Discorporated Part 13
It took two months. Aziraphale was sure that the injury had looked far worse than it was until after the first week ended. He had hoped that Crowley was just taking a bit of a nap but it seemed that wasn't the case at all. Angeline had felt a lot better about putting a sort of dressing on the wound. She would come upstairs every day and check on it, change said dressing if she felt it was necessary. Aziraphale was always right there, checking to see Crowley's healing progress.
"You're sure he's going to be okay?" Angeline asked at the end of the third week.
"He should be. This is...new territory for both of us. Everything up to this point has been a hypothetical." He wrung his hands as he watched her change the bandage.
"So you don't know." Angeline said, though she kept her eyes on what she was doing.
"I trust Azrael's assessment and she says he's going to be fine." Aziraphale nodded.
"I'm going to have to take your word on that." Angeline sighed heavily and buttoned up Crowley's pajama shirt before tucking him back in. She got to her feet and stretched her back a bit. This continued on every day. She would come upstairs and check on him, and then go downstairs and run the library. She would then come up and check on him once again before finally heading home. Aziraphale had had to talk her out of staying in the library until Crowley was awake.
"You know you don't actually have to do that." Crowley said finally after two months of unconsciousness while Angeline was in the middle of giving him a sponge bath. She'd stopped putting bandages on the wound about two weeks prior.
"It gives me something to do." Angeline said with a bit of a smile. "Glad you're finally back with us. How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over by a stampede of angry elephants." He cleared his throat. His voice was a little hoarse from lack of use. Angeline went and got him a glass of water as he slowly sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard.
"That sounds about right." She nodded, handing him the water before sitting on the bed beside him.
"What happened?" Crowley asked after taking a sip of the water.
"You don't know?" Angeline raised an eyebrow.
"I remember officially ending things with James and giving him a hug, and then.....oh....." Crowley's eyes went a bit wide.
"Oh, what?" Angeline asked.
"The letter opener....." Crowley started to try to get up. Angeline put her hands on his shoulders to keep him in bed.
"We found it after." She said.
"What happened?" Crowley raised an eyebrow, the question having a whole different meaning now.
"He's been put away. Confessed to everything. Refused a trial. You're apparently not the first person he's done this to. He's completely loony." Angeline shook her head.
"That's great to find out after the fact." Crowley sighed as he leaned back against the headboard again.
"What matters, Tony, is that you're okay." Angeline smiled and patted his thigh.
"I will be." Crowley said with a bit of a stretch. "I was going to talk to Azrael. Never got the chance."
"Oh? Did you make up your mind, then?" Angeline got to her feet. She knew she could get Azrael there shortly.
"I did. And this just made the decision that much clearer." Crowley nodded. "I want my Zira back."
"He'll be happy to hear that." Angeline nodded.
"Where is he?" Crowley shifted a little in the bed. He knew he wasn't ready to get up just yet.
"Right here, darling." Aziraphale said as he appeared next to the bed. Crowley smiled and held out his hand for Aziraphale. Aziraphale did his best to sit on the bed and take Crowley's hand.
"You're very good at lurking. You'd have made an excellent demon." Crowley said with a wink.
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not." Aziraphale said with a laugh.
"I'm going to give you two some alone time." Angeline said as she got to her feet. She could let Crowley shower later when he was feeling up to it. "It's good to have you back, boss."
"Thank you, Angeline." Crowley smiled. He would find a way to repay her in the future. She quietly left the room and Crowley just held on to Aziraphale's hand.
"All that's left is to let Azrael know." Aziraphale nodded.
"Are you sure this is what you want, angel? To really be back?" Crowley brought Aziraphale's hand up to his lips but the grip was lost before he could kiss the back of his hand.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Or, well. My existence." Aziraphale chuckled.
"Give me a couple of days? I need to get my strength back before I try anything." Crowley stretched again. He really did feel awful. His entire body was aching.
"Of course, my love. Anything you need." Aziraphale nodded and stepped away from the bed. What was a few more days if it gained him eternity?
"You're sure he's going to be okay?" Angeline asked at the end of the third week.
"He should be. This is...new territory for both of us. Everything up to this point has been a hypothetical." He wrung his hands as he watched her change the bandage.
"So you don't know." Angeline said, though she kept her eyes on what she was doing.
"I trust Azrael's assessment and she says he's going to be fine." Aziraphale nodded.
"I'm going to have to take your word on that." Angeline sighed heavily and buttoned up Crowley's pajama shirt before tucking him back in. She got to her feet and stretched her back a bit. This continued on every day. She would come upstairs and check on him, and then go downstairs and run the library. She would then come up and check on him once again before finally heading home. Aziraphale had had to talk her out of staying in the library until Crowley was awake.
"You know you don't actually have to do that." Crowley said finally after two months of unconsciousness while Angeline was in the middle of giving him a sponge bath. She'd stopped putting bandages on the wound about two weeks prior.
"It gives me something to do." Angeline said with a bit of a smile. "Glad you're finally back with us. How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over by a stampede of angry elephants." He cleared his throat. His voice was a little hoarse from lack of use. Angeline went and got him a glass of water as he slowly sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard.
"That sounds about right." She nodded, handing him the water before sitting on the bed beside him.
"What happened?" Crowley asked after taking a sip of the water.
"You don't know?" Angeline raised an eyebrow.
"I remember officially ending things with James and giving him a hug, and then.....oh....." Crowley's eyes went a bit wide.
"Oh, what?" Angeline asked.
"The letter opener....." Crowley started to try to get up. Angeline put her hands on his shoulders to keep him in bed.
"We found it after." She said.
"What happened?" Crowley raised an eyebrow, the question having a whole different meaning now.
"He's been put away. Confessed to everything. Refused a trial. You're apparently not the first person he's done this to. He's completely loony." Angeline shook her head.
"That's great to find out after the fact." Crowley sighed as he leaned back against the headboard again.
"What matters, Tony, is that you're okay." Angeline smiled and patted his thigh.
"I will be." Crowley said with a bit of a stretch. "I was going to talk to Azrael. Never got the chance."
"Oh? Did you make up your mind, then?" Angeline got to her feet. She knew she could get Azrael there shortly.
"I did. And this just made the decision that much clearer." Crowley nodded. "I want my Zira back."
"He'll be happy to hear that." Angeline nodded.
"Where is he?" Crowley shifted a little in the bed. He knew he wasn't ready to get up just yet.
"Right here, darling." Aziraphale said as he appeared next to the bed. Crowley smiled and held out his hand for Aziraphale. Aziraphale did his best to sit on the bed and take Crowley's hand.
"You're very good at lurking. You'd have made an excellent demon." Crowley said with a wink.
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not." Aziraphale said with a laugh.
"I'm going to give you two some alone time." Angeline said as she got to her feet. She could let Crowley shower later when he was feeling up to it. "It's good to have you back, boss."
"Thank you, Angeline." Crowley smiled. He would find a way to repay her in the future. She quietly left the room and Crowley just held on to Aziraphale's hand.
"All that's left is to let Azrael know." Aziraphale nodded.
"Are you sure this is what you want, angel? To really be back?" Crowley brought Aziraphale's hand up to his lips but the grip was lost before he could kiss the back of his hand.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Or, well. My existence." Aziraphale chuckled.
"Give me a couple of days? I need to get my strength back before I try anything." Crowley stretched again. He really did feel awful. His entire body was aching.
"Of course, my love. Anything you need." Aziraphale nodded and stepped away from the bed. What was a few more days if it gained him eternity?
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