2021 Page 5
‘Oh my God, am I already too late?’ Tom asked in anguish as he stared at the empty bed in front of them all.
‘No, Tom, the surgeon just wanted to do another MRI scan’ explained Alec’s father as Tom just blew a huge sigh of relief.
‘Gosh, I thought I was too late there for a minute’ he uttered.
Then he realised what he’d just said and immediately apologized to Alec’s mum and dad.
‘I’m sorry, that was very insensitive of me’ he added.
‘It’s all right, Tom, we all know why we’re here’ Alec’s mum smiled as a member of Alec’s family just offered him a seat.
The small room was quite crowded now as all Alec’s family were present, including his older sister, younger brother and sister, and an uncle and aunt who both lived nearby.
Tom just nodded a polite ‘hello’ to them all as he now sat down.
‘But why would the surgeon want to do another MRI scan at this late stage?’ Tom puzzled.
‘We’ve no idea’ they all shrugged ‘it seems a complete waste of time if he’s almost gone anyway’ added Alec’s mother.
‘The surgeon just insisted he wanted to do another test this morning’ added Alec’s dad ‘as if Alec hasn’t gone through enough of these tests already’ he moaned.
‘The surgeon just said he just wanted to be absolutely sure’ added Alec’s mum quietly ‘he’s even got nurses out of bed to come here especially’ she explained.
‘When did this all happen then?’ asked Tom curiously.
‘Oh, it was only around half an hour ago I think. Before that, Mr Hudson seemed absolutely adamant they’d done all that they could’ explained Alec’s dad.
‘Why, is the time significant in some way?’ puzzled Alec’s mum.
‘No, no reason’ replied Tom casually ‘I just wondered how long ago Alec had been taken for the tests that’s all’ he explained.
Of course in truth, Tom was thinking about the timing of the prayer he had just made for Alec to recover.
Another half an hour passed by as they all sat there silently waiting, broken up only by the occasional trip to the coffee machine just a little way along the hall.
Then the surgeon, Mr Hudson, suddenly rushed in to see them.
Alec’s mum immediately stood up.
‘What is it, Doctor, is Alec still with us?’ she asked eagerly as some of Alec’s relatives now began to cry.
‘Yes, Alec is still with us’ the surgeon assured them all as he held up his hands to calm them all down. ‘I’ve no idea why, but I just had the urge to check some things again this morning’ he explained.
‘What kind of things?’ queried Alec’s mum.
‘Yes, have you decided to operate after all, Mr Hudson?’ queried Alec’s dad.
The specialist surgeon now looked slightly uncomfortable as he brought in a chair from the outside corridor and then sat down in their midst.
‘Well, it’s the weirdest thing’ he began. ‘I’d actually done all the tests we ever needed, dozens of them, we had even sent Alec to a different hospital to double check our results, but they all just confirmed my initial diagnosis’ explained the surgeon. ‘For some reason this morning though, I just got the urge to carry out another MRI scan on Alec, I’ve really no idea why’ the surgeon, Mr Hudson explained.
He then paused for a moment as if he were composing his words very carefully.
‘I can’t explain the results we now have, but I’ve had them checked twice now on separate machines just to be sure. That’s why there has been a delay in my getting back to you’ he explained.
Mr Hudson then got up and waved for them all to follow him.
‘Look, the easiest thing is for me to show you all’ he smiled and he led them all towards a consulting room just along the corridor.
So they followed him as he led the way to a room filled with equipment as they quickly all filed in behind him.
The surgeon then turned on the light to a series of light boxes all mounted up on the wall.
‘Right, if you look at the results of this MRI scan you can see a large cloudy area right here’ the surgeon explained as he pointed to the screen with his pen.
‘Every scan we did on Alec’s brain was exactly the same, only you can see the area becoming even larger see?’
‘Oh yes’ they all agreed as they crowded in to stare at the screen.
‘That cloudy area is the tumour in Alec’s brain’ explained the surgeon. ‘This particular scan wasn’t even done here, but at the Royal Hope Hospital in Crowbridge’ he explained.
