The process a fledgling went through when it came time for their wings to come in was filled with hurt and tears. It was two appendages, in most instances, growing under the skin, and when time to bloom, breaking through the skin of the shoulder blade and back. It started first with itching, severe itching, of the shoulder region and of the upper back, and aches. Aches that no salve could relief, something akin to a human babe growing in teeth for the first time, only warmth could contend with the aches and pains that came at the start.

Gabriel had known something was not right when she had come to him complaining about her back hurting. He had pulled her around gently, lifting the bottom of her top up to expose the delicate skin, and frowned at the red inflamed skin growing from each shoulder blade down and down in a wide long patch.

"Baby girl, I think your wings are coming in?"

"Really?"

Her eyes were bright with curiousness and excitement, but also with discomfort, and he nodded silently, plucking her up carefully around the waist, as to not disturb her tender shoulders and back with anything else.

"Let's go see Raphi."

The Messenger carried the pained little fledgling out of his office and down the hall towards the gaping entrance, Zaveriel met up with them and looked to his friend in worried confusion, to which the Archangel happily announced the occasion. The young messenger lit up and he was sure it was for a reason that was far from good and left with the order to retrieve Michael and Lucifer from their respective occupations, bidding his friend a soft word of encouragement as he left them. Gabriel smiled at their friendship, a true gem of Heaven, and made his way down the steps from his Aerie as gently as he could manage, stepped through a small portion of the crowd that was the Axis, and up the steps to the Infirmary.

Raphael seemed surprised to see them, passing the chart he'd been holding to a healer at his side, and stepped away to tend to his brother and their fledgling himself. Akeelah whined and reached for the big brother that always made the hurt go away, to which he happily took her in arm, gazing inquiringly at his younger brother. The Messenger smiled and gestured for her back, "I think someone's wings are finally coming in." his eyes widened of their own accord, "Oh? That is a joyous occasion." He rubbed a soothing hand down the back of her head and reached for the neck line of her top, "Let's take a look, shall we?", he nodded in agreement when he pulled the top back and saw the same red blotchiness that the Messenger had seen just previously, "I'd say you're right, little brother, come, let's get her a bed." And he turned, humming under his breath, as he knew that it helped to calm her when she was worked up, and turned to ask a younger healer to fetch a basin of warm water and quite a few cloths to work with. Some numbing agents, and pain relief, some anti-inflammatory and a new change of robes of the fledgling variety. Gabriel sat on the bed ahead of them, taking her back in his arms when his brother offered her over, pressing an encouraging kiss to her temple.

"She is not too far along, yet, the first shall start protruding here within the next half hour."

The Healer helped him pull her top off, folding it over a chair nearby, setting a few of the gathered cloths around her waist and around her to gather any unwanted fluid from staining anywhere else.

Michael and Lucifer were quick to respond, returning to the Infirmary just behind the young messenger sent to gather them, stepped around him to see to their fledgling's wellbeing, kneeling to her sight to give soft words of encouragement and comfort. Zaveriel bid them all a congratulations and knowing that it was a private affair for a member of a flock to grow their wings, helped the Healer pull dividers around them before taking his leave with the promise to return to his little friend.

The Healer gathered some tools; a good sized sponge, some bandages, a medical knife, and sat at her bedside.

"Little one, I am not going to lie to you, this is going to hurt but I will be as quick as I can be, alright?"

She nodded, little tears falling from her eyes like stars from the night sky, fingers clutching tightly to the Messengers top underneath them. The Healer spared his brothers a look, silently ordering them to keep her still when she began to struggle, and punctured the top of the first lump. Akeelah whined pitifully, squeezing the shirt tighter at the sting, and cried out when he pulled the knife downwards, cutting the lump completely open along the crested top.

Blood and other clear liquids spilled out, liquid that protected the little wing as it grew safely underneath, and he rubbed away the liquid from where he was working, tossing the used cloth to the side and reaching for another.

"Take a deep breath, little bear."

He heard her do so, tensing under his touch, as he placed his hands on either side of the red angry lump, and then he pressed. She screamed in agony as the appendage broke through the rest of the skin, more blood and fluids leaking out, struggling out of the Messengers grasp, and immediately trying to struggle from the grasp of her Choir Master as he took to holding her hands instead, the Prince stepping around to hold her by the waist. Gabriel wrapped his forearms around the back of her neck and pulled her close, burying her face into his chest, whispering words of comfort over her consuming sobs.

The wing fell to the side limply, and he tucked it up quickly, lest the muscle start to hardened with it outstretched.

"I am so sorry, little bear, one more and we are through the hardest part."

She shook her head, despite it's position buried in the Messengers chest, and they just made out the pleads to not to go again. Let it be. No more hurts. But the Healer knew better then to let it happen, and felt guilt worm into his heart when he dug the blade into the head of the other lump, her sobs reaching their ears once more, and pulled it downwards to release the top. He was quick in following, pushing the wing up through the skin and out in the open for them, rubbing as he went with his cloths, tossing them aside once used. Her shoulders heaved with the force of her sobs, and he bent the second wing up to allow the muscles to establish the feeling, rubbing away the blood and fluids with one hand and a numbing agent in with the other. The large holes would have to heal on their own, but with her wings came the grace, and they'd be healed within a week's time. After the numbing agent was in place, taking hold quickly, her sobs slowly started to calm at the soft coaxing from the Messenger and her Choir Master.

Michael helped him rub down the small downy appendages, utilizing the warm water in the proffered basin on the table next to them, they rubbed away the blood and other fluids revealing the two little feathered wings to them.

The were swirls of blues and blacks and purples, a spinning galaxy, with little spinning stars intermixed.

Little Akeelah turned at long last, still clutching to one of Lucifer's hands, the other to the Messenger's top, and looked down at them with bloodshot eyes.

"Did I….do…good?"

They all exchanged amused smiles, the Healer passing a damp cloth up to the Messenger to wipe down her little sweaty face, and he brushed a few fingers through the soft down and he smiled when the little wing twitched slightly under his touch, "You did outstanding, little bear."