Gabriel peered through the tiny crystal as more memories danced through the glass. Lazy days of young Patrick praying in the wrong direction, entire afternoons spent correcting his pronunciations of a passage, brief glimpses of him from afar, and nights spent assuring him the dead have been properly burnt. They all slowly melded together before evaporating away.

Crying emanated from the room beyond the door Gabriel sat next to. Two nurses filed out of the room soon after, mumbling worriedly to one another. Gabriel watched them turn down the next hall before hopping to their feet and slipping into the room.

The room reeked of blood and sweat. Medical supplies were haphazardly scattered about. A crib sat in one corner of the room, far away from the woman who lay in bed, bawling into her pillows.

“Hello,” Gabriel announced.

The woman jumped and stared in shock at them. “W-He-Hello…”

“You cry,” Gabriel pointed out with worry, caressing the woman’s cheek. The woman’s eyes welled up once again as she sniffled. “My baby, he’s…” She muttered.

Gabriel comfortingly patted the woman’s head before looking to the crib, peeping over the edge.

Inside lay a cold corpse, warmly wrapped in a desperate attempt to give it life. Perhaps it had died of suffocation, or maybe it was simply a stillbirth. Gabriel reached down and picked up the limp body, cradling it in their arms as they placed the little crystal under the blanket over its heart. They smiled at the child.

“But what are you talking about?” Gabriel asked the woman, turning towards her.

“What?”

“It’s a beautiful and healthy baby boy, you should be proud!”

The woman stared at Gabriel; confused, fearful, and a bit offended. Gabriel held out the child to the woman, who watched as the child’s chest expanded up and a down with breaths. It quickly descended into hiccups and then crying. The woman’s eyes widened as the desperately reached out for her child. “My baby!”

“You must be proud,” Gabriel repeated, giggling as the baby was taken from them.

“Oh thank you, God!” She blubbered as both she and her baby cried. “Heavens, thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

“What is going on?” A nurse appeared in the doorway, peering in nervously. The woman grinned and held out her child. “He lives! My son is alive!”

“It cannot be,” the nurse declared in shock as she hurried over.

“Thank you, young lady. Thank you so much.” The mother turned her attention to Gabriel as the nurse examined the child. Gabriel just leaned over to get a better look at the baby. “He is a handsome child.”

“He is,” the mother agreed happily. “My strong little boy.”

“What shall you name him?” Gabriel asked.

“I…” The woman stared off for a bit before looking back to Gabriel with amusement. “Oh my, I’ve completely forgotten. With all this…”

“He looks like a Patrick,” Gabriel interrupted as he poked the child’s cheek, cause it to blubber. The mother watched lovingly as the child slowly began to calm down and she pulled it back from the nurse to feed him. “Patrick?” She questioned. “I suppose so. Little Patrick.”

“Little Patrick,” Gabriel repeated happily. “Little Patrick, grow up as strong as you once were. God has many plans for you, I’m sure.”