‘So? We already know all this, Doctor, why are you showing us this all over again?’ queried Alec’s mum.
‘Well, that’s just the point you see’ replied the specialist looking rather excited. ‘This is the result of Alec’s scan carried out only around half an hour ago’ he smiled as he pointed to the screen. ‘Now compare it to the ones we had done before’ he insisted.
Alec’s dad removed his glasses so he could now move closer and study all the scans more closely.
‘But in these latest ones the cloudy area seems to have gone’ he puzzled.
‘Exactly!’ smiled Mr Hudson the specialist. ‘I’ve ordered another one to be done on our very latest machine over in A & E just to be doubly sure’ explained the surgeon ‘but quite amazingly, I’m quite hopeful now’ he smiled.
Just then a nurse arrived with the results.
‘Ah, right on time!’ smiled the specialist immediately placing the film up onto the light box. ‘Thank you, Nurse, and thanks for leaving the nurses quarters and rushing this through for me’ he remarked politely.
‘It’s the same, Mr Hudson’ she smiled ‘as the latest ones I mean’ the young nurse commented before she rushed off again.
‘Well I be’ puzzled the specialist as he studied it himself as Alec’s dad just peered over his shoulder.
‘But the cloudy area, Mr Hudson, it’s completely gone’ puzzled Alec’s dad.
‘That’s right!’ smiled Mr Hudson the specialist surgeon.
‘But what does this mean?’ puzzled Alec’s mum.
‘It means the tumour has somehow gone!’ explained Mr Hudson with a broad smile on his face.
‘Gone?’ queried Alec’s dad ‘but how is that even possible?’ as the surgeon just shrugged his shoulders.
‘I’m afraid, Mr and Mrs James, I simply have no explanation for you’ he admitted. ‘I could stand here and just lie to you, but I won’t do that’ he stated firmly.
Then he just shrugged his shoulders again.
‘In all my years of practising and diagnosing serious conditions such as this, I have never witnessed such a strange occurrence before’ he openly admitted.
‘But there must have been some kind of mix up with the scans or something, Mr Hudson?’ suggested Alec’s dad. ‘Maybe they got Alec’s tests confused with someone else’s?’
‘No, there was definitely no mix up, I checked it myself’ explained the surgeon. ‘Here, see for yourself, if I put one scan over the other you’ll see an exact match to Alec’s profile, they are an identical match in every way other than the tumour has simply disappeared. In any case, even if there was a mix up, which is extremely unlikely I might add, that would not explain why Alec became so gravely ill.’
‘So, Mr Hudson, are you saying the tumour has gone completely then?’ queried Alec’s mum.
‘Yes, it would appear so’ smiled the surgeon.
‘And you have no explanation?’ queried Alec’s dad.
‘I’m afraid not’ smiled the surgeon ‘your son, Mr and Mrs James, has somehow completely defied medical science, I am very pleased to say!’ he added cheerfully.
Just then, the same nurse returned and poked her head around the corner.
‘Just to let you know, Mr Hudson, I’m returning the boy back to his bed, he’s woken up now and says he’s hungr
y!’ she smiled.
‘Woken up?’ queried Alec’s mum ‘does she mean my Alec?’ as she put her hand to her lips in hope.
‘Are you Alec’s mum and dad?’ asked the nurse.
‘Yes’ they both chorused together.
‘Well just give us a few minutes and we’ll have him settled back into his bed’ she explained.
‘But he’s fine you say?’ asked Alec’s mum eagerly.
‘Yes, he’s already sitting up and being told off for eyeing up our younger nurses and complaining how he’s hungry. I’ll have to rustle him up a sandwich from somewhere now’ she laughed.
‘That sounds like our Alec all right’ Alec’s mum smiled as she then cried with relief as she fell into her husband’s arms.
Both Alec’s parents then showed their gratitude to Alec’s surgeon, Mr Hudson.
‘Thank you’ the surgeon smiled ‘but to be honest, I don’t know what I’ve even done’ he admitted as he shrugged his shoulders.
‘Whatever, we’re most grateful to you anyway, Mr Hudson’ stated Alec’s dad as he shook him firmly by the hand.
