4
Hospitals and needles were the few things, that could make John's skin crawl. Not demons, angels, or monsters could make John so much as flinch, but the too clean smell of a hospital, made John want to throw up.
So when John woke up to the beeping of machines and that too clean smell, he instantly was in a bad mood. Not even the pretty nurse could make it better, mostly because she kept lecturing about alcohol and its effects, on the body.
John wondered if that whole mess was just an alcohol filled dream, but when John asked about the man with him he saw her flinch, instead of looking at him like he was insane. "He's in very bad condition…do you know what happened to him?" she had asked him, and when he shook his head she didn't seemed convinced and John worried that maybe they blamed John for Balthazar's condition, but then the nurse spoke again. "Where trying to find the owner of the apartment, but we can't find her…she suspected of doing this to Mr. Stone…would you know who did this to him, he keeps begging us to take him back to Gabriel-" she stopped when John straightened. Was it possible, did the ex-angel go insane and beat the hell out of Balthazar…literary? From what John could tell the demon, had somehow the demonic essence taken out of him, and John wished he had looked more around the apartment.
"No I don't know …I-" John was at a lost on what to say, for once in his life and that could only spell disaster, that was until he was saved by Midnight who came out of the shadows and put a trance on the girl, who then left. "You bastard you knew!" John growled, once the girl was gone and door shut. Midnight just smiled a little, but said nothing and then sat down in one of the visitor chairs, still saying nothing. There was a long pause John watching Midnight, Midnight watching John before the mage relaxed, a little. "What's going on Midnight?" John asked, burnt out by this whole mess and wishing he could just go home. "Well first of all your tainted blood was throwing doctors for a loop, but I fixed that and Balthazar's blood was giving them problems too, but you two will soon be released" Midnight told John, who glared at the witchdoctor. "I meant-"Midnight stopped John, by talking over him "What you are doing now is questioning God John, do you really want to question him now, with your new lungs and now freed soul?" Midnight taunted and John grit his teeth, but knew it was true. "Nope seeing if I can get some new kidneys actually" John snapped, sitting up and Midnight smiled whether it was a true smile, or menacing John didn't know. The witchdoctor's smile reminded John of a dog, baring his fangs to tell others to back off.
"Don't do anything stupid John, let the nurses take care of you" and with those parting words, the witch doctor was gone. The scent of the club was the only hint that Midnight had been there in the first place, and John cussed. Then the peanut gallery showed up. Yup, John hated doctors too.
After getting dressed in real cloths and having that damned IV taken out of him, John decided to see Balthazar. Of course this is also when John learned that Midnight had them believe, John and Balthazar lived together much to the exorcists annoyance. 'I'm going to kill him' thought John seeing the nurses trade glances, probably thought they were more than friends, funny enough they weren't even that in real life. Soon they were getting ready to take Balthazar to Johns home, but they gave John and Balthazar some time alone, probably so they can do some paper work. Apparently Balthazar went missing, John called it in only to get a call from the kidnappers and find Balthazar barley alive, or that's the story Midnight made up.
Balthazar was awake and John had to tell Balthazar he was in the room and frowned when he heard the whimper unable to see the slimy bastard and connect him to then broken thing currently bandaged like a mummy in the bed in front of him. "They say we can go to my house…maybe some friends…" John trailed away realizing Balthazar probably had no friends, probably no allies either, demons where selfish loner type creatures, sort of like how John was. John told himself that the demon would be better in no time, but when Bal began to beg for John to kill him, John instantly knew Balthazar had lost every ounce of demon in him and John decided that next time he saw Midnight, ask him about spells like that.
"Bal calm down" John hissed at Balthazar who whimpered, but quieted. John sighed feeling bad about snapping at the hurt man before him. Balthazar actually was more like a psychic, because he still had some powers left and still had a demonic tail, but otherwise he was human. "I'm not going to kill you" John told Balthazar, who nodded and John thought maybe the demon was a little better until he said "You want to torture me too, for killing you and your friends" John felt his heart sink. Balthazar was convinced he was going to be tortured by John's ghost, and apparently Beeman and Hennesy too. "No Balthazar I'm alive you only killed Beeman and Hennesy but they're not going to torture you either" John told him slowly, trying to keep his patience, John had already snapped at him and John didn't want to do it again since Balthazar was so fragile. "It's a long story but your coming home with me Balthazar… anyways… I don't know where you live" John mumbled the last part, realizing he knew nothing about Balthazar, except he used to bother the hell out of him. Why should you know anything about him he's was just a bastard that played with your emotions and toyed with you whenever he had a chance, that settled, John remembered the first time he meet the demon and how the demon read him like a book, what surprised John is the demon didn't tell every demon in the bar about how broken he was, John took it as it was and didn't see anything in the gesture.
