Helsinki Sunrise (12 page)

“If it doesn't stop, will he”—the next word stuck in her throat like dry toast—“die?”

“There's a thin line between recovery and death, Miss Mikkola. We will do everything in our power to ensure he recovers.” Dr. Karjanlahti rubbed his forehead. He looked tired. Worried? “Fortunately you reacted fast, getting him medical help well within the golden hour. But the next few hours are critical. If his coma lasts more than six hours, there could be repercussions.”

There had been nothing golden about that hour. It had been one of the blackest since—She tried to shut out the tragic memory of her mother and father's deaths.

“What repercussions, Doctor?”

He folded his arms and cleared his throat. “When a loss of consciousness lasts less than six hours, it usually means the injury is limited to a concussion. However, if a coma lasts for longer than six hours, there may be significant brain tissue injury.”

“Meaning?”

“If he survives, there could be a long road to recovery—even if he wakes before the six hours. Adam may have short or long-term memory loss. He may have a slowed ability to process information, trouble concentrating or paying attention, difficulty reading or writing. You could find him struggling to keep up with a conversation because he may have problems finding words. He could have spatial disorientation, organizational problems, impaired judgment. He may not be able to do more than one thing at a time. He may suffer from seizures, muscle weakness, double or impaired vision, slurred speech, loss of taste or smell…”

Eveliina thought of their salmon dinner Adam had been looking forward to, the blueberry pie he'd promised her in the city. Would he still be able to enjoy these luxuries?

“Adam could suffer from problems with balance, headaches or migraines, fatigue, personality changes. He could be paralyzed. He might never make a complete recovery.” The doctor unfolded his arms, leaned against the doorway and looked at Adam before turning back to her. “Then again, you could find him walking out of here in a few days with absolutely no side effects from this trauma. It's too early to tell, but you need to know what you could be facing.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your honesty.” Eveliina's mind was a cyclone, sucking up the facts through the dark tunnel of reality and spitting them out on the landscape of her mind, leaving behind only devastation and doubt. If Adam never fully recovered, did she love him enough to be with him no matter what?

She slowly edged her way back to Adam and took his hand in hers again.

“Why is his arm strapped to the bed?”

Dr. Karjanlahti remained at the door. “Waking comatose patients tend to pull at items attached to them. We need to prevent Adam from injuring himself further if he wakes.”

“When he wakes,” Eveliina corrected.

“You have faith?”

“Not really.” Eveliina's smile was weak, still she offered it. “But I'm learning.”

With a nod, the doctor's mouth turned up. “That's good.”

Reaching over, Eveliina touched Adam's splinted arm. “Is it broken?”

“Fortunately he only sustained an olecranon fracture which will merely require a splint to hold the elbow in place during the healing process. Adam will have to return for X-rays over the coming weeks though, as well as undergo physical therapy.”

“Can I stay with him?”

He stared at his patient, silent, as if processing her request.

Don't think too long…just say yes.

“It might do him good to have you close, to hear your voice. I'll allow it for an hour. No longer.”

Ninety minutes short of the critical six-hours. If only he'd allow her to stay until then, but the authority with which he'd spoken the words “no longer” made Eveliina apprehensive to ask for any more time with Adam.

 

 

 

 

13

 

“Oh, Adam,” Eveliina whispered. “I only have sixty minutes with you—a golden hour. I want you to hear my voice every second. I want to tell you everything's going to be OK. I want to tell you over and over how much I love you. But what do you want to hear from me? What words would be most precious to you to make this time count?”

God's words, Eveliina.
It was as if Adam had whispered in her ear.

Stunned, she dug in her bag and pulled out Adam's Bible. Why had she felt the need to put it in her bag back at her apartment, along with Adam's MP3 player, passport and travel insurance papers?

But where do I read from?

Several places were bookmarked. Eveliina decided to start with one of these. She flipped the pages to Isaiah forty-three. Sitting close enough for Adam to hear, she placed the open Bible on his bed and held his hand as she read.

“But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” She leaned over and kissed Adam on the forehead. “See, Adam, God loves you—He's with you.” But were the sacred words meant for Adam? She continued, reading verse four twice, certain they'd been intended for her. “Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”

Adam….

Eveliina paused, taking time to speak her thoughts to God.
If You take Adam, how will that ever make me reconcile with You. I prayed and asked You not to let him die. Please, don't put this on me.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland…I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
You'd do that?

She continued reading through chapter forty-five, transfixed by the words. Surely God had led her directly to these passages. “I summon you by name, and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged Me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides Me.”

Eveliina paused and gazed at Adam. Despite all the tubes, he looked peaceful. “I'm so sorry…sorry you had to suffer for God to get my attention.” She could have sworn she felt Adam squeeze her hand softly. But his still form told another story. Perhaps she'd wanted to feel something happen—that the sound of her voice, or the words she read, were working some miracle. She had to keep trying. Time was running out.

“Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.”

Oh, Adam…did God summon you to Finland for me? Are you suffering because of me? Will you die because of me?

As she read the passage of how beautiful the feet are of those who bring good news, she looked at Adam's feet, stained the color of blood. She thought of another pair of bloodstained feet she'd been taught about so long ago—and the One who
had
given His life for her.

