The Alaska Brides Collection Part 80

Beth's protests only further weakened her. Finally, she gave up and allowed August to take her to the waiting room. August's strong arms offered her the strength that she'd prayed for. She breathed a prayer of thanks while August helped her to a chair.

"You wait right here, and I'll see if I can't get us a cup of coffee or something," August said.

Beth nodded and watched as he walked to the nurses' station. How grateful she was for his direction and strength. She had been so afraid of never seeing him again, and now, just when G.o.d knew she needed August the most, he was at her side.

The aching in her heart refused to abate, however. The doctor had told her there was no hope for her son. No hope whatsoever.

Beth knew better than to give up hope. While there was life, G.o.d could work. But it was hard to maintain hope in the face of such devastation. How could she explain to a doctor she'd only met that this child had to live, that without him a part of her heart would be forever broken? He was a man of medicine, and his cold, scientific att.i.tude left Bethany empty.

Her eyes misted at the thought of Gerald's suffering. He was so little and defenseless. He didn't deserve this sickness. Beth felt weak to the point of being sick. How much more could either of them take?

G.o.d had heard her prayers, Beth reminded herself. After all, August was here, and he'd renewed his faith in G.o.d. G.o.d had surely sent August to help her through Gerald's illness. Leaning back against the chair, Beth closed her eyes and tried to pray. She was so tired, so weary of fighting alone.

Within moments, sleep washed over her. August returned to find Beth eased back against the chair sound asleep, but she still wore the worried concern he'd noted when he first saw her at Gerald's bed.

"Give her peace, Father," August prayed as he sat down beside her. "She's remained faithful and true, Lord. Please renew her strength."

Chapter 13.

Throughout the long evening, August maintained his watchful guard over Bethany's sleeping form. He managed to find a blanket to cover her with and continued praying for both Beth and Gerry as she slept.

August watched the seemingly motionless hands on the clock. Nine, then ten o'clock dragged by, and still what sky he could see through the window showed streaks of light. The long summer night made it impossible to judge time.

Eleven, twelve, and finally one o'clock pa.s.sed without word of Gerald's condition. August hesitated to ask for fear of waking Beth. She needed sleep more than anything else. He'd nearly decided to risk the disturbance when the nurse appeared with Gerald's doctor.

"I'm afraid I have bad news," Dr. Matthews said as he stood before August.

Beth stirred at the sound of voices and sat up. "What is it?" she questioned.

"Your son is failing rapidly. I suggest you and your husband come say your good-byes," the doctor replied. Neither Beth nor August sought to correct the mistaken reference to their relations.h.i.+p.

Beth began to cry, and August could only hold her close and stroke her head. He turned weary eyes to the doctor before asking, "Are you certain there is nothing else we can do?"

"I'm sorry," Dr. Matthews answered. "It is never easy to tell parents that their child won't make it. Gerald has fought hard to get this far, but he's too weak and the disease is taking too great a toll. He won't make it through the night."

"No, no," Beth sobbed. "He must live. He mustn't die!"

"Mrs. Hogan, please don't do this to yourself. It is of no help to your son. He's beyond our care now, and nothing can be gained by making yourself sick over his pa.s.sing." The doctor's words seemed callous to Beth.

"You talk as though he were already dead," Beth replied as she pushed August away and got to her feet.

"For all intents and purposes, Mrs. Hogan," Dr. Matthews said without emotion, "he is. I can't do anything more for him. He's not responding to medicine, and his body is too spent to continue fighting. Let him go. You're a young, healthy woman, Mrs. Hogan. I'm certain you and your husband will have other children."

"I want other children, Doctor," Beth said with an undercurrent of anger to her voice. "But not to replace a dead child. I refuse to give up hope that G.o.d can deliver my baby from this illness. I have faith that He can work beyond your abilities."

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I cannot deny your tenacity, Mrs. Hogan. I only hope that your faith is not misplaced."

"It isn't," Beth stated firmly as she pushed past the doctor and his nurse. "If you can't give me any reason to hope, I know Who can."

August watched as Beth moved down the hall with renewed determination. He turned to the doctor and spoke. "I can understand a portion of your unemotional response to her, Dr. Matthews. You must see dying every day and find it as grotesque and unbearable as I do. However, I will take it as a personal insult should you feel the need to ever resort to crus.h.i.+ng her hopes again."

"I a.s.sure you, sir," the doctor interjected, "that stripping that young mother of hope was never my intention. She has labored long and hard at the bedside of your child. She has demonstrated a strength beyond human capabilities. I admire all that she has done, but I also want her to understand that there comes a time when nothing more can be done. We have reached that point with your son."

August felt a tug at his heart with every reference to Gerald as his own child. "I cannot accept that the situation is without hope," he stated firmly. "I refuse to believe it."