"No torture?" Balthazar asked/ pleaded and John shook his head, then remembered Balthazar's blindness and said no and Balthazar relaxed a little. Soon there was a rush of activity, of the doctors and nurses getting Balthazar ready to go 'home' and John got ready as well filling out a few things, then soon they were in front of the hospital and a taxi was waiting for them. Balthazar had to be wheeled out in a wheel chair, they asked John and got a glare for their suggestion. John was not going to tell them he felt like crap still, and that he should if anything stay at the hospital, but John didn't want to spend more time than they did already. Three days, they had been in there and John was sure Balthazar was happy to be out of there too.
Now the two were in the taxi, John told the driver the address and now they sat in silence, loud, bogging silence. 'Note to self remember how to have a normal conversation' thought John, to himself his dark humor getting the better of him. He looked over at Balthazar and found him 'staring' at the seat in front of him, John cleared his throat, catching Balthazar's attention more or less. "Do you have any family you can call?" John asked and guessed it was a no, when Balthazar murmured the word family like it was foreign. "Guess that's a no?", John asked and Balthazar then seemed to understand and shook his head and John felt his heart soar at the thought of being rid of the demon so soon, "The brothers the Crowley brothers they could…" Balthazar trailed away like he just thought of something, it made him stop talking of them. John was wondering what it was until Balthazar began to sob, John flinched then asked what was wrong. "They didn't even look for me…", Balthazar sobbed and John hoped the cabby wasn't paying attention, hoping the radio drowned out what they were saying but John still whispered "Balthazar I couldn't even feel you…,Gabriel had you on lock down your aura couldn't have been felt" this got Balthazar excited, who then murmured that they were probably looking for him in hell so there was no way they could've found him. 'At least he stopped crying' thought John, happy when Balthazar seemed to have calmed.
They finally got home and John helped Balthazar out of the car, then threw money at the cabbie and turned to find Bal in the same place John put him on the side walk, 'He trusts me not to put him somewhere dangerous' thought John, who shook his head at the demon, well that was until he came up to the demon who smiled sadly and said, "Thanks for not putting me in the road" and John snorted and pulled Balthazar too the door, of the bowling alley. Balthazar tried to stop, but John wouldn't let him and by the time they got to Johns apartment, he looked back to see tears running down Balthazar's cheeks, and he was murmuring that he was sorry. John desperately wanted to hear the usual sneer, maybe hear the bastard's voice tell him about killing his friends, it had to be better than this weeping depressed creature. But no avail Balthazar just stood there trying to pull his self together, dressed in an oversized hoodie, jeans and boots, stuff given to him by the staff that refused to put him in the rags he had been wearing. "We can pick up some cloths for you today or tomorrow." John told Balthazar, hoping he said tomorrow and Balthazar said tomorrow, then John said okay. John didn't think Balthazar could deal with a large crowd at the moment.
John then began to make some soup and sandwiches, hoping the demon would eat it. A sudden curse made John jump, then turn to see Balthazar rubbing his knee. John felt his face redden and John went over to Balthazar, told him he was sorry and pulled out a chair for Balthazar to sit, at the kitchen table. "I was the idiot that ran into the table" Balthazar mumbled and John said "Your blind and I know it but I keep forgetting" John snapped right back, wanting the demon to have a little backbone but it seemed to do just the opposite, as Balthazar pulled even deeper into himself, making it look like he was trying to hide in the plain black hoodie.
John sighed and mentally slapped himself, 'Just shut up John your making it worst' he told himself and he went back to the soup, then started making grilled cheese. Surprisingly it was Balthazar who spoke up, "Smells good" He mumbled and John chuckled not minding the small talk then spoke, "Easiest thing in the planet but yeah tomato soup and grilled cheese is good." John told him and hoped that if it smelled good Balthazar would eat it, he was way too thin. 'Not like your any better John' he told himself and then put the soup into two bowls, he then put those on the table with spoons and the sandwiches. John saw Balthazar began to search for the things, but John stopped him before he burnt his self. He took Balthazar's right hand that didn't hold the spoon, and put it against the bowl, then put the spoon in the soup and warned Balthazar that it was warm, happy when Balthazar brought the soup filled spoon and blew on it. "No reason to hurt yourself while eating", John told him and Balthazar nodded. They ate the rest of the food in relative silence.
Authors Note: ...review please?! please tell me anything! if it sucks, if its better, if I am more in character anything