Song listened to: 'The Dark' by Beth Crowley
Being a fledgling, ones grace was not as close to call on as it was for those older in age, they were more human then angel while they grew. It was an odd arrangement, but too much power at such an inexperienced age, it could be detrimental to their own safety.
And with being nearly human, it meant that fledglings were more susceptible to catch a human ailment then the elders were.
So, when little Akeelah came to him complaining about her stomach hurting, he knew immediately to look for human illness than anything else first thing, it took him a bit more time then he had wanted, with their being so many human diseases to rule out, to diagnose their fledging with the human influenza.
Her fever had already been high when he'd brought her to the Infirmary to keep a closer eye on her while he tended about his duties as Healer, stopping frequently at her bedside to check on her temperature and wellbeing. It concerned him when it noticeably climbed, and silently stepped away to get a bowl of cool water and a cloth to dab at her temple with, little pearls of perspiration dotting her skin.
The sun quickly set, and Raphael didn't think it safe to move her, better suited to care for her where his supplies were on hand, then at their Villa, and sent word along to ensure the others knew of their whereabouts and were up to date on the situation at hand.
The Healer gathered a book and flicking candle lamp, taking up a vigil at her bedside, waiting to see if she would wake during the night. She slept soundly for a while, until she woke because of the difficulty of breathing through her stuffy little nose, and he rubbed some rather potent mixtures on her little chest, to clear her nose and make sleeping easier to accomplish and back under sleeps hold she fell.
Her fever reached it's peak around one thirty in the morning, as he turned the page of the novel he'd been reading silently, her hand moved and caught his attention. Marking the page and setting the book aside, he watched her closely as her eyes slowly opened, going wide in confusion, but noticeably stood out with how cloudy they were. The fever like a blanket over her mind, it left her in a volatile and confused state. "I don't want to be here." In a soft scratchy voice, she looked around fearfully, taking in the room she surely saw different then the one she was left in currently. "I don't like it here." She struggled weakly in the blankets she was wrapped in, seeing something other then what he saw, and her head turned in his direction "Let me out. I don't want to be here anymore." He waited silently, on the edge of his chair in the case that she hurt herself, and let the scene play out in the fever hazed way. "They're gonna come back. I didn' do nothin'. Please don't lock me in here. I don't wanna be alone." He wondered where he mind had taken her, when she spoke his answer "'Miah why did they lock us in here? I don't wanna be in the prison. It's scary and they make us all hurt."
"Little Akeelah?" He spoke out softly, her head darted around at his voice, and he frowned sadly when her eyes widened.
"No. No I don' wanna be taken. Please do let them take me."
"I promise." He leaned forward "You won't go anywhere. You are safe here."
"You protect me?"
She slowly managed to escape from her blankets, and crawled weakly to the edge of the bed, her face glistening from fever. He nodded, reaching out to pull her into his lap, letting her latch onto his front and try to hide away in the folds of his robes.
"I will protect you."
He reached to the side, for the cloth that lay resting over the edge of the bowl of cool water, rang it out in his clenched fist, and dabbed it against her heated little forehead.
"Close your eyes for me, fledgling, I will keep you safe."
Akeelah looked up at him, eyes still a bit glazed, and nodded tiredly "I know you will, Archangel, I'm happy you're here cause they won't hurt us with you here too." His heart clenched, making a mental note to discuss this with the others, they needed to know, and he pulled her closer "I will ensure you're safe, try to sleep little one, I will keep them away."
She nodded, taking one final sweep of the room, and laid her heated little head down against his chest, falling out completely in the next moment. He continued to dab at her temple, brushing a stray curl away from her eyes, knowing that when she woke next, her fever broken, that they would be braided back up again.
"I will protect you, now and forever, little one. I promise."
Her fever broke through the rest of the night, and she woke up cuddled close to the Healer, both of them laying in the bed she'd been placed in a few days previous, feeling a bit more better then she had the last couple days. She looked up into his sleeping face for a minute, smiled, and laid her head back on his chest.
Akeelah whispered, as to not wake him, "Thanks for protectin' me."
He hummed softly, adjusting and tightening his grip slightly, "You're…Welcome…Little one..."