"Most people do," the doctor agreed. "But people get sick, and people die. We doctors can only do so much. I have done everything in my power, and now I must stand aside and say it is out of my hands."

"You're absolutely right, Doctor. It is out of your hands, but not out of G.o.d's." August moved with determined strides to Gerald's room.

When he entered, Beth was stretched out over Gerald's tiny frame. He could hear her praying in a hushed whisper. She was a determined woman, August admitted. She had been determined for him to come back to G.o.d, just as she was intent on seeing her son healed of meningitis.

August thought back to those long moments spent beneath the tractor. His accident had opened his eyes to G.o.d's love and forgiveness, but it had also given him a glimpse into the power of prayer. Beth had been praying for him. His sister, Julie, and her husband, Sam, had both written letters of encouragement and mentioned their prayers for his well-being. Other people had prayed for August without him being aware of their concern.

That was it! August turned quickly from the room and went in search of a telephone. He would call Julie and ask her to pray for Gerald. He would ask her to gather as many people as possible and get all of them to pray. Then he would call and leave word for Mrs. Miller and the flock that attended church in Northway. There was power in prayer, of this he was certain, and August would leave nothing to chance where Gerald was concerned.

Locating a telephone, August quickly gave the operator all the needed information and waited impatiently while she connected him to his sister.

"h.e.l.lo," a sleepy Julie sounded on the other end of the phone.

"Julie, it's August. I need you to pray about something!" August knew Julie would have received his letter explaining his return to G.o.d and the love he held for Beth and her sons.

"August!" Julie exclaimed. "What's wrong that would have you calling me at this hour?"

"It's Gerald. He's one of the little boys I wrote you about. He's the older boy, and he's terribly ill," August explained.

"What's wrong with him?" Julie asked in an authoritative voice. Her years as a nurse would require August to give her all the details.

"Spinal meningitis," August spoke the dreaded words.

"How long has he been sick? What have they done for him?"

"I guess he's been sick about three, maybe four days. I just got here myself and don't know what all they've done for him. I heard something about an experimental drug from the States, but the doctor says Gerald isn't responding and that there's no hope. He told us to say our good-byes."

"How awful," Julie whispered. "I'll be praying for you."

"That's why I called. I want you to pray for a miracle. Beth can't bear losing him, and neither can I. In my heart, he's already my son, and I want G.o.d to heal him so I can be a real father to him."

"A miracle is exactly what it will take," Julie said hesitantly. "I know G.o.d can do anything, but-"

"No but," August interrupted. "G.o.d can do anything. The doctor may have given up on Gerald, but Beth and I haven't. I want as many people praying and pleading for his life as I can get."

"Then you'll have Sam and me," Julie a.s.sured. "I'll even wake up our friends and get them to pray."

"Thanks, Jewels," he replied, using his sister's nickname. "I knew I could count on you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to make another call and get back to Beth and Gerald."

"I don't mind at all," Julie replied. "And August," she added, "welcome back to the family. I missed you and your encouraging faith. I knew G.o.d would work in a mighty way in your life, just as I know He will work in Gerald's. Good night, Brother."

"Good night, Jewels."

The warmth of his sister's love bolstered his courage, and August quickly made the call to Northway. Ralph Greening readily agreed to trek out into the night and rally the town to pray for Gerald.

Making his way back to Gerald's room, August found Beth sitting beside her son, holding his hand. Her eyes were closed, and August wondered if she'd fallen asleep or if she still prayed. He touched her lightly on the shoulder, and Beth opened her eyes.

"I was worried," she said. "Where were you?"

"I was rounding up support for our efforts," August said with a sheepish grin. "I've rallied the troops, so to speak."

"You've what?" Beth questioned, wondering at August's smile.

"I called my sister in Nome and Ralph Greening in Northway. They're in turn going to rally their friends and ask for prayer for Gerald. We'll have so many requests for healing going before G.o.d's throne, we won't be able to count them," August said with contagious excitement in his voice.

"How wonderful," Beth said and dropped Gerald's hand to take August's. "You truly amaze me, Mr. Eriksson. Not long ago you would have scoffed at G.o.d's power. Now you call upon it, knowing that even though the doctors have thrown up their hands, G.o.d can turn things around."

"I have you to thank for this," August said, pulling Beth into his arms. "You never lost faith that G.o.d could turn me around. I simply took that principle and put it into practice."

Beth allowed August to engulf her with his st.u.r.dy arms. Her blond hair fell across his arm, glittering like gold in the pale hospital light. She looked up into dark eyes that bathed her in love. Silently, she thanked G.o.d for answering her prayers for August's change of heart and then thanked G.o.d for hearing her prayers for Gerald. She felt hesitant at the latter, but it seemed important to trust G.o.d for those answers.

