06-25-2015, 07:58 PM
The next few days were incredible. He replayed those last few moments with Mister Peng over and over in his mind. He'd sat with him for several minutes, that much was certain, but the memory of it flashed like mere seconds elapsed. It was the greatest moment of his life, comparable only to cradling his son for the first time. But God created that beautiful baby, not Jensen. Yet it was Jensen that felt that miraculous energy flow through him.
There was nothing about Peng on the news, for which Jensen was grateful. Otherwise he might not have returned to the hospital. He did return a few days later though, and this time he was more appropriately dressed in slacks and a gray button down shirt.
A different wing of the hospital swallowed him up this time. He wanted to visit the children's ward, but he couldn't brave visiting them yet. If something went wrong with a child in his hands, he'd never forgive himself. He wanted more experience first.
He paused at the intersection of two hallways, examining the signs and studying the maps. Other than avoiding the children's wing, for if he saw them he'd not be able to walk away without trying something, he didn't have a destination in mind. He must have had a confused look cross his face, because a nurse with a friendly smile on her face came up to him. Her eyes fell to the clergy's pass on his shoulder. "Is there something I can help you with, Reverend?"
Jensen smiled back, but the sincerity in her tone was so kind that he didn't have the heart to correct her use of the title. "I was here to visit the sick."
He frantically thought of an excuse to visit random people. In Dallas there were catholic or Jesuit-run hospitals that had clergy on staff. Usually at check-in patients had the option to designate a religious affiliation. The forms connected them or their family with church leaders in the event of grave illness, or worse, death. Otherwise, clergy often visited the admitted to pray and chat. That would be a valid reason to be here. "Can you think of anyone that might want someone to visit with them and pray?"
The nurse's brows rose as she thought a moment. "Yes, actually. What's your name? I'll introduce you." She led him down the hall to the left. The walk wasn't far, but they passed beneath a sign that read Post-Surgical as they progressed.
Jensen smiled and tucked hair behind his ear, "Thank you, and it's Jensen,"
he hesitated a moment before adding his last name. "James."
He winced, but she didn't react beyond showing him to the door to a patient room.
She headed in without preamble while Jensen lingered behind at the door. The patient, a man in his sixties sitting up in bed, clearly recognized her. No flowers lined the wall by the window and a tray of half-eaten food waited to be taken away. The nurse introduced him as Reverend James, which Jensen nodded despite the slight inaccuracy, and asked if the man would like a visitor.
The nurse pat Jensen on the shoulder on her way out, "I'm Jacquelyn. Ask for me if you need anything else," she said. Jensen thanked her and stepped forward to greet the patient, Yegor.
"A pleasure to meet you, Yegor,"
Jensen said as he sat in a visitor's chair that he had a feeling hadn't seen much use. His eyes scanned the wall of monitors behind Yegor's bed. He didn't understand the meaning of most of them, but he understood the significance of the many tubes trailing from Yegor's body. "What brought you to the hospital if I may ask?"
His accent was thick and guttural, "Heart gave out. They sucked something out of my thigh bone and grew a new one to stick in me." He pulled down the gown to show the top of bandages stuck to his chest likely covering the wounds. "But my pain is nothing compared to the poor young kid next door. Shot, stabbed, and heard he nearly had his arms ripped off, a cop too."
Jensen blinked, "Wow. Maybe I'll stop and see him too, if he'd like a visit. Yegor would you like me to pray with you?"
The man nodded and shifted to mute the action movie playing in the background. "Can't hurt I guess."
Jensen's heart was pounding as he laid a hand across Yegor's, careful not to disturb the tubing taped there. It was hard to think of the raging powers of the gift as something as light and love as it seemed so violent and ferocious. Yet he felt more alive than ever before when it flowed through. He felt Yegor shift under his touch, and the man asked something along the lines of what he was suppose to do, but Jensen kept his eyes closed. The gift was not long to work, but he knew the moment the work was done.
He breathed deeply as he pulled his hand away and reluctantly released the gift from himself. Yegor was staring straight ahead. For a moment, Jensen worried something had gone wrong, but a moment later the man exhaled like he released a mountain of weight from his shoulders. "I feel incredible. Like nothing is wrong at all or they just gave me another shot. Thank you." He nodded emphatically and hit the nurse button. Jensen recognized Jacquelyn's face hover in the air nearby. "Can you come back? I want to go home."
Jensen quickly stood and moved aside. "Thank God you feel better, but I should go."
He hurried from the room. Jacquelyn was coming, so he ducked into the room next door. The cop's room.
He prepared himself to see a mangled man, but by the description Yegor gave, such a patient would be better off in ICU than on the floor. Instead, Jensen saw an awake young man that looked no worse for wear for someone in the hospital.
Jacquelyn passed by without stopping, thankfully. He understood Yegor's eagerness to go home. The man was healed of his wounds, Jensen would want that catheter out too. Otherwise, he smoothed his sleeves and stepped into the room, after making sure the man was awake, "Hello. I'm ... Pastor James. I was visiting someone who said they heard you are a police officer, hurt in the line of duty. f you'd like a visitor?"
