"Sir."
The Healer looked up at the touch to his arm, turning to meet the gaze of his lieutenant curiously at the intrusion in his teaching, they all knew to leave him be when there was a class abut to learn their chosen craft.
"Yes, Oren?"
"A visitor."
He followed the gesture to the entrance of the Infirmary, where the young fledgling stood nervously, tugging on the edge of his tunic as he looked around the bustling Infirmary and he tilted his head in wonder at the choir fledgling so far from the safety of his pantheon.
"Oren, tend to the class for a moment, would you?"
The archangel missed the knowing smile that split his lieutenants features for a moment, as he nodded with a soft affirmation, watching over his shoulder as his commander glided through the others bustling about to reach the fledglings side.
As much progress as they were making, it was still rare for a fledgling to wander into the Infirmary these days, most still remembered how cold the Healer had grown, how terrifying he could be in the heat of battle. He was an angel of compassion, but let it never be mistaken, he was still one of Heaven's most terrifying weapons. So, with how rare it was, to have a fledgling come in without another behind them provoking their entrance, it was a rare thing indeed.
"Young Jezaniah?" the fledgling looked up quickly at the sound of his name, at the deep voice that called out to him, but it was equally as soothing as it was deep, and he gave a slight breath of relief at the sight of the Healer, watching as he knelt before him, resting his elbows on his knees "What brings you here?" he looked him over with his eyes, concern lacing his gaze "Are you not well?"
He shook his head, "No-wait-yes-yes I'm okay!"
The archangel raised an eyebrow in amusement "Are you sure, little one?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm okay. I just…Sariel was being herself….And I was getting annoyed…And…And I wanted to see you again."
"You wished to see me again?"
His fledgling companion blushed deeply and nodded, looking to his feet in sudden shame, it was wrong to want the attention of an archangel when they had so many other things they had to worry about. "I can…I can go if you want….You looked like you were busy…I'm sorry for disrupting your class…" and the fledgling turned to make his departure.
Fingers hooked under his arms and he was lifted away from the ground, he yelped on instinct, reaching out to clutch at the thing nearest him, his fingers curling into warm soft robes.
"Nonsense. You could never be a disruption. You came all this way, stay with me a while, rest those legs of yours."
He looked up in surprise as the Healer settled him on his arm, smiling down to the fledgling he carried, and turned to return to his class. Oren snorted in an amused manner at his return, giving him a knowing look, and he swatted at him playfully. The Virtue laughed softly as he ducked under the swat and dashed away to tend to those on the other end and well away from swatting distance.
The class watched him approach with wide eyes, the fledgling on his arm becoming shy at the sudden amount of eyes that fell upon him, and they watched in fascination as he hid himself in the folds of the Healer's robes.
Raphael smiled at the feeling, and pat his little thigh in comfort, returning to his class with the fledgling perched on his arm now.
"Now, who can tell me what we do to treat wounds unseen to the midsection?"
A few brave souls raised their hands, and he pointed to the short female towards the back of the class, waving for the others to allow her a place in the front. Her dark short hair framed her face, and she looked up at him with brilliant emerald eyes.
"Asroilu?"
"Um, Sir, we feel the afflicted area for tenderness?"
"Yes, very good…This would be so much easier if we had an example." He smiled suddenly and looked down to the shy fledgling curled into his shoulder "Little Jeza, would you mind being our guide for this lesson?" the fledgling looked up at him with wide anxious eyes, turned to peer at the ones gathered around for their class, and then back to the Archangel giving a nod of approval. "Very good." The Healer carefully turned him on his arm, pressing him back against his chest, his arm curled between his legs to keep him from falling. He pulled the boys top up slightly to reveal the area they were using as their example.
The teacher looked back to his student "If the afflicted area is here," he curled his hand around the boy's tummy "We would first feel for tenderness, is that right Asroilu?"
"Yes sir."
