Warning: This chapter will deal with serious issues

It was 10pm and Thorne's hand trembled round the whiskey glass. Why did he have to try and hold things with his fucked-up hand? Yes, the whiskey was good. Husk always knew what Thorne liked and how he liked it. But why did Thorne have to make things complicated? Trying to use a pretty useless limb, losing his friends, leaving Husk. Perhaps he enjoyed the challenge, he certainly did when he was alive. Following the abusers to their homes, slowly torturing them, driving them mad, only to encourage their suicide later. They always did it of course, Thorne could be quite persuasive. He had to keep his patients safe.

Thorne lifted the glass, watching the dark honey-coloured liquid jump and swirl as his tremor shook the glass. A grey hand took the glass out of his hand and put it back on the bar.

"You've had enough." Vagatha stated, folding her arms.

"My dear Vagatha." Thorne sighed, lifting