August felt his heart nearly burst with love for the woman he held. He longed to convey those feelings and ask Beth to marry him, but he knew the moment wasn't right. He didn't want her to say yes out of grat.i.tude for his presence. Nor did he want her to refuse him because of the strain of Gerald's ordeal.

"I hate waiting," August murmured. Beth a.s.sumed his words were about Gerald's condition.

"I know. G.o.d has things under His watchful eye, but it doesn't always seem that way as we wait and wonder," Beth replied.

"Waiting all these years for someone or some purpose to come into my life has been difficult, too," August said cautiously.

"But now that you've waited, G.o.d has been faithful to send you people who care for you and love you," Beth whispered as she hugged herself close to August. "That little boy loves you nearly as much as I do. You mean the world to him, and I can't imagine G.o.d allowing Gerald to die without knowing that you're back here with him."

"All of this is a testing time," August stated firmly. "A time of trial such as Jesus said we'd experience in this world. But Jesus also said we could be of good cheer for He'd already overcome this world."

Beth nodded. "I believe that," she said, pulling away. "I believe that we will overcome this situation and that G.o.d will bless our boy." Beth thought fleetingly of JB and knew in her heart that he would approve of August as father to his son.

"Come on," August said and pulled Beth with him to Gerald's bedside. "Let's join our friends and pray for Gerald."

Chapter 14.

It was close to three o'clock in the morning when Dr. Matthews reappeared to check Gerald's condition. The nurse ushered Beth and August into the hall while he conducted his examination. Within moments, the nurse brought them back. The doctor was writing notes on Gerald's chart.

Beth immediately went to Gerald's side, while August followed the doctor into the hall.

Dr. Matthews opened his mouth to speak, but August held up his hand. "There's nothing you can say. I know the odds are against that child. I know all of your medical expertise and skills have been tested and tried. Furthermore, I realize that even faithful servants of G.o.d lose loved ones in death. It's part of life."

August paused, pus.h.i.+ng his hands deep into his jean pockets. His face took on a thoughtful look. "However, I also know the power of prayer."

Then with a smile of sudden peace on his face, August added, "Gerald's going to make it, and of that, I'm certain. He's going to get well because G.o.d will heal him."

Without waiting for a reply from the doctor, August turned back into the room, pa.s.sing the nurse as she was leaving. August wanted to share his new feelings of peace with Beth. He entered the room and paused as Beth lovingly wiped her son's forehead.

"Gerry," August could hear her saying. "It's Momma, Gerry. I need you to get well. I'm asking G.o.d to make you well because He said I could ask for anything in Jesus' name and He would hear me. I'm doing that, Gerry. I'm asking in Jesus' name that your life be spared."

August could bear no more. "Beth, I know G.o.d will make Gerald well. I feel a calm and peace about it."

Beth stopped praying and looked up at August. "Honestly? You aren't just telling me that to give me hope?"

"I am telling you that to give you hope, but only because it's true. I feel such confidence that I want to sing it out. I even told the doctor that G.o.d would make Gerald well."

Beth crossed the room to where August stood. "I want to believe that, August. I know G.o.d is capable, but is He willing?"

"I believe He is," August replied. He looked into Beth's eyes and prayed she'd see the confidence in his own.

"Then I'm no longer worried," she said slowly. "If G.o.d has given you that certainty, then I shall praise Him for it and await my son's healing. I will believe!"

"That a girl!" August said, pulling Beth into his arms. "You're something special, Bethany Hogan."

Together they prayed and kept vigil at Gerald's bedside. Pulling chairs alongside the bed, August and Beth sat together, holding each other's hands and Gerald's as well.

Shortly before dawn, August and Beth awoke. Gerry seemed to be in a deep, natural sleep. Beth reached out and touched the brow of her son.

"Oh, August!" she exclaimed. "He's not at all feverish. And look," she pointed to his chest. "He's not straining to breathe."

August stared at the rhythmic rise and fall of the tiny chest and nodded. "He's getting well, Beth. G.o.d is healing him even as we watch."

"Thank You, G.o.d," Beth said as tears ran down her cheeks. "Thank You for the life of my baby."

"Amen," August said in agreement.

Taking Beth with him to the window, August pulled back the heavy drapes to reveal a glorious sunrise bursting from the horizon. He reached out and wiped away Beth's tears. "Joy has truly come in the morning, just as the psalmist said. No more tears, Bethany. Now we will rejoice."

Beth nodded and threw her arms around August's neck. "I will spend the rest of my life rejoicing for the miracles of G.o.d," she whispered.

Just then another voice joined in. "Mommy!" Gerald called out. His voice sounded hoa.r.s.e but strong.

Beth and August rushed to Gerry's side and found him not only awake, but also free of the gla.s.sy-eyed, feverish look. Staring in amazement, August and Beth could only smile.