The Infirmary was near capacity as they entered, guards still carrying and aiding Prisoners enter, the floor was littered with red footprints as they milled through. Healers were bustling about to gather up the Prisoners that they could and guide them quickly to a bed, to get them off their injured feet as soon as they could, rushing around to gather supplies and basins of clean water to begin sponging away the grime and dried blood that slicked their skin.

Somewhere in this mess was two Prisoners that were held very close to their hearts, and they looked around for the Sentry and the messenger as the Healer closed in on them.

Akeelah reached for him, from where she sat on the Viceroy's arm, and Raphael was quick in lifted her from his hold and pulling her into his embrace. She curled around him, curling her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Hi, big bear."

"My little bear." He kissed the side of her head despite the grime that coated it. "How I've missed you in my arms."

She returned a kiss to his cheek. "I missed you too."

The Healer smiled at her, curling long nimble fingers around her cheek when she leaned back to look at him, rubbing his thumb over her cheek bone. "Are you alright?"

"I'm dirty."

He chuckled warmly. "You most certainly are." Turning, he looked to the other fledgling, held securely in the Power's arms. Sasha smiled at him in greeting, and he returned it in kind, setting a hand on his head. "Are you alright, little one?"

The boy nodded, "I'm dirty too."

There was another warm chuckle, and he nodded. "You most certainly are." He poked him in the nose and looked down to the little girl on his arm. "Do you two want to get cleaned up?"

Michael stepped to the side as two healers appeared at his brother's side, without being called or prompted, with steaming warm basins of water and sponges. Raphael gestured for them to follow as he stepped forward, carrying his fledgling carefully, to the beds on Paul's left, and gestured again for Nisroc to take the bed nearest his other charge. The healers set the basins of water down on the tables before the bed, and the numerous sponges they carried, and stepped forward to lay another thick sheet over the beds as to not spread the filth over the clean blankets as they were being washed.

Once the bed was covered, his brother sat on the edge, setting the fledgling down in the middle of the bed. With a gesture of his hand, the healer pushed the cart with the basin of steaming warm water and sponges closer, excusing themselves to fetch a drying cloth and some clean clothing for the fledglings to wear after their bathing.

Akeelah eyed the basin with scrutiny and the Healer laughed at the expression, reaching forward to dip the sponge into the water, wring out the excess, and rubbed it against her arm. "Just water, see," he rubbed a small circle of grime away to reveal the clean toned skin underneath. "Just water." She nodded, reaching forward to touch it for herself, and her little fingers squeezed water out of it that fell down onto her legs.

"Orion?"

The healer had returned, draping a drying cloth and clothing for each fledgling over the edge of their beds, and looked up at his calling of her name.

Raphael looked at her from over his shoulder. "Can you fetch me some lavender soap and another basin?"

She nodded, hurrying away to gather what he had requested, and Michael hummed thoughtfully as he watched her go with haste. "She is still in training, yes?"

"Indeed, she is, a quick learner too."

While she was gone, he returned his attention to the fledgling, Akeelah looked up to meet his eyes and he smiled. Setting the sponge aside, he took hold of the hem of her little tunic, tugging it upwards gently. "Let's get this off." She nodded, and the fledgling slowly tugged the ragged top up over her head, holding it out for the Healer once she got it completely off. Raphael set it aside, he would dispose of it later, and turned just as the younger healer returned with his items. Nodding in thanks, he carefully tugged the other basin of water to the side of the bed, indicating that it was for washing the dirt and such from her curls when it came to that point.

Dipping the sponge in the other basin once more, he lathered the lavender soap into it, and reached for her arm. Scrubbing at her little hand first, it settled in his palm as he rubbed over her arm, clearing away the dirt and grime that had gathered there, before turning to the other arm and doing the same. Rinsing the sponge, he rinsed the suds away, and moved on to her trunk. Carefully wiping the dirt from her face, tapping her on the nose as he did gained him a small giggle, and down her neck to her chest. From her chest he circled down to her belly, wiggling a few fingers here and there, he smiled as she squirmed and giggled again.

Michael smiled at their interaction, looking up beyond them to his Captain, having finished his charge's top before them, he was rubbing the sponge down his legs and over his feet, whispering to him as he went in a conversation that they were not privy to hear.

Akeelah curled her cleaned fingers into his tunic as the Healer held her against him so he could clean her back and leaned back so that she could stretch her legs out into his lap, kicking at him when he poked at her sole softly.

Raphael positioned the basin below them where he needed it to be and pat his lap. "Lay down here for me."

