31 | Into The Light

**Third Person POV**

Given the transgressions in the eyes of God, Gabriel Sullivan felt repentant. For the first time in his life, he has willingly, deliberately, and blasphemously forsaken the Lord and spiralled down the deep dark hole from where he has come.
But was he truly ready to amend and atone?
It was difficult to say, given his mind was still reeling over his petulant student Sienna Emerson amidst the lecture of the 15th annual Seminar of Pastoral Communications.
He squarely blamed the city Chicago. This was his domain once upon a time, the place where he harboured every savage thought in the book and executed his dominance over wanton bodies. Maybe, the sin wafted in the air of Chicago—too strong to avoid.
But he did not understand why his phone was ringing continuously amidst the seminar. It was the landline number of the school, and as he has guessed, something chaotic must have happened which required his immediate attention. However, walking out in the middle of the conference did not bid well with him.
So, he kept rejecting the calls until his phone lit up with Father Lucas’s cell number. The old priest rarely used his phone and only in emergencies. Something did not feel right.
Gabriel stealthily abandoned his seat and walked out of the hall, all the while dialling the number and put the phone to his ear.
“Gabriel, you need to come back now,” he heard Father Lucas’s frantic tone from the other side.
“What did the girls do now?” he asked with a sigh.
“It’s…Sienna Emerson.” Gabriel’s feet stopped immediately, and his hackles went up. “She has been hospitalised.”
“What?”
“She fell down the stairs and was badly wounded. So, we had…”
“Which hospital?” Gabriel cut him off.
“Spring Hill Care.”
“I will be there as soon as possible.”
For a split second, his brain stopped working, and he felt the blood drain out of his body. But in the next second, he ran towards the parking lot and located his car. He did not care that his luggage was at the hotel or the fact that he has to inform his absence to any other pastor or cleric, but all he needed was to be at Galena.
Beside Sienna.
Gabriel rolled into his substandard car and raced the damned thing, trying the cut down the journey of four hours by at least half to reach in time. Given his mental status, he should not have driven at all, but he couldn’t care less about his safety at the moment.
It took him a shy of three hours to reach the Spring Hill Care hospital, the only multi-speciality medical facility in that small town and screeched the car to a halt. He then raced towards the emergency, inquired about the patient from the front desk, and was directed to the second floor.
His heart thumped dangerously in his chest, and Gabriel realised it was the first time in his life that he was scared. The sense of fear was acute and maniacal, which almost scared the hell out of him.
“Gabriel!” Someone exclaimed. He turned around to see Father Lucas, along with the school nurse waiting outside a closed door.
“What happened? Where is she? And…”
“Gabriel, calm down,” the old priest soothed. “The doctors are treating her right now.”
“I need to go inside.” He was about to push past them and make his way towards the door when Father Lucas snagged his arm and gently hauled him back.
“Please don’t.”
“Father Sullivan, I don’t think it is a good idea,” the nurse piped in. “She needs professional medical attention, so let’s be patient and pray for her health.”
Gabriel knew they talked sense, but he could not very well explain the riotous feelings inside his head. Every inch of him was coated in sweat as he raked a hand through his dishevelled short hair.
“I don’t understand…how did it happen, nurse?” Gabriel asked; his tone was unusually hyper and miffed.
“Well, she slipped from the staircase and fell. A few girls saw her and immediately informed us. Unfortunately, her condition required specialised care. So, we dialled for an ambulance right away and brought her here.”
“Fuck!” He swore, making the nurse gape at him. “I should not have left.”
Essentially, Father Gabriel Sullivan was completely out of his element. He did not care about his immaculate and hardened reputation at the moment, letting his crazy heart rule over his calculated brain.
Or perhaps, his brain has gone for a toss too.
The only person who could sense his tremulous heart was Father Lucas. He took him to a side and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. “Gabriel, I know you are feeling awful about this, but it is not your fault. It was just an accident. Let’s be strong and deal with this pain to the best of our abilities. God likes to test us from time to time.”
Gabriel scoffed. “Well, he has a wicked mind, Father.”
The nurse walked up to the men whispering to each other, and looked between them with hesitation. “Father Sullivan, Father Lucas, I think we should inform her parents,” she suggested.
“No, Sienna—I mean, Miss Emerson would not like it,” Gabriel said quickly. “If need be, we will inform them once the crisis is over.”
“Are you sure? The protocol says…”
“I know the rules, Nurse because I made them.”
He silenced the nurse with a hard look from making any further suggestions that could invariably tip him off the edge and make his inapt intentions come out. Nobody should know the depth of attachment he shared with Sienna.
It was not anybody’s business, but if it surfaces, he would not be able to protect her.
“The doctor is here,” Father Lucas said, immediately driving all the attention there.
“Is she okay?” Gabriel asked, overwrought with grief and tension.
The doctor looked at them before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Well, the girl suffered a nasty fall, but in reality, it could have been way worse. So far, we have mitigated the danger, and she is safe. But there has been significant damage to her ribs, which means she will have difficulties in breathing and moving for the next few days. Her right ankle is sprained, not broken, and there are quite a few bruises on her body. But we still have to run a few tests to see if there has been any internal damage.”
“Can I see her?” Gabriel asked, almost helplessly.
“Er…she had a bad concussion, and we have kept her heavily sedated.” The doctor hesitated for a bit. “I don’t think it is a good idea.”
“I would not disturb; I just want to see, and that’s all.”
If it had been any other person, the doctor would have denied the permission, but he knew Father Sullivan as a devout young pastor of the parish and of his stellar reputation in the town. So, he decided to make a small exception for him.
“Okay, Father, if that’s what you want. But please make it quick.”
“Thank you.”

****

Sienna was lying in a white bed in a white room in a hospital filled with beeping machines and other utilitarian things. It was so unlike her. Gabriel blinked slowly at the sight of her lying frame, pale and quiet as against her vibrant and passionate presence.
The last time he saw her, she was flushing red. Even in tears, her arousal painted her cheeks and heightened her senses as he took great pleasure in disciplining her.
Gabriel’s chest felt like a cavern of ice as he strained his ears to listen to her shallow breathing. He wanted to help her, to give his life in exchange for her if it came to that. And for the first time, he truly experienced the fear of losing something…someone.
Six years ago, when he had left Chicago and renewed his life, he had abandoned every form of attachment in kind and in person. No one or nothing ever fazed him except Sienna.
He stood over and slowly took her hand in his. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss on her hand and then on her forehead.
She looked utterly peaceful.
“Hey, little girl,” he whispered with glassy eyes. “I am sorry. I am sorry that I left you alone.”
He brushed the hairs framing her face and smiled.
“But I promise you that it won’t happen again. Say something, please.”
He released a dejected sigh, giving her hand a squeeze as if he could pour his strength into hers. “You are my *light*, Sienna.”
For the first time in years, Gabriel was honest with himself. He let his passion flow, his heart rule, and his mind fly. He begrudgingly craved for something he needed…wanted ever since the day Sienna Emerson stormed into his pious life and taught him the meaning of ‘living’.
*Maybe it was one of the divine plans of God himself. After all, the universe works in mysterious ways.*

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**And...finally the little cracks in his heart has started to spill. Do you think Gabriel will let his heart rule over his brain now?**