A short while later, they went back to Alec’s hospital room to discover him sitting up in bed.
Alec then smiled away as he enjoyed all the fuss he was receiving from everyone.
His surgeon, Mr Hudson leaned on the door frame as he watched them all celebrate Alec’s remarkable recovery.
Whilst everyone was busy just chatting away, Alec’s father approached him there.
‘Are you really baffled as to how Alec has recovered, Mr Hudson?’ Alec’s dad whispered.
‘Believe you me, if I really knew how Alec had recovered from such a serious condition, I’d probably win a Nobel Prize for medicine’ smiled the surgeon. ‘The boy was gravely ill, you saw him yourself, and there were definitely no mistakes on the scans we did. I’m just happily, completely baffled, Mr James’ the surgeon smiled.
‘But you don’t think it could return? The condition I mean?’ queried Alec’s dad quietly.
‘Well I can’t see how, as there is simply no trace of any tumour there now’ Surgeon Hudson pondered.
Just then, local Catholic priest Father Mathews arrived to serve Alec with the last rites.
‘Where is the sick boy?’ he asked Surgeon Hudson quietly.
‘He’s in there’ smiled the surgeon as Father Mathews peered inside.
‘But he’s sitting up smiling?’ queried the old priest.
‘Yes, I think someone decided it wasn’t his time to go after all’ laughed the surgeon just as his bleeper went. ‘I’m terribly sorry, Father, but I’ll have to go’ he explained.
Mr Hudson went to quickly say goodbye to everyone.
Then just as he turned to leave, he hesitated for a moment.
He then went back and shook Tom’s hand and smiled at him before quickly saying goodbye to everyone again before he left.
‘Mr Hudson, there must have been some kind of mistake surely?’ queried the priest as he quickly ran after the surgeon and stopped him in the corridor.
‘No, there was no mistake, Father. I tell you, that boy was gravely ill with a tumour almost the size of your hat. It’s gone now though, don’t ask me how, it’s just gone. Ask anyone, it’s the talk of the whole hospital!’ Surgeon Hudson explained with a smile. ‘I guess God just changed his mind today, so your services are happily not required after all’ he laughed.
As Mr Hudson continued along the corridor Father Mathews struggled along next to him.
‘But tell me, Mr Hudson, why did you shake the hand of the teenage boy in there?’
The surgeon briefly paused in the corridor.
‘Do you know, Father, it’s the strangest thing, but I just got the feeling that he was responsible for all this somehow.’
‘What, for the sick boy’s recovery?’ queried Father Mathews.
‘Yes, it sounds weird doesn’t it? Maybe I’m just tired or something?’ he smiled ‘it has been a very long day. Anyway, if you excuse me, Father, I really must dash’ added Surgeon Hudson as he then rushed off.
Father Mathews then returned to the door of Alec’s room where he gazed inside as he just watched Alec and Tom as they laughed and joked with one another.
‘I have a very strong feeling we’ve just witnessed a miracle here’ Father Mathews muttered away to himself before he finally entered the room.
‘Ay, I must be in the wrong hospital!’ he announced cheerfully ‘someone told me I was to serve young Master James here with the last rites!’
‘Father Mathews, look, he’s made a full recovery!’ smiled Alec’s mum ‘I swear it’s a miracle!’ she announced joyfully.
‘Ay, that it is!’ smiled the priest cheerfully as Alec’s father came over to shake his hand.
‘Ay, and is that Master Ellis I see sitting there?’ smiled Father Mathews as he gazed over at Tom. ‘Now is there no chance of my persuading you to come to my church every Sunday, Tom?’ he asked him cheerfully.
‘You’ve got no chance, Father Mathews’ smiled Alec ‘Tom doesn’t go to any church, let alone yours’ laughed Alec cheerfully as Tom just looked a little embarrassed.
‘Ay, well, I guess a man can just as easily pray at home as in a church anyway. Can’t he, Tom?’ smiled the priest cheerfully before turning his attention back to Alec again.
‘So young, Alec, you’re not dying after all. Now, how did that famous quote go: ‘the report of my death has been grossly exaggerated’ or something like that?’ Father Mathews laughed before Alec’s family told him all that had just happened.
