(Untitled)

[anthony_crowley]

Date: January 24, 2001
Status: Private (Crowley, Gabriel, Belial, Adam)
Setting: Hospital
Summary: Crowley returns

Comments

[dontcallmegabby]

He'd heard nothing from his post in the back room, but the disturbance in his mind was sharp, urgent as it closed upon him in iron bands, and Gabriel was drawn to the hospital's reception area in an instant

[anthony_crowley]

And, as strange as it was, Crowley did feel safe now that he had some sense of being in the Messenger's care. Not that he was rational enough to think such coherent thoughts, but the angel's quiet voice did help to calm his broken spirit. Despite having come from 'home' into the care of his mortal enemy where there was no love lost, the demon trusted Gabriel - and Adam - enough to know that at the very least he would come to no additional harm. Unaware that he was doing so, Crowley shifted ever so slightly towards Gabriel, half desperate for a comforting touch and half terrified of it. He made a choking sound, almost like a stifled sob, and was still.

[dontcallmegabby]

Gabriel spoke a few more words of the lyrical language as he moved the bed back into the hospital room, calm, shushing; not comforting, perhaps, because being gentle with the Damned was not strong in his repertoire outside of his bond with Belial. But he was intent now on helping the demon to the best of his abilities, perhaps for Belial's sake, or Aziraphale's: but more likely, perhaps, just to show that he was not afraid to counter what vile acts Hell could perpetrate, even on their own

[anthony_crowley]

Though the stitches had been quite painful and even more humiliating, they had been serving one useful purpose. Namely, holding his broken mouth shut. With their removal, his jaw hung open too far in a grotesque parody of his reptilian nature. A thin trickle of blood soaked into the pillow as glazed yellow eyes stared blindly forward.

Then Crowley winced, his body spasming as the muscles and skin of his back began to knit back together. It wasn't the white hot agony of before, but the duller, prickling pain of violated nerves struggling to rebuild and continue to relay information. He keened softly, wordlessly, the tones reminiscent of prayer-like despair as if he were begging for salvation that he knew would never come.

[dontcallmegabby]

His concentration interrupted by the demon's soft moaning, Gabriel glanced up to see Crowley's jaw hanging at an unnatural angle, as though it had come unhinged. That was broken as well, he realized, and had to try not to visibly flinch at the sight. This could take hours, with injury layered upon injury until even something that severe was obscured; and it did no good to heal the demon if he were only torturing him in the process

[anthony_crowley]

The demon fought against the tide of coming consciousness. It was better to not know what was happening - better to feel the softer hurt later than the sharp pain now - but his efforts were fruitless. A being more powerful than himself wished for his presence and he was unable to refuse. Crowley blinked his eyes open, staring blankly ahead until the swirl of colours and shapes coalesced into a recognizable form. An enemy. A faint trickle of memories returned. Well, maybe not entirely.

"Ga-wiel?" he managed to croak in an attempt not to move his stiff, throbbing jaw. As far as he could tell at the moment, he seemed to be light-headed, slightly nauseous, achey, and parched, but nothing worse than that, wonder of wonders. "Wa-er..."

[dontcallmegabby]

Gabriel acquiesced quickly, calling a glass of water to hand with a gesture. He held it out in offering, waiting until Crowley was in a better position to accept

[anthony_crowley]

Struggling to push himself up, Crowley took the cup gratefully and did his best to drink without spilling. He felt pretty much like he had after he'd been hit with Raphael's aura a year previously but without the anesthetic effects of Ellie's kiss. Gingerly, he touched his back, not quite as flexible as usual but enough to tell that the gaping wounds were gone at least. There wasn't even a mark left on his chest, thankfully, so Gabriel probably did the same on his back, even if the cuts had been wider. Carefully, the demon opened and closed his mouth a few times. It was sore, but workable. Gabriel had done a good job putting him back together. There was something the angel had missed, but Crowley had no intention of telling him that. He could deal with that himself, the Messenger's warnings notwithstanding.

He also had no intention of telling Gabriel what had happened in Hell; would never tell anyone. Except... the memories started to return.

"Belial," he said stiffly, urgently. "Need to talk to Belial now."

