Bad Omens: The Attack (Novella)

Chapter 14

"We'll keep her right here on the couch for now. We'll worry about moving her back into her bedroom later. But for now, the family room is where she's staying until further notice." Bella said after she and Aziraphale re-stitched Eden's stomach wound. Aziraphale had managed to keep his emotions in check and proved to be a capable surgical assistant.

Bella had brought dissolvable stitches so Eden would be spared a painful stitch removal, something that Aziraphale would always be grateful for. And at long last, he was finally able to fetch a cold compress for Eden's fevered brow.

But now that was done, he was helping Bella clean up the family room. There was a dreadful amount of blood all over the place. At first it didn't seem that the bleeding would never stop....

But it finally did, thank Someone.....

The front door to South Downs was still wide open, in everyone's haste, no one bothered to close it.

Gabriel followed Crowley, who led him inside. "Damn, watch your step!" Crowley muttered, nearly stepping in some blood splatter. "I'll clean this up once I see to Eden and Aziraphale." Gabriel glanced downward and stared at the blood splatter blankly until he heard a voice,

"Did someone call for me?" Aziraphale peeked around the corner. "Oh, thank Someone you found him, I was so worried-" Aziraphale began, stepping out of the family room with an armful of bloody towels.

Gabriel cried out in horror at the sight of them.

There was so much blood......

"Where is she? Is she all right? I need to see her right now!" Gabriel demanded. All of that blood couldn't be a good sign, something must be wrong.....very wrong. The Archangel tried to enter the family room, the room that Aziraphale had just exited but the angel was blocking his way.

"I'm afraid you can't go in yet, dear." Aziraphale said firmly. "It's not at all presentable at the moment, but I can assure you, Eden is quite alright and is resting."

A moan of pain was suddenly heard, followed by a weak cough and that's when Gabriel darted past Aziraphale, ignoring the angel's pleas to wait for a few moments......

Gabriel saw Eden, her skin deathly pale. Bella was putting her equipment away, the hardwood floor of the family room stained with a drying puddle of blood....

Bella turned when she heard the Archangel barge into the family room. "Gabriel!" she gasped, "It's not a good time, you need to wait until Aziraphale miracles this room clean."

The Archangel didn't seem to hear her. He just stared at the blood puddle. "Why is there so much blood?"

"We had to move her on a solid surface." Bella explained patiently. "I explained to Aziraphale that we had to move her off of the couch and once she was laid flat on the solid surface, the bleeding finally stopped and we began to operate."

Her explanation seemed to satisfy him and he glanced back at Eden. "I-Is she alive?" The Archangel's voice was rigid with fear.

Bella nodded, "Yes, she's alive. But very weak, she's lost a lot of blood I'm afraid. I still I can't do anything when it comes to angelic or demonic blood transfusions, sadly."

Gabriel recalled hearing Crowley and Aziraphale talking about giving blood to someone who had lost it. But it was impossible for someone like Eden, making her condition more dangerous which made him feel even more useless.

Gabriel finally walked to the couch and knelt at Eden's side. She was covered in several layers of blankets, yet she still shivered from the fever. If only his miracles could help her.....

He glanced downward and saw that the side of the couch was still damp with blood. Concerned, he reached down and began to lift Eden's blankets afraid that she was bleeding again.

"Don't look Gabriel." Bella said gently, touching his arm with a gentle hand. "Aziraphale is going to miracle the couch clean too." Also because the only thing that Eden was wearing was just her bra and underwear and she was protecting her friends modesty.

Gabriel gave a weak nod as he reached for her good hand, which had been placed on top of the pile blankets so Bella could check her pulse.

That's when Bella noticed that the Archangel was trembling. "Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"I won't be okay until I know Eden will be." Gabriel rasped.

"You're in shock." Bella murmured.

"I'm not leaving Eden." was all that Gabriel said in reply.