“How unusual? She’s invincible?” Dr. Randall put Zing’s chart back and stood studying Zing’s prone form.
“Actually, yes.”
Dr. Randall stopped staring at Zing and turned her gaze on Nell. “You’re going to have to explain that one.”
“Well, you’re probably not going to believe me…”
“Try me. I’ve seen plenty of weird stuff.”
“Not this one, I don’t think. You see, she’s my guardian angel.”
“I’ll say. She saved your life.”
“No, she’s a real guardian angel. She got a furlough and came here in corporeal form for thirty days. Yesterday was the thirtieth day. We fell in love and now she’s gone. Or sort of gone. Her human form isn’t supposed to still be here. It’s not how it works. I’ve been reading this,” Nell picked up The Guardian Angel’s Handbook.
***
Back at HQ, Annabelle elbowed Zing in the ribs. “You left that behind,” she hissed.
“I got hit by a garbage truck. I didn’t exactly have time to pack,” Zing retorted.
They went back to watching the monitor.
***
Nell said, “It says in this handbook that guardian angels just evaporate after saving a person from an untimed death.”
“An untimed death?” Dr. Randall asked.
“An untimed death is when a potential accident is about to occur which could result in death. Your guardian angel intercedes—unless it’s your time to die,” Nell explained.
“Hunh,” Dr. Randall grunted. She walked around the bed and peered down at Zing. “Does she have retractable wings?”
“No.”
“How do you know that she’s a guardian angel when you have no proof?”
“If you met her when she was up and about, you’d know.”
***
Zing said, “Can we drop a bunch of feathers or something? I don’t want that doctor to think Nell is some kind of nut job,”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Annabelle said.
“I do,” Gloria said. “I think having a doctor know about guardian angels in a great idea.”
“Me too. I’ll be right back,” Frida said. She rushed off.
Less than ten seconds later, a single white feather floated down into the hospital room and landed on Dr. Randall’s shoulder. She plucked it off her shoulder and stared at it.
Nell laughed lightly. “That’s from Zing. She wants you to know she’s really an angel.”
Dr. Randall frowned and shook her head. “A single feather does not mean there’s an angel watching us. It’s just a feather.”
Another feather floated past Dr. Randall’s surprised face. She caught it in mid-air and studied it.
“How about now?” Nell asked.
“Sorry. It’s just two feathers. That doesn’t mean an angel sent them,” Dr. Randall said.
At that moment, a whole crap ton of feathers dumped down on Dr. Randall’s head. She sputtered and shook the feathers off her head.
“Believe me now?” Nell asked.
***
“What is going on here?” Bertha asked.
All the angels were so involved in watching the drama on the monitor that none of them saw Bertha arrive.
Frida quickly shoved Betty’s file under her toga. If Frida was one thing, Zing thought, she was a regular sneaky-pants. Frida had once planned an entire balloon fest right under Bertha’s nose. Somehow she’d managed to transport ten balloons she’d appropriated from the Albuquerque Balloon Festival and had free balloon rides for the guardian angels for an entire hour—until Bertha saw them and went apoplectic.
The balloons were returned and Frida had to pull thirteen day and night shifts in a row as penance. Frida didn’t care. She was now a legend. It was also amusing to look down on earth and see the balloon festival people racing around looking for their missing balloons.
“Hi Bertha! We’re keeping an eye on stuff,” Gloria said with fake good cheer.
“What kind of stuff?” Bertha inquired, raising one eyebrow.
“You know, like me not being dead yet and stuff,” Zing said. She stared hard at Bertha. “And why is that? Why is my body still breathing when I’m back here at HQ?”
Annabelle inhaled sharply. Then there was absolute quiet.
Bertha, arms crossed over her massive breasts, and without batting an eyelash, said, “I have no idea why that is. It must be some sort of anomaly in the spirit-flesh continuum—which will be corrected, I assure you.” She stalked off.
Gloria narrowed her eyes. “I think she knows something she’s not telling.”
“Yeah, but what?” Annabelle asked.