After having been up for best part of the night, Tom finally said a goodnight to his best friend and all his relatives, before with a very happy smile on his face he finally left to go home.
Father Mathews seeing him leave, immediately said his own farewells and then quickly tried to catch up with him.
‘Ay, slow down, Tom, I’m not as young as I used to be!’ he puffed.
‘Oh, hello, Father Mathews, are you off home too, good news about Alec isn’t it?’ Tom smiled.
‘Don’t be shy, Tom, I know it was all down to you’ smiled the priest.
‘I don’t know what you mean, Father Mathews’ replied Tom as he went to keep walking down the corridor, but Father Mathews stopped him.
‘Why don’t you just admit it, Tom, you prayed for Alec didn’t you? There’s nothing wrong with you admitting that’ smiled the friendly priest as he now stood in front of him.
‘You’re wrong, Father Mathews, it’s wrong to tell anyone what you pray for, even if what you say were true’ insisted Tom.
‘Why can’t you speak of this, Tom, are you afraid of something?’ queried Father Mathews.
Tom just heaved out a sigh before answering.
‘It is wrong of me to tell anyone about anything I do, I know that now, Father Mathews’ he insisted.
‘But what are you, Tom, are you some kind of angel or something? As surely only an angel could save young Alec in there?’ smiled the old priest.
‘Aren’t angels all supposed to be dead people, sitting around on clouds, Father?’ smiled Tom.
‘Are you saying they aren’t?’ puzzled the priest.
Tom now sat down on a seat as he seemed to be pondering what to tell him.
‘Tell me what’s troubling you, Tom’ smiled Father Mathews as he sat down next to him and then spoke very quietly.
Tom just looked at him and then sighed.
‘I believe angels are people who do good deeds, but can never tell anyone of the good they do, they also cannot help themselves in any way, not even indirectly. I know that now, Father Mathews’ explained Tom as he just stared down at his feet.
‘Then are you saying you are an angel, Tom? Because personally I’m now absolutely convinced that you are’ smiled the priest.
‘I’m not an angel, Father Mathews’ laughed Tom.
‘I’m definitely no saint either’ laughed Tom ‘I’ve been in trouble loads of times’ he smiled.
‘You say, some people are able to help other people, I presume you are talking through prayer, but they are governed by strict rules that say they cannot tell anyone about the good they have done. Have I got that right, Tom?’ asked Father Mathews.
‘Yes, well, only some people, certain people’ nodded Tom.
‘But what happens if they do tell someone?’ queried the priest.
‘I already told you about that when I was very small’ replied Tom now looking around at him.
‘Oh, I see’ nodded Father Mathews now looking very serious ‘oh, I definitely see that now’ he added as he remembered Tom’s terrible description of Hell.
The old priest now paused for a moment as he seemed to be trying to take all this information in.
‘But if these people who secretly help people, possibly ‘living angels’ as you suggest, cannot actually tell anyone of their good deeds, then they may be subject to unfair persecution as people are not even aware of all the good they do. Am I right in suggesting this, Tom?’ asked the priest curiously.
‘Yes, that is the curse’ nodded Tom.
‘You believe it to be a curse?’ smiled the friendly priest.
‘What else would you call it when you are unable to help yourself in any way?’ replied Tom firmly.
‘Umm, I guess so’ nodded the old priest ‘but how can you know all this?’ puzzled Father Mathews.
‘I don’t know?’ shrugged Tom ‘I just do.’
‘Ay, you’re a puzzle all right’ smiled Father Mathews. ‘I swear to the fact that you saved poor Alec in there. Ay, you did a fine thing there even if you aren’t allowed to claim any credit for it’ smiled Father Mathews.
The priest then just sat there for a moment.
‘Ay, you couldn’t ask the big man upstairs to provide me with enough money to replace my old leaking church roof could you?’
‘No, I’m not allowed to pray for anything involving money, I’ve already learnt that one’ smiled Tom.
‘Ay and I just knew you’d say something like that’ laughed the old priest as he got up and just smiled at Tom.