Discorporated Part 12

There are people that believe that everything happens for a reason.  That luck isn't real and that coincidence isn't either.  They believe that things are preordained to happen and that there is no way to change fate.  If something is meant to be, it will simply be no matter what you do or don't do in that regard.  Angeline Michaelson was one of those people.  Whenever she lost something and couldn't find it, she simply wasn't meant to have it anymore.  Nothing happened without there being a purpose for it happening.  It was how she got through a lot of her life without losing her sanity.  So when she realized that she had, in fact, left her favorite scarf at the library and needed that exact scarf for a date that night, she knew that it was for a reason.  Her mild psychic ability told her that she was needed at the library.  That something very important was happening and she absolutely had to be there.  

"Hey, James."  She called as she started to approach the library and saw him leaving.  He looked both ways to cross the street but he effectively ignored her.  "Rude, much?"  She rolled her eyes and just kept walking.  She was about to call out to Crowley when she noticed the library door standing wide open.  

"Um.....Tony?  Everything okay?"  She called out as she slowly stepped into the building.  It wasn't like him to leave the door open.  

"Zira....."  It was faint and it was coming from the back room.  

"Aziraphale?  Are you here?"  Angeline asked as she kept making her way back to the back room.  She gasped as soon as she got back there and found Crowley laying on the floor.  "Tony!  What happened?"  She hadn't noticed the letter opener on the floor nearby.  She rolled him over and gasped again at the large spot of black on the rug under him.  

"Angeline, so nice to.....what happened?"  Aziraphale asked as he appeared next to Angeline.  

"I don't know.  I thought maybe you knew.  I saw James leaving and then I came in here and he was like this....."  She started to check him over.  Angeline wasn't a medical professional but she did at least have basic first aid knowledge.  

"That's a lot of blood...."  Aziraphale was staring at the black mark on the carpet.  

"That's blood?"  She asked as she looked at it a moment.  She put a hand on Crowley's chest and when she pulled her fingers away, they were covered in the same black substance.  

"Demon blood is black...." Aziraphale knelt down next to Crowley.  "What happened?"  He tried to touch Crowley's head but he couldn't just then.  

"We can't exactly take him to the hospital.  What can I do?"  Angeline unbuttoned Crowley's shirt and found the wound, putting pressure on it with her hands.  

"I....I don't know..."  Aziraphale just stared down at Crowley.  

"Wait...."  Angeline looked up at the ceiling.  "Azrael!  I know you can hear me!  You better not be near by!"  She called.  

"I don't take the souls of demons."  Azrael said as she appeared next to Aziraphale.  

"Is there anything you can do?"  Aziraphale asked, almost hopeful.  

"I'm the angel of death, Aziraphale.  Healing isn't exactly my forte."  She sighed a little.  "And him being a demon, there's nobody I can get that can do it."  

"But if he discorporates then he'll end up in Hell...."  Aziraphale started.  

"That's not going to happen."  Angeline shook her head.  She kept pressure on the wound as best she could.  "I won't let that happen."  She started looking around the room, trying to find something to fix the situation.  

"Zira....."  Crowley managed again.  His eyes fluttered open for a moment.  

"Crowley.  I'm right here..."  Aziraphale smiled.  He reached out and this time he was able to take Crowley's hand.  

"I'm.....sorry."  Crowley said with a cough.  

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, my love."  Aziraphale replied.  He just held onto Crowley's hand.  Crowley shifted his head just a little bit and looked at Angeline.  

"Bottom left desk drawer.  There's....a bottle....."  Crowley coughed again.  

"This is no time for a drink, hon...." Angeline said.  

"Not a drink...."  Crowley closed his eyes.  It was getting too hard to keep them open.  Angeline gave Aziraphale a confused look.  He furrowed his brow for a moment and then nodded.  

"Yes,  get it."  Aziraphale smiled.  Angeline got up and went to the desk.  She had to get the keys off the top to unlock the drawer.  Inside was a bottle of what looked like oil.  This was even more confusing but she went back over.  "Alright, dear, pour it into the wound."  Aziraphale instructed.  

"I....um.....okay...."  Angeline nodded.  

"Is that...."  Azrael looked at Aziraphale with a raised eyebrow.  

"I believe it is."  Aziraphale nodded.  Angeline opened the bottle and hesitantly poured the oil into the wound.  Crowley hissed and squeezed Aziraphale's hand harder.  As the oil worked its way into the wound, he practically writhed on the floor.  Aziraphale kept a grip on his hand.  

"I'm sorry, hon."  Angeline said.  She stopped after a little bit.  

"The....all of it..."  Crowley growled.  His eyes were completely snake like and he almost screamed as she poured more of the oil into the wound.  

"This is hurting you, Tony...."  Angeline was in tears as she watched him.  

"It's helping, I promise."  Azrael said as she walked around and put a hand on Angeline's shoulder.  She could understand why Crowley and Aziraphale were so fond of humans.  Crowley was outright screaming by the time the bottle was empty.  After a few more minutes, he went limp on the floor and sighed.  His eyes were closed and his grip on Aziraphale's hand had loosened considerably.  

"He's not....."  Angeline said between sobs.  She hated seeing him like that.  

"No.  He's...."  Aziraphale bit his lip as he tried to think.  "The best example would be a drug induced coma of sorts."  

"He's going to need rest in order to recover."  Azrael nodded.  

"But he will recover?"  Angeline asked as she wiped at her eyes.  She could use a coma herself with how emotionally drained she felt.  

"Yes.  He'll recover fully."  Aziraphale nodded.  "We just need to look after him until he wakes up."  

"And get him into his bed."  Angeline sighed.  She got to her feet and was ready to pick Crowley up to take him upstairs.  Before she could say anything, Azrael snapped her fingers and the four of them were up in Crowley's bedroom.  Crowley was neatly tucked into bed in his black, silk pajamas.  

"Forgot about the whole angel thing."  Angeline chuckled.  She wiped at her eyes again and sighed heavily at the mascara on the back of her hand.  "I must look a mess.  And I was on my way to a date."  

"Do you want me to....."  Azrael held up her hand as if to snap her fingers.  Angeline shook her head. 

"No, no.  I'm not in the mood for a date right now.  I'll go talk to him.  Let him know what happened.  He'll understand."  She sighed heavily.  "Maybe he'll actually reschedule."  

"As long as you're sure."  Azrael said.  She nodded to Aziraphale and then she was gone.  Aziraphale looked at Angeline, wanting to give her a hug.  

"James did this."  Angeline said, her eyes on Crowley.  "I saw him leaving the library.  He was acting really weird.  He did this."  She went over and took Crowley's hand.  

"You're positive?"  Aziraphale just stared at Crowley on the bed.  Angeline nodded.  She knew that they could check the security cameras to be sure.  

"Karma's a bitch."  Angeline said, even though she wasn't completely sure she believed in Karma.  

"That it is."  Aziraphale said with a nod.  Of course in his case, Karma wasn't an abstract idea and was him planning on how he was going to get revenge on James.