Just when Nick felt he couldn't take the euphoria any longer, it started to dissipate.

The circle was broken. One by one, the four friends around the bed retreated back to their places in chairs and sitting on edges of dressers. The only one who remained was Brian. He sat silently, holding the still hand between his.

The light around Nick softened and the chorus filling his ears faded until it was a whisper, but didn't disappear completely. He knew that Brian was still praying for him. He looked at Katya sitting on the other side of the room, all by herself. He wondered if the reason why she looked so sad as his friends prayed for him was that she had never been prayed for like that. She intrigued him. If she wasn't an angel, she sure did seem to know the ropes. He knew there was a story behind her and he wanted to find out what it was. But, he knew if he asked, that she would not answer him. She needed to tell it in her own time.

She noticed his eyes on her and rose from where she was perched on the chest of drawers. "Walk with me. I have something I'd like to show you." She saw him hesitate and a small smile caressed her features for a brief instant, "Don't worry, Brian will still be here when you return, and so will your body. It's not like it's going anywhere without you."

He gave one last look at his friends and followed her out into the hallway. It was just as busy as before, people rushing from one place to another. Nick kept behind Katya, staying out of the way of people walking towards him. After his experience with Brian, there was no way he was going to through it again with a total stranger. Katya moved ahead, people passing through her, and she seemed to take no notice.

She led him through the corridors of the hospital, his eyes watching everyone, noticing that those people who were in the hospital as patients seemed to have lights that shone a little brighter than everyone else. Like the light was trying to do it's part to strengthen the sick bodies they surrounded. Nick thought to how bright the light was around Brian, so much more brilliant than anyone else's. Maybe it was the strength of his faith in something greater being out there, he didn't know.

Katya slowed as she approached a set of doors, waiting for Nick to catch up. When he did, she simply stepped right through the doors and looked at him from the other side.

Nick just stood there, afraid of what would happen. He didn't want the same thing to happen with the door that happened with Brian. Or worse yet, getting stuck in the door somehow.

Katya felt his reluctance and reached through the door, yanking him through it before he could react.

Nick let out a sigh of relief, it was nothing. Like walking through air. Katya looked over her shoulder, "It's only the flesh and blood things that do that, Nick. Man made things have no soul."

She started walking again and Nick looked around at the quiet ward. He read a sign that designated it as the Palliative Care Unit, for those that were here for long term care or who were dying of terminal diseases. Nick followed Katya. He looked into the open doors as he passed them. Some of them had the glow around their bodies as they laid in their beds, others he saw standing beside their mirror image, waiting.

The glow around all of them was brighter than normal. Normal. That word made him smile. He was actually getting used to this if things like ethereal glows around people were starting to seem normal. Katya was ahead of him a little and she stopped in front of one door, standing there watching what was going on inside.

Nick stopped beside her and looked in. There lying on the bed was a boy not much younger than him. He was gaunt and it was apparent that he had been sick for quite some time, but he was hanging on for all he was worth to life. The glow around him was unnaturally bright. Something about it made Nick uncomfortable, like something was nagging at his mind.

Katya watched the boy, staying quiet. Nick watched as the glow got brighter and small orbs of light seemed to rise to the ceiling from him. Katya watched them, "You've heard that saying "Go into the light" ?"

Nick nodded, not moving his eyes from what was unfolding in front of him, "Yeah."

She shook her head slowly. "It's not quite right. What happens is you see your soul, your light, for the first time. You become your light When you are your light, you have no need for the shell that you've been in since birth. The weight is dropped and you are free. It's why babies cry when they are first born, their souls are not used to being in a shell."

Nick nodded, watching as the light got brighter and the orbs of light left more quickly until suddenly the light was gone. He was dead. He leaned against the doorway, surprised that he didn't fall right through it. They both stood silent and still for a few moments, taking in what they had just witnessed.

The silence was broken by Nick, "Do they hear it when they die?"

Katya shrugged, the sadness back in her eyes, "I don't know, Nick."

"Have you ever heard it, Katya?"

She looked up at him, looking at him, staring almost, before she slowly shook her head.

"Let's go back."

Nick nodded and walked beside her. Now more intrigued than ever what her story was.

They walked slowly, each lost in their own thoughts. Nick looked into each door as they passed again, trying to figure out what was so unsettling about the lights around everyone in this ward. He mulled it over in his mind and suddenly his feet stopped dead. His heart, if he'd been in his body would have stopped cold.

He now knew what was so unsettling about the light in this place, it was the same intensity as the light that surrounded Brian.