Thank you all for not giving up on me. I'm so sorry for the long absence. It's been a hell of a couple years. I just hope you haven't lost interest in these stories for they are very much alive and well I just haven't been as motivated but you guys have been so amazing and have brought back my love of Writing. Honestly I don't know how to thank you.
Hugs and such.
The song is "The sound of silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. I listened to the Disturbed version of this song while writing it though. I enjoy it more as I believe it had more heart.
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It was time for Dean's bandages to be replaced and there was only one angel in all of heaven allowed to touch him, as he wasn't particularly trusting of very many people, let alone angels. Gabriel didn't mind, though, as his body was mostly healed and besides, it was the least he could do to help the man who had just about died to give him a chance at life. There was nothing he could do to repay Dean, but he would try.
Gabriel grabbed the bag of supplies and walked briskly over to Dean, hoping the pain wouldn't be as bad today. The removal of the bandages were always the hardest part of the day. It was agony on the poor Winchester as, if not properly soaked, the bandages would rip his already fragile and healing skin. Gabriel would give anything to see the Winchester up and about again, but even he knew that healing from holy oil burns was going to take a while, especially as it had burned him long enough to damage his grace.
"Hey Dean." He smiled. "It's time for the worst part of the day."
Dean groaned but nodded, knowing it had to be done. He couldn't let the wounds fester until his grace had repaired itself enough to help him heal. Until then, his life would be misery.
"I'm sorry." Gabriel whispered as he set about the long and arduous process of helping Dean out of bed. He needed to get the older Winchester into a bathtub full of water and hope the water wasn't too hot. Dean cried out in pain as his back was bent at an odd angle, pulling at the skin and tearing the already broken skin. Gabriel hissed as he noticed the bandages on Dean's back darken with blood and he just about wanted to stop. He didn't want to have to put the other through the pain one more day but what else was there to do? If the bandages weren't changed he could succumb to infection and die before his grace was healed enough to help. Catch 22. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
"Come on Dean, you got this." Gabriel encouraged, as he watched Dean fail at sitting up. "I'm here to help, lean on me if you need to."
Dean would have said something, Gabriel was sure of it, but his mouth and throat had been burned to shit, so even talking was agonizing for him, but his face was pretty expressive and Gabriel figured if looks could kill, he'd be pretty much six feet under by now.
"I know you're hurting, I can feel it in the way you move, but I have to get these bandages off you."
Dean's eyes had filled with tears at the agony he was feeling but he doubled his efforts and managed to sit up with a huff of exertion. Gabriel waited patiently for Dean to catch his breath before reaching tentatively under his legs and lifting with an agonizing scream from Dean.
"Shhh, I know." Gabriel hushed, trying to get the man to stop screaming. The more Dean screamed, the more his throat was being ripped open and the more blood was spilling from his mouth. "I'm so sorry."
Gabriel moved quickly to the bathing room and gently lowered Dean into the prepared bathtub, hoping to god that the water was perfectly temped.
Dean hissed in pain but the screaming had stopped so Gabriel took that as a good sign and allowed the older Winchester to just relax.
While Dean continued to soak, Gabriel started preparing the bandages. They needed to be slathered in a particular ointment to speed up healing. So far, according to Gabriel, it hadn't been working. Or if it had, it wasn't working fast enough.
"Want to try a word today?" Gabriel asked, trying to make small talk as he continued to prep roll after roll of bandages.
Dean groaned and Gabriel nodded. "That's okay. I can talk enough for the both of us."
Dean wanted to agree, but he'd just spent the last couple minutes screaming and fucking up his throat, he couldn't risk causing more damage, regardless of how funny Gabriel tried to be.
Though it was true that the arch angel could speak enough for the two of them, Gabriel wasn't much in the mood to make conversation while he continued his work. Instead he decided to hum one of Dean's favorite songs, hopefully managing to cheer the hunter up in the process.
And so he hummed and before he knew it he had begun singing slowly and silently to himself, not knowing Dean was listening in intently, wanting a bit of the comfort that song would offer him.
Hello darkness my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
left its seeds while I was sleeping
and the vision that was planted in my brain
still remains
within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
narrow streets of cobblestone
'neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed
by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound, of silence
And in the naked light I saw
10000 people maybe more
people talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs, that voices never share
and no one dare disturb the sound of silence
"fools" Said I "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they'd made
and the sign flashed out it's warning
And the words that it was forming
And the sign said
"The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sound of silence.
When Gabriel had finished his song he realized that he'd managed to prep all of the needed bandaged and smiled as he turned towards Dean.
"Almost done." He stated, reaching slowly for one of Dean's submerged hands. "Hopefully you've soaked long enough."
Dean nodded. He hadn't actually soaked long enough, but it was better to get it done as fast as possible. He was already exhausted and he needed to sleep.
Gabriel slowly began undoing the bandage, making sure that if a particularly stubborn piece wanted to stick, that he would submerge the hand and wait for the bandage to loosen before he continued. It was a long process, taking hours, but in the end it would keep Dean healthy and that's what mattered in the long run.
The bandage completely off of Dean's hand showed the extent of the damage done. He was burned so badly the flesh of his hand had been completely melted off and in quite a few portion one could see bone. It was hard for Gabriel to not break down in tears every time he saw the extent of damage. All this to keep him alive and well. All of this for his worthless ass. He wasn't worth this...not after all he'd already done to them. Dean's life meant more than his, and yet here he was in agony while Gabriel had a slight, barely noticeable limp. A limp that would be completely gone in another week.
"Don't!" Dean croaked out.
"I'm sorry." Gabriel sighed, tears making their way down his face as he continued removing the bandage from the damaged arm. "I know you don't want me blaming myself...but look at you."
Dean huffed out the equivalent of a laugh. He'd looked at himself. 98% of his body was covered in burns, it was hard to miss how absolutely disfigured he looked, but this wasn't Gabriel's fault. Dean's number one priority were the kids, followed closely by Sammy. Sam had been his responsibility from a young age and if Gabriel made him happy then Dean would die to keep Sam happy.
One arm down, Gabriel moved to the other side of the tub and worked on Dean's second arm, slowly removing the bandages. From there he silently continued his work, making his way to Dean's chest and neck, legs and groin before finally getting to his head. It took an hour of soaking and peeling and soaking more to disentangle the rest of the bandages, but finally Dean's body was completely barren and the blood soaked bandages were discarded.
"I'm going to drain the water now and then you're going to have to stand while I re-bandage your legs and back."
Dean nodded and waited for the water to drain and before he was completely dry, he started the agonizing process of standing. He didn't scream this time, which was a step up from the prior day.
Gabriel worked quickly, bandaging Dean's back, legs and buttocks before having the Hunter sit back down. He then began work on Dean's feet, hands, arms and neck. He always waited till the end to bandage up Dean's face. He wasn't exactly sure why but it was something he found himself committed to doing.
Once Dean was fully bandaged, Gabriel gently lifted him and took him back to bed.
"You must be exhausted." Gabriel noted watching Dean nod and yawn. "Get some sleep."
Dean nodded once more before closing his eyes and letting the Darkness of dreamless sleep engulf him. It was only in sleep that he could escape the pain. Sometimes he wished with everything in him that he would sleep always.