer.”
“Oh, it can happen. But I don’t want to be presumable.”
“You mean, presumptuous.”
“That, too.”
Nineteen
MONDAY MORNING, PEG WAS EXAMINED BY DR. CRAWFORD, HER obstetrician, who kept her homebound and on bed rest until her next appointment. Peg tried to protest, but the doctor wouldn’t entertain debate.
“Peg, at your age it’s not the time to take chances. We’ll monitor the baby with monthly ultrasounds during the rest
of the pregnancy. If everything looks fine, I’ll let you get up during the third trimester. Maybe earlier, but no promises.”
Peg was glum when Mike opened the car door for her.
“Do you feel like stopping by the hospital for a few minutes?” he asked as they left the doctor’s office. “I’d like to check on Marie Dressler, the woman Sam and I visited on Friday evening.”
“I don’t see how I can protest. According to Dr. Crawford, I’m at your mercy for the next eight months.”
“No, according to your cruise ship dream, it’s the other way around.”
Mike drove to the hospital and parked in a clergy spot.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “I won’t be long.”
“Don’t rush. I’m not going to run away.”
There was more activity on the ward than there had been Friday evening. Several people joined him in the slow-motion ride to the second floor. Mike walked past the nurses’ station to Marie Dressler’s room. The door was shut. Mike knocked and waited, but there was no answer. He pushed open the door and looked inside.
The room was empty, the bed neatly made.
Mike’s heart skipped at the possibility the sick woman had gone home. He opened the closet. No personal belongings remained in the room.
He returned to the nurses’ station and introduced himself.
“Did Marie Dressler go home?” he asked.
“No, she expired Saturday morning.”
“Expired?”
“Yes, she died at 5:46 a.m.”
Mike deflated. “Where was the body taken?”
“It was picked up by Lingerhalter’s Funeral Home.”
Mike returned to the car.
“How is she?” Peg asked.
“Dead,” Mike answered flatly.
“Oh.”
Mike phoned Braxton Hodges at the newspaper.
“I met with Dressler at the hospital on Friday, but we didn’t talk about the case,” Mike said. “When I came back this morning, I found out his wife died on Saturday. Do you know anything about the arrangements?”
“We received a group e-mail this morning that the funeral service and burial will be in Mobile.”
“Any idea when Dressler will return?”
“I’m not sure. I’d be surprised if he hangs around the newspaper. A guy like him can relocate and find a higher paying job at a bank.”
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