I just spent a Christmas in the ICU with my missus, and 2024 did not just begin wonderfully for us. But the last night, I saw my wife die and be brought back to life by some bearded man in a red robe

My wife and I are both in our mid 50s, and apart from a weak heart our health has otherwise been great. We live in Germany but usually take a trip to Norway each year to see my wife's family. Given that my wife cannot lift heavy luggage, we have grown to love the convenience of trains. It's a long way from Germany to Norway, but we enjoy the scenery from the comfort of our seats. <br><br>This year was Christmas, and we hoped to celebrate it in Norway with my wife's family. The snowy scenery along the train ride is beautiful, and we were excited to see Norway become more festive as we travelled towards our destination. We packed warm clothing with us as we knew it would be cold along the way. <br><br>But we didn't prepare for the fact that my wife's weak heart would make her catch pneumonia. She fell ill already on the second day of the train ride, and I was left with no choice but to send a message to my wife's parents to tell them that we couldn't come this year. We got off the train at the next station, and after spending a whole day in the waiting room we finally got to see a doctor, who sent us to a hospital. They stabilised my wife's condition but said that she had been in a critical condition when we arrived at the hospital. They told me that if we hadn't arrived at the hospital as soon as we did my wife would likely have died, either on the train or at home. The doctor also said that they couldn't keep her at the hospital, as she didn't need to be hospitalised. But she couldn't travel either. The hospital told us that they didn't have any available beds at the hospital hotel, so we were left with no choice but to check ourselves into a nearby hotel. <br><br>We checked ourselves into a hotel, and spent our Christmas in the hotel bed. I couldn't bare to be away from my wife, so we spent most of the time in bed together, so I could keep an eye on her. And so we celebrated our Christmas together, in bed. <br><br>On December 30th my wife was feeling well enough to travel, and her infection was gone. Her heart was weak, but she was well enough to be sent home. We booked new train tickets, and were on our way back home. On the second day of the trip back home my wife got better and better for each hour that passed. She went from not being able to walk to being able to sit in the restaurant car, and she even went to the bar at night. She was doing great, and I was very glad to see her so happy. <br><br>But then she woke me up at 3 am, and told me that she couldn't breathe. I gave her her medication, and got her an oxygen mask. I said to her that if she didn't feel better in 15 minutes we would call for help. 15 minutes passed, and her breathing didn't improve. I called for help, and two men from the train staff came and gave her CPR. The train stopped at the next station, and we were met by paramedics who took her to the nearest hospital. <br><br>The hospital staff were unable to save her, and told me that she was clinically dead when we arrived. But before they gave up on her, a bearded man in a red robe entered the room and touched her hand, and my wife started breathing again. I was overjoyed to see my wife return to life, and I asked the man in the red robe who he was. He told me that he was a friend to those who needed him, and then he left the room. <br><br>I never got to learn his name, but I cannot thank him enough for bringing my wife back to life.