But she was a rebel, the black sheep of the family, and she'd been lost for so long, she didn't know how to find her way back to Jesus. She could call Mummo, or Mikko—they'd been praying long enough for her—but she wanted to wait for Adam to show her. She was, after all, his mission.

In the recesses of her mind, she heard his voice.
Finland, Helsinki, you…

 

****

 

As the nurse entered Adam's room, Eveliina stopped reading.

“I'm sorry, Miss Mikkola, but your time's up. Dr. Karjanlahti was emphatic about only allowing you one hour with the patient.”

She closed the Bible and placed it on the table beside Adam's bed. “I know. Thank you.” She rose from her chair and turned to the nurse. “Can this mask be taken off his face…for just a moment?”

The nurse gave her a knowing look. “Of course.” She hurried to Adam's side, loosened the elastic, and dropped the oxygen mask onto his chest. “Just a few seconds.”

Eveliina nodded. Wasting no time, she brushed the side of his face with her hand and whispered in his ear. “I love you, Adam. You had better survive so we can have a future together.” She kissed him goodnight. “I'll see you in the morning.”

Stepping aside, she made way for the nurse to replace the oxygen mask.

“Thank you.” Eveliina rushed out of Adam's room, before she lost her willpower to go, before like a two-year old, she refused to move. She pulled off the blue gown, as well as the coverings from her head and feet, and dumped them in a basket at the ICU entrance.

When her feet touched the passageway, she didn't stop running until she got back to her car. Once safely inside, she allowed the sobs to rack her body.

Tears blurred the road before her as she drove home. Tears for Adam. Tears for herself.

She pulled into a parking space outside her apartment building and wearily forced her feet up the flight of stairs to her two-bedroom apartment. As she closed the door, her cellphone started ringing. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and answered.

“Hello,
pupu
.” Joel's familiar voice sounded in her ear. Why hadn't she checked the call before picking up? She'd been certain it was the hospital.

“Joel.” She kept it short, hoping to mask the fact she'd been crying.

“I'm glad you finally answered. I've been worried about you. One minute we were talking, the next you screamed and disappeared, cutting the call shortly after. I haven't been able to get you since then. Your phone was either engaged, or went to voice mail. What's going on?”

Should she tell him? Tell him about Adam—her feelings for him, and what happened earlier? No. Not now. The hospital could be trying to contact her as they spoke.

“I really can't speak now.”

Joel didn't hide his annoyance. “Let me guess, you're in the middle of something.”

Eveliina remained silent.

“Who is Adam?”

Joel's question caught her unawares. How did he know? Suddenly her cry echoed in her mind as she remembered the sound of the thud outside the cottage.
Adam!
She'd screamed his name, the call still connected to Joel.

“Adam is—” She couldn't speak about this now. “Was the first man created—the one tempted by Eve,” she answered flippantly.

“And have you been that temptress these past few days?”

Heat rose to her cheeks. But the reaction wasn't due to her indignation at the inappropriateness of Joel's question—it was
because
of her actions over the past few days. She
had
tried to tempt Adam, in so many ways. What had she been thinking?

“I— I have to go. I'm really sorry, Joel.”

“So am—” Joel's voice disappeared.

Eveliina looked at her phone. Dead.

Fresh tears filled her eyes and spilled over to her damp cheeks as she realized her phone charger was still at the cottage. She'd have no contact with the hospital until morning.

 

****

 

Tossing in her bed, Eveliina's emotions seesawed between anger at Joel and thoughts that her phone battery dying was possibly for the best. If Joel hadn't called, she would have had that last lifeline to the hospital. But if her phone was working, she would have lain awake all night waiting for their call. Even if Adam awoke through the night, and the hospital did call, she was sure Dr. Karjanlahti would not allow her to see his patient. She'd have to wait until morning, anyway.

Her annoyance with Joel gained the upper hand again. Now she couldn't phone Mikko to tell him about Adam, to ask him to pray. She was the only one who could offer any prayers for Adam's recovery, and she didn't know if God would listen to her petitions. There was nothing for Eveliina to do but try to get some sleep between her prayers, and wait for morning.

First, she'd stop and buy a charger for her phone. Then she'd head to the hospital.

The next time she saw Joel, she vowed to tell him she'd fallen in love with Adam. Her relationship with Joel was over.

 

 

 

 

14

 

The cellphone shop near home was Eveliina's first stop. She bought a charger, as well as one for the car so she could revive her phone on the short drive to the hospital. Hopefully there'd be a spare outlet in Adam's room where she could continue the charge while she read to him again. She really needed to call Mikko and let him know about Adam—get his missionary friends to start a prayer chain.

Much as she couldn't wait to get back to the hospital, she was desperately afraid to step through those ICU doors. What if things had gone horribly wrong through the night?

Eveliina plugged Adam's MP3 player into her car radio, and as she pulled away from the curb, she turned up the volume. He had great taste in music, even if it was all Christian. Listening to it soothed her soul and made her feel closer to Adam. But more than that, it made her feel closer to God. The songs revealed His awesome power, His healing touch. No wonder Adam had said there was so much more to life. She knew what she was listening to was true, that there really was no one else like God. She had missed out on so much.

As she parked outside the hospital entrance, she switched the MP3 player to earphones and popped the tiny sponged devices into her ears. She needed the reassurance of these powerful songs to give her the strength to face whatever lay beyond the ICU walls. Especially after seeing all the missed calls from the hospital on her semi-charged phone.