Bad Omens: The Attack (Novella)

Chapter 22

A dull, throbbing pain burned in Eden's gut. Horse Feathers, it fucking hurt. She shivered with cold as her whole body seemed to scream with pain.

She felt something cool and damp being gently rubbed against her forehead and it felt wonderful. It would help her keep her mind off of the pain......

"We'll be in the dining room with Bella, Gabriel, we won't be long." Aziraphale said as he followed his husband and the young doctor out of the family room. They were going to discuss the safest way to get Eden upstairs without breaking her new set of stitches, if they were to break again....

As soon as they were gone, Gabriel, feeling rather helpless as usual, rewet the compress by dunking it back into the wash basin, soaking it in the cold water, ignoring how it stung the scratches on his hands. He had watched Aziraphale and Crowley do this so many times, he was eager to take a turn; he was tired of just watching helplessly off to the side.

He dabbed her sweaty temples, just like he had seen her parents do so many times....

And the Archangel nearly discorperated when Eden let out a very dry, "Papa..."

"Eden? Oh my God! Eden...." Gabriel's voice faltered as Eden's eyes slowly drifted open, although they were still glazed with fever, they were still those blue eyes he loved and had missed so much.

"Gabriel? We gotta stop meeting like this....." she smiled weakly but then gripped her stomach with her good hand. "Agh!"

Tears spilled from Gabriel's eyes. "Shhh, don't talk anymore, just rest. Here-" He grabbed a glass of water that had been set on the coffee table. "Drink this." He gently lifted her head and she drank gratefully.

When she was lying back down and Gabriel made sure she was warm enough, even going as far as to throw at least three more blankets over her, he rasped, "You were attacked by Satan, you broke your stitches when you threw that thermos of holy water in his face.....If only I'd been there...."

"Gabe, don't." Eden grunted as she shifted uncomfortably, extending her good hand for the Archangel to take. She gripped his hand tightly noticing the scratches, "You're hurt...."

"It's nothing." Gabriel reassured her as he planted several kisses on her feverish face. "It can wait." Despite all of them being well rested, Gabriel kept putting his healing off. Eden was more important.

"But..."

"Gabriel? Is that Eden I hear?" It was Aziraphale, his voice high pitched with hope, and maybe a little bit of fear, perhaps he was afraid to get his hopes up.

"Papa?" Eden called weakly. "Gabriel's hurt....can you help him?"

Aziraphale dashed into the family room and knelt down at his daughter's side. "My baby.....you're awake..."

"Of course I'm awake Papa. I only fainted, you act like I was out for days." Eden murmured as Aziraphale hugged her as gently as possible, although the angel so desperately wanted to give her a proper hug and hold her close.

"Because you were." said a voice as it cracked. "Daddy...." Eden's weak smile broadened as the red haired demon knelt at his husbands side.

"Queenie." Crowley rasped in reply. "We almost lost you again." Crowley reached for her good hand and gave it a squeeze. "You really scared us Eden."

"How long was I out?" Eden asked, genuinely curious.

"Four days." Crowley replied.

"But that doesn't matter now!" Aziraphale stepped in, eager to change the subject. "You're awake now Little One and that's all that matters. I see that Gabriel already gave you a drink, so I'll go fetch Bella so she can come give you a check up."

"But Gabriel..."

"Ah, yes, of course." Aziraphale snapped his fingers and the nasty scratches disappeared. "There you are Gabriel, you and Crowley keep an eye on Eden while I go tell Bella the good news!"

Crowley felt his gut twist with worry. Eden still had this blasted fever and they still had to break the news to her about her two week confinement in bed......in which she would spend her 25th birthday, which was quickly approaching. 

Gabriel meanwhile was solely focused on Eden, trying to get her to stop asking questions about why was she in the family room instead of her bedroom, so she could rest.