Chapter 4

Criss was sitting in an uncomfortable hospital chair outside her room, listening to every beep coming from the machines inside. The ambulance had arrived shortly after her body had gone limp in his arms, his mind screaming at him that she was dead, that she had died in his arms. The paramedics had found a pulse though, it was slow but it was strong.

His mind flashed to the image of her curled up on the floor of the shower, her skin red with the blood from innumerable wounds. He put his head in his hands and didn't even look up when his brothers sat down on either side of him.

"How is she?" JD asked.

"Stable, finally. They managed to stop the bleeding." He said.

"I wonder what she broke." Costa said and Criss took his head out of his hands, looking at him.

"She didn't break anything."

"People's skin doesn't just decide to split open, three ribs don't just one day decide to shatter. She had to have fallen on something." He said.

"You saw, Costa, we all saw. She looked right at us. The only thing broken in that bathroom was her. You saw the cut on her leg…"

"I noticed a wound that I didn't before."

"No, you saw it open. We all did. Why are you trying to deny what you saw?"

"Because its not possible, Criss. A person's body doesn't just decide to destroy itself. There had to have been an accident of some kind."

"I know what I saw, Costa. And I saw cuts and gashes that weren't there a second ago."

"Costa is right, Criss." JD said. "You were in shock, we all were, you were seeing things."

"I was not hallucinating!" he yelled, leaping up from the chair. "I know what I saw, to hell what you guys think you saw. Now I'm gonna go check on her, or are you going to say that her almost dying is just a figment of my imagination as well?" They were silent so he strode into the hospital room, stopping short at the sight of her lying there, wrapped in bandages and hooked to machines. He approached the hospital bed warily, going to sit down in the chair next to it. He looked down at her hand lying on the mattress, her wrist wrapped in thick gauze and a heart monitor hooked to her finger. Cautiously, he covered her hand with his own and slid his fingers under her palm, holding her hand gently. Her skin was cool and dry and she was completely unresponsive to his touch.

The doctor walked in and looked at them.

"How is she?" he asked.

"About to ask you the same thing." Criss said.

"Well, her blood cell and hemoglobin levels are normal, which is odd considering her injuries. The only thing that makes sense is her platelet levels, which are very high."

"You're losing me." Criss said and the doctor gave him a small smile.

"Her red blood cell and white blood cell levels are normal, those are the main parts of your blood, it also means that she doesn't have any kind of infection. Hemoglobin is the liquid part of your blood; those levels are normal saying that she didn't lose any blood. Like I said, odd considering her injuries. Platelets are the things in your blood that promote healing; her levels are greatly increased saying that her body is working on healing the numerous wounds. Internally there's nothing wrong with her. Externally, however, is a different matter."

"Do you have any idea on what caused this?"

"Medically, no. Logically, based on what you and your people have said," he paused and sighed. "No, it's not logically possible for what you told me happened to happen."

"But it did."

"And I understand that, if she had been cut by anything, there would be marks from the thing that cut her, but the edges of the wounds are clean and neat, no tool marks." He said and Criss nodded. "I'm just going to check her vitals now." The doctor said and did, declaring them strong. "You look after her and if there's any change, or if she wakes up, press the call button."

"Okay, thank you."

"Just doing my job." the doctor said and left. Criss looked at his watch and his eyes widened slightly at the time. It was almost ten. It was odd to think that he's been here for almost seven hours. Relaxing in the chair as much as he could, he closed his eyes and attempted to try to go to sleep.

Elidra opened her eyes as a wave of heat washed over her and looked over seeing Lucifer standing there, a smug smile on his face.

"Did you like my little gift?" he asked.

"You bastard. You did this to me?" she said and tried to sit up, but the stitches on her back pulled and she was forced to stay down.

"Who else? I just wanted you to know how badly I could hurt you. You would have died too, if that SOB Michael hadn't interfered."

"I hate you." She spat and he gave her a mischievous smile, walking around the bed to look at the relaxed form of Criss as slept.

"Very interesting human you've become attached to, Elly. Very interesting." He reached out to touch him but withdrew his hand quickly. The skin was blackened and the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. Criss stirred slightly but stayed asleep. He looked at Elly, whose eyes had bled ice blue.

"Try to touch him again and I'll kill you myself!" she snarled, her teeth bared. Lucifer shot her a murderous look and vanished in a flash of fire, Elidra's eyes going back to black. Criss chose this time to jerk awake and he looked at her, a slow smile coming to his lips.

"Hey." He said drowsily.

"Hey." She said he squeezed her hand gently.

"You gave everyone a scare."

"I'm sorry." She said and he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Don't be." He said and she started to pick at the bandage on her wrist. "Don't…"

"The tape itches, can you help me get it off?" she asked.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Please?" Criss sighed and helped her take the bandage off her wrist, revealing the ugly stitches underneath. "Ick." She said looking down at them and he smiled.

"They'll heal." He said and she squeezed her eyes closed tight.

"Criss? I don't feel so good."

"You want me to call the doctor?"

"I don't know." She said and her eyes snapped open the irises now ice blue. Her skin started glow a bright luminescence, steadily growing brighter. He watched as the stitches on her wrist dissolved into the air, the wound healing over to smooth skin. He covered his eyes with his arm to shield them and didn't lower his arm until the light started to fade. Elidra's eyes darkened and she smiled at him, pulling the bandage on her neck off and feeling the whole skin. Criss joined in and they took off her bandages, looking at the previously broken skin in wonder. She turned onto her stomach and he undid the back tie of her hospital gown, peeling the gauze off her back and running his hand over her skin.

"I'm sorry Elly, the scars are still here." he said, tracing the thick lines with his fingers. Her body went limp on the bed and shook slightly. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you hate them." He said. She turned onto her back and he took her in his arms, holding her as she sobbed against his chest. After a while, she pulled away and brushed the tear tracks off her face with her fingers.

"Don't know why I'm complaining," she said sniffling. "I should be glad that I'm healed, instead I'm crying about two lousy scars." Criss tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek in his palm, smiling at her gently.

"I'm just glad you're alive." He said and kissed her forehead, pulling away with a peaceful expression. "Don't know how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me feel all…wooshy."

"Wooshy?"

"You know, wooshy. Relaxed, calm, mellow, not a care in the world." He said and she smiled, upping the feeling. "Stop that, you're gonna make me go to sleep again."

"So sleep, you look exhausted." She said and he sat back down in the chair, relaxing and leaning his head back, his eyes closing. "That chair can't be very comfortable."

"It's not." He said. Criss opened his eyes to the scuffling sounds and watched as Elidra made room on the narrow bed. "You serious?"

"Absolutely." She said and he got up, walking around the bed and carefully climbing in next to her.

"Thanks." He said and settled in. He had to press close to her so he wouldn't be lying on the absolute edge of the mattress, no matter how much room she gave him. Putting one arm around her shoulders and another across her stomach, he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes, feeling her lay her head in the hollow of his shoulder.