"Gabe, it hurts!"
The Messenger nodded in acknowledgement, running his fingers through the soft little feathered appendage, feeling for the injury from the gnarly fall she had taken. He had taught every fledgling to fly, and this time would be no different, and he would only rub it in his brothers faces for a little bit.
She fidgeted under his touch, looking over her shoulder to watch what her older brother was doing "It hurts really bad, Gabe!"
"I know it does, Nugget.", he scooped her up as mindful of her wing as best as he could be, wrapping in a warm hug as he turned them in the direction of the Infirmary, "Dear Dad, Raph is gonna kill me. I can hear it now 'Gabriel you should have been more diligent' and 'Gabriel you shouldn't have had her trying to go up so high', oh man, " he spared the injured little fledgling an exasperated glance to which she giggled wetly at, progress at distracting her from the wounded little wing, "His lectures are the worst."
They stepped into the bustling Infirmary, being accosted quickly but Ariel to one of the empty beds, and Gabriel smiled kindly at the short healer as he sat on the edge and turned the fledgling around to sit in his lap. Akeelah curled around him, nudging her head up under his chin, her poor little wing hanging awkwardly against her back. Ariel took notice as to who he was immediately and dismissed herself to fetch the Healer to tend to them himself.
He watched her make her way through the bustling healers and tap his older brother on the arm, watched as his older brother looked in the direction she gestured in, and as his eye narrowed slightly. Gabriel leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Here comes Sir Lecture-A-Lot.", she giggled softly against his neck as he watched his older brother stalk towards them.
"What happened?", his tone was deceiving light as he pulled the little wing outward to examine it closer, running his fingers over the damaged area, "Gabriel, you swore to be mindful. You should have been more diligent, not have taken her so high. You need to be more mindful next time." He looked up too quick for the Messenger to cool his expression and reached up even quicker to smack him over the head, smiling at the fledglings giggles from the Messengers yelp, "Don't mock me!"
Akeelah looked up at him from her hiding spot, "Is it bad Rapha?", he smiled and rubbed her head, "Nothing too bad, just a bit of a bruise, it should be better by morning." She smiles up at him and he returned the gesture in kind, patting her cheek fondly, "Now go take it easy. Nothing too much no. I know Michael isn't too busy today, perhaps he will read with you?"
Gabriel nodded at him, standing from his seat, and lifted her to sit lightly on his hip.
"Thanks, Raph."
His older brother smiled lightly, patting his cheek in similar fashion, "Always, little brother."