He nodded and pressed his fingers into the boys belly, it elicited a light yelp of surprise and a fit of soft giggles from him, and the Healer smiled at the sound of it. It brightened the room with its melody, the young choir angel giggling with the innocence of a fledgling, and he could feel his lieutenants eyes on the back of his head burning him with his amusement.
"Then what?" More hands went up, "Sophia?"
Another female stepped forward, taller then the last, with long brown hair braided down her back.
"If we find a tender spot, we press it for reaction, and depending on the reaction is the treatment we give."
He felt around the belly, smiling to himself when he found a place that elicited a soft shriek of laughter, and nodded to his student "And what are the possible causes to be treated?"
"Internal bleeding."
"Bruising."
"Internal punctures."
They scattered when he dismissed them for the day, some choosing to follow elders around, others to go off to do only Father knew what, he didn't much care what they did so long as they worked on their studies and returned when they were meant to. With them gone, he turned to the fledgling still perched on his arm, his hand resting lightly on the small belly.
"And you, what was that I heard?" he squeezed his belly playfully and the boy squirmed with a small happy shriek "Are we a wee bit sensitive?" Jezaniah giggled softly, a soft tinkling sound, and looked up at him with bright eyes. "You said you had come in a foul mood, should I relieve you of this?"
"I'm happy now!" he giggled out between pokes to his little belly, the Healer chuckled, turning to walk among his patients as he was wont to do when there was none that needed his direct intervention "Are you sure? It is not healthy for ones as young as you to be unhappy."
"I'm positive!"
The little boy squirmed when those long nimble fingers poked at the side of his tummy, giggling softly with every one, reaching down with his hands to curl his little fingers around the Healer's wrist "R-Ra-Rapha! Tickles!"
"I know it does, little Jeza," the Archangel sounded amused, fond almost, but definitely amused "That's why I do it. We can't have you grumpy."
"I'm not!"
"You swear to me?"
"I swear!"
Raphael smiled, but relented, and instead curled him back around to rest against his shoulder "Then I shall let you go, for now, I do want to explore this sensitivity a bit more at a later time."
Time passed quickly, and soon the fledgling had fallen asleep on his shoulder, the sun was nearly setting and yet no one had come to retrieve the slumbering fledgling, and concern began to set in. The archangel had no problems with carrying him, he was a light and warm weight that was very much manageable, but one would think a guardian would have come for him by now.
Oren was frowning as he stepped up to his side, similar thoughts seemingly passing through his own mind, and they both turned to watch as bodies slowly stopped trickling in through the front, leaving the only ones there as the ones who were not well enough to leave just yet.
"No one has come for him?"
The Healer shook his head, "None thus far." He looked to the sleeping fledgling on his shoulder "I do not want to keep him from bed for too long, but it is concerning none have come to retrieve him, from what I can remember, he does have a guardian."
"Then why have they not come?"
"I do not know, Oren, though I wish I had the answer."
The Virtue fell silent for a moment as they watched the stars slowly begin to shine in the darkened night sky. At this time, guardians would be tucking their fledglings in for sleep, and yet this one remained with them instead.
"Did he mention anything to you?"
"He mentioned his begin stage of annoyance at one called Sariel, I have met her myself and this annoyance is well placed, as sad as it is to say, I just fear that her words may have gotten between guardian and charge."
"You don't think they would have turned their back on him?"
"Some will do even the most unthinkable when swayed by others. All I know is that she was not happy that he came to explore with his young friend, Akeelah, and from what I've heard, his guardian is not exactly the type to stand up."
He stilled when the fledgling shivered softly against him, and the Healer reached to the side for the blanket from the empty bed he stood next to, curling it around his small frame and the shivering came to a stop.
"What will become of him now, sir, I am sure we could find him a suitable temporary caretaker as the matter is addressed."
"Nonsense, I will not give him to another who he does not know, he's already too shy as it is." He looked down to the slumbering fledgling and rubbed a soothing circle over his back "He will stay with me for the time being."
"Excuse me, sir, but you are such a softie."
"Excused, now come closer so that I may swat you upside the head."