His heart beat hard again, but he carefully kept the nerves from disturbing the calmness of his voice.
There was nothing about Peng on the news, for which Jensen was grateful. Otherwise he might not have returned to the hospital. He did return a few days later though, and this time he was more appropriately dressed in slacks and a gray button down shirt.
A different wing of the hospital swallowed him up this time. He wanted to visit the children's ward, but he couldn't brave visiting them yet. If something went wrong with a child in his hands, he'd never forgive himself. He wanted more experience first.
He paused at the intersection of two hallways, examining the signs and studying the maps. Other than avoiding the children's wing, for if he saw them he'd not be able to walk away without trying something, he didn't have a destination in mind. He must have had a confused look cross his face, because a nurse with a friendly smile on her face came up to him. Her eyes fell to the clergy's pass on his shoulder. "Is there something I can help you with, Reverend?"
Jensen smiled back, but the sincerity in her tone was so kind that he didn't have the heart to correct her use of the title. "I was here to visit the sick."
He frantically thought of an excuse to visit random people. In Dallas there were catholic or Jesuit-run hospitals that had clergy on staff. Usually at check-in patients had the option to designate a religious affiliation. The forms connected them or their family with church leaders in the event of grave illness, or worse, death. Otherwise, clergy often visited the admitted to pray and chat. That would be a valid reason to be here. "Can you think of anyone that might want someone to visit with them and pray?"
The nurse's brows rose as she thought a moment. "Yes, actually. What's your name? I'll introduce you." She led him down the hall to the left. The walk wasn't far, but they passed beneath a sign that read Post-Surgical as they progressed.
Jensen smiled and tucked hair behind his ear, "Thank you, and it's Jensen,"
he hesitated a moment before adding his last name. "James."
He winced, but she didn't react beyond showing him to the door to a patient room.
She headed in without preamble while Jensen lingered behind at the door. The patient, a man in his sixties sitting up in bed, clearly recognized her. No flowers lined the wall by the window and a tray of half-eaten food waited to be taken away. The nurse introduced him as Reverend James, which Jensen nodded despite the slight inaccuracy, and asked if the man would like a visitor.
The nurse pat Jensen on the shoulder on her way out, "I'm Jacquelyn. Ask for me if you need anything else," she said. Jensen thanked her and stepped forward to greet the patient, Yegor.
"A pleasure to meet you, Yegor,"
Jensen said as he sat in a visitor's chair that he had a feeling hadn't seen much use. His eyes scanned the wall of monitors behind Yegor's bed. He didn't understand the meaning of most of them, but he understood the significance of the many tubes trailing from Yegor's body. "What brought you to the hospital if I may ask?"
His accent was thick and guttural, "Heart gave out. They sucked something out of my thigh bone and grew a new one to stick in me." He pulled down the gown to show the top of bandages stuck to his chest likely covering the wounds. "But my pain is nothing compared to the poor young kid next door. Shot, stabbed, and heard he nearly had his arms ripped off, a cop too."
Jensen blinked, "Wow. Maybe I'll stop and see him too, if he'd like a visit. Yegor would you like me to pray with you?"
The man nodded and shifted to mute the action movie playing in the background. "Can't hurt I guess."
Jensen's heart was pounding as he laid a hand across Yegor's, careful not to disturb the tubing taped there. It was hard to think of the raging powers of the gift as something as light and love as it seemed so violent and ferocious. Yet he felt more alive than ever before when it flowed through. He felt Yegor shift under his touch, and the man asked something along the lines of what he was suppose to do, but Jensen kept his eyes closed. The gift was not long to work, but he knew the moment the work was done.
He breathed deeply as he pulled his hand away and reluctantly released the gift from himself. Yegor was staring straight ahead. For a moment, Jensen worried something had gone wrong, but a moment later the man exhaled like he released a mountain of weight from his shoulders. "I feel incredible. Like nothing is wrong at all or they just gave me another shot. Thank you." He nodded emphatically and hit the nurse button. Jensen recognized Jacquelyn's face hover in the air nearby. "Can you come back? I want to go home."
Jensen quickly stood and moved aside. "Thank God you feel better, but I should go."
He hurried from the room. Jacquelyn was coming, so he ducked into the room next door. The cop's room.
He prepared himself to see a mangled man, but by the description Yegor gave, such a patient would be better off in ICU than on the floor. Instead, Jensen saw an awake young man that looked no worse for wear for someone in the hospital.
Jacquelyn passed by without stopping, thankfully. He understood Yegor's eagerness to go home. The man was healed of his wounds, Jensen would want that catheter out too. Otherwise, he smoothed his sleeves and stepped into the room, after making sure the man was awake, "Hello. I'm ... Pastor James. I was visiting someone who said they heard you are a police officer, hurt in the line of duty. f you'd like a visitor?"
His heart beat hard again, but he carefully kept the nerves from disturbing the calmness of his voice.