[dontcallmegabby]

"What... ?" But there was some sobriety in Crowley's eyes which halted the question, and Gabriel nodded stiffly before exiting the room

[anthony_crowley]

Crowley waved Gabriel closer. "Affects you, too," he said.

The last few minutes of quiet solitude had been helpful. The demon had carefully rearranged himself in bed, sitting up, drawing the sheets to his waist, and looking as composed and healthy as was possible under the circumstances, though he was probably still disheveled and pale. Still, no hint of lingering pain escaped except in the weakness of his abused voice.

Under other circumstances, he might have been nervous about meeting Belial bare-chested and sunglasses gone. The Crown had a way of burrowing through his defenses even when they were solid. But considering the news he had to pass on and Gabriel's presence, he would simply have to ignore the slight discomfort.

He looked into Belial's smoky eyes, his decision made. Lack of loyalty aside, it never seemed to get easier to perform treason. It was too easy to remember the pain.

"Not gonna waste words. You know where I've been. He wants you back, Bel. By any means necessary. My new assignment," Crowley

[lordofthesouth]

Belial's eyes hardened at Crowley's words. He should have expected it eventually, he knew, but that made it no easier a choice to make. He turned to Gabriel and took in the angel's apprehensive appearance. This was unfair, that they should find one another so clumsily, so imperfectly, stumble together, and then be ripped apart.

Gabriel's opinion should factor into this, though, and he said so. "But, if me being here compromises the safety of everyone, especially you, I'd rather leave than see you hurt to get at me," he said gently cupping Gabriel's hands gently in his and bringing them to his lips. "You mean so much to me, and I swear on my eternal soul that this wouldn't be 'so long' forever. If I can find a way to keep him away from all of you, I will

[dontcallmegabby]

"If it is a game Lucifer is playing, then it is a dangerous one," Gabriel said, his voice terse; the words felt thick and raw, as though they were being dragged from his throat by some other will than his own. He could look at neither demon as he spoke, and kept his gaze downcast. "I know you think you can handle the others, but if he is determined..." And he could say no more on that, because that was one eventuality the angel would not - could not - consider. Belial would be safe. If that meant they had to be apart, then so be it. Given the danger inherent in their situation, it was not as though the thought that they would be separated had never occurred to Gabriel. The reality proved more painful than he had ever expected, his harbored fears spilling out into the light with searing suddenness; but Gabriel knew he could never ask Belial to endanger himself for his sake

[lordofthesouth]

In these last precious moments before he knew he had overstayed his luck, Belial drew Gabriel close, saving in his mind a picture of the angel's wonderful warmth. "I'll come back to you. I love you," he reaffirmed, voice shaking with the strength of his emotion

[anthony_crowley]

Irritable, exhausted, hurt, frustrated at being the bearer of bad news, and not pleased to be the reason that one of his best allies was walking out the door indefinitely, Crowley snapped, "I know what I'm doing, damn it. Don't you dare condescend to me."

He'd been about to say more when Adam, displaying his unique brand of perfect timing, stepped inside.

[dontcallmegabby]

"That's all you have to say, is it?" Gabriel hissed, and his voice was ragged with a degree of disgust and animosity which he had had little cause to address the Serpent with before; had little cause now, in fact, and the angel knew that. He knew, rationally, that it wasn't Crowley's fault his world had just been so startlingly rendered. But his every limb ached, his eyes stinging with tears, as though he had just been plunged painfully into depths far too deep for his form to survive. And with no recourse against the Morningstar for all that had just come to pass, Hell's field agent seemed a convenient enough target. "All this, demon, all that's just happened, and you're worried about your precious pride being tarnished

[average_adam]

Adam's face was as impassive as he could keep it, his eyes neutral, but his heart ached for everyone involved in this little drama: Gabriel, Belial, Crowley, John, even Lucifer, lost as he was on his sea of madness and searching for the one being that presumably brought him joy. But compassion was never in the Antichrist's job description, thank Someone. Adam had always believed Jesus had had the harder task in that capacity. All Adam had to do was do, not feel, so he did.

After watching the archangel go, he approached Crowley's bed. "You wanted to see me?"

Crowley nodded and they bent their heads together in urgent conversation.