She crawled forward, curled in the warm drying towel, and laid down on his lap. He pulled her up a bit more, her head resting against the side of his leg, over the basin of water. Using the sponge, he soaked it, and wrung it out in her curls, a few times again and again, until they were nice and wet, and lathered the lavender scented soap in them. Massaging her scalp gently, he worked the soap into every curl, until it was a sudsy ball of curls, and wrung the excess soap out with his hands before taking the sponge back up and rinsing the soap out again.

Akeelah kept herself distracted playing with her fingers as he rinsed her curls out and wrung them dry of the excess water, and looked up to his distracted expression, watching as he did as he did, and reached up to poke at his cheek when she was sure he wasn't watching her. Raphael looked down at the immediate feeling of a little finger poking his cheek, and smiled at the fledgling, she returned the smile with one of her own. "Yes, little bear?"

"Can I come with you?"

He knew what she was asking for and nodded. "After things settle down again, I'll carry you around with me to watch the others rest." He poked her in the belly with his left hand. "As you should do."

"But I'm not tired, big bear."

"I know you're not, little bear."

Finished with her hair, he helped her back up, and dried her hair with the warm towel. She lifted her arms as he held the tunic out and settled into it as he pulled her to her feet to straighten it completely out. He lifted her from the bed for a moment, standing himself, for Orion to remove the thick sheet, and immediately sat her back on the soft blankets.

"Get under there." He pointed at the blankets, and she giggled softly, climbing under the blankets.

There was a slight tug to the back of his tunic, and he leaned around to see who it was, smiling at the other fledgling. "Yes, little one?"

Nisroc sat on the edge of the bed they'd been given, leaning forward on his elbows, watching his fledgling with a protective intensity that was not uncommon from one who was given a small fledgling to raise. Sasha didn't utter a single word, pointing over to the older boy next to his bed, watching them with equal amounts of silence.

He gave an approving nod. "Yes, you may get in bed with Paul."

Sasha smiled, scurrying off for his older brother, climbing up next to him to lay with him. Paul wrapped him in his arms and laid with him against the pillow, the Power turning to tuck the blankets up under their chins, whispering to them again something that was not meant for their ears. They both nodded and he reached down to stroke both of their cheeks, kneeling to press his lips to both of their heads, softly goading them into sleeping.

Smiling at the three, he turned back to his own fledgling. "I know you're not sleepy at the moment. But you try and take a small nap at least, for me?"

She nodded sluggishly, sleeps hold on her too strong for her to fight off and curled up on her side. "Okay, big bear."

Raphael smiled as her eyes slowly fluttered closed and stood from the edge of the bed.

"Nisroc." The Captain turned at his call. "Watch over them for me?" He nodded in affirmation to the request and looked over to the other little fledgling sleeping a bed away, smiling at her peaceful expression, before turning back to his two young ones to see theirs as well.

Raphael stepped away from them, gesturing for Michael to follow, and the Viceroy followed the silent command. He led him just away just a bit, but close enough to still hear their youngest patients if they were to call for him and turned to face him so their conversation may be as private as one could be in as busy a place as the Infirmary.

"There are quite a few more then I expected there to be, brother."

Michael nodded, a light heating of shame coming over him, ducking under his brother's hard gaze. "I did a lot of damage while away from my own senses. I was surprised at how many were caged in there."

His brother nodded, his gaze hard, but not judgmental.

If there was any blame to share, it was partially in his own hands as well, it was him who had urged them all to give the Mindbreaker a second chance. Despite him exiling her from his flock, he still cared for her, perhaps more then he should have, he couldn't help his big heart. She had seemed remorseful for her wrongdoings and had asked him to give her another chance, to right the wrongs she had committed, and he, being the compassionate heart that he was, he convinced the council to allow it.

He had never thought that she might return to old ways.

Raphael knew that he was at just as much fault as his brother was, perhaps more, seeing as he had been the start of it all in allowing her to convince him to give her that second chance she never should have gotten.

"If anyone is at fault, brother, it is I."

Michael squeezed his arm in comfort. "You couldn't have known that she would betray you again."

"But I should have. There was a reason we had agreed to leave them where they were being kept. This pain and suffering is on my hands. All of this anguish is my own fault and no one else's."

"I cannot blame you for following your heart." The older archangel cupped his cheek lightly. "It's what makes you who you are."

"I can't help but feel resp—"

There was a commotion that cut him off, both archangels turned to spy what had happened, as a crowd of healers and guards converged on an individual that was just too short to see over all their shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

The Healers Virtues dived into the crowd, the Powers watching from their little ones bedside intently should they need to step in, the Virtues shoved through, moving people aside and slipping passed the gathering crowd.

Sharing a look, they stepped forward to join the fray unfolding before them, touching shoulders to alert the ones in front of them to step aside for them to pass. Zed was helping someone climb back to their feet, a bruise already forming under their eye, and Constantine had one of the Prisoners by the midsection. They pointed at the healer. "Don't you dare touch 'Reel!"

"Zaves, you can't just attack people!" Oren looked between the bruised healer and the freshly released Prisoner, standing between them, should the volatile Prisoner lash out again.

He did, Zaveriel lunged forward, Zed straining to keep him in place, reaching out for the healer who tried touch his friend. "I'll attack anyone who tries to touch my friend!"

"That is more than enough." Michael hummed in agreement as his younger brother stepped forward to enter the mess that had unfolded before them, the messenger was shaking with pent up emotion, and looked ready to come at them all for stepping to close to his friend. Raphael came to stand beside Oren, pointing first at the bruised healer. "I thank you for your help Sampson, but I will take it from here, get yourself patched up." The healer nodded at his release and stepped away with another to get the cut to his cheek patched up, Zaveriel had clearly not withheld any power in his swing. He turned to the vibrating messenger, pointing a finger at him in warning, Zaves stared at him silently. "I will take care of you and your friend, myself. And if you even think about attacking me, I don't much care where you came from, I'll have you stripped over your bed before you can even blink. Do you understand me?"

"He tri—"

"Do you understand me?"

Zaves stared at him for a long minute. "Yes sir." And looked down to avert his eyes.

A warm hand slides over his cheek and fingers curl around the back of his neck. "Zed, you can let him go. He's not going anywhere. Are you, little hummingbird?"

He looks back up, meeting his old guardian's eyes, and shakes his head silently. The Healer smiles down at him, rubbing his thumb over his cheek, and leaned down to press their foreheads together. "Let me help you now, little hummingbird? You and your friend?"

The younger angel looked up at him, gazing into his eyes, and he nodded as best as he could. "Okay."

"Good boy." He sweeps the young messenger off his feet, Zaves gives a slight yelp, curling his arms around his older brothers neck when the ground is swooped away from him. "The first thing we'll do is get you off those feet. Don't think I missed the footprints you were leaving on my flooring." He turns and the crowd disperses at a jerk of his head, returning to their tasks, and he looks to Michael for a moment as he passes. "Bring Gadreel, would you?"

Michael steps forward, with a quick nod, and kneels before the Sentry who's folded up on himself on the edge of the bed he rests on.

"I'm going to move you, okay little one?"

Gadreel looks up at him silently, eyes him carefully, as though looking for a threat, and nods his consent. Shifting forward, he collapses into the archangels arms, and feels himself being lifted in a gentle cradle.

Zaves lays his head on the Healer's shoulder. "For a moment there I thought I'd never see you again."

Raphael hums. "You can't get rid of me that easily I'm afraid." He looks down at him and smiles. "Tis the burden one must carry when I'm rather fond of them."

"Aww, you're fond of me?"

"You know I am, little one."

Truth be told, he has raised many angels, seen many fledglings grow up, but none had been as memorable as this one had been. Zaveriel had been an energetic little thing, running around and causing as much chaos as he could, running between healers and causing them to trip over their feet. He'd caused more trouble then he was worth most days, he'd been bent of the edge of many beds, bent over the edge of his desk, many many times, but he wouldn't have given him up for anything in creation. Zaveriel was his, his boy, and he wouldn't ever give that up.

"I know."

"I would hope so," he chuckles. "I let you get away with much more then I do most everybody else."

"That's because you love me."

The Healer kisses the side of his head. "I do."

He sets him on the bed directly to the left of Akeelah's, so that they two friends could be close, and turns her way for a moment to ensure she is still asleep and turns back when his assurance is made. Together, the two archangels sponge bath the two Prisoners clean, tends to their various wounds and their feet. He gives them both a tonic to drink and Michael gets Gadreel to drink it rather easily, but he as to squeeze his witty messenger's knee and pours the tonic in when he opens his mouth to laugh.

There's a look of betrayal, but Zaves swallows the foul-tasting concoction in one go, and lays back in his pillows.

Raphael smiles at him, patting his leg lightly. "You get some sleep." And tucks the blanket up under his chin.

Michael smiles at them as he watches their tender moment. "Nisroc." His Captain looks up at the sound of his name, stroking his fingers through his fledglings hair. "Watch over them all for us?" He nods at the request, Zaveriel and Gadreel are a couple of his closest friends, they are in good hands.

"Brother?" he reaches for Raphael, and the Healer comes to meet at his side, confusion shining in his eyes. "I'm going for Zachariah, and I believe you should join me."

He tilts his head. "Why me?"

"There is only one other who knows the herbal ingredients needed to poison an archangel outside of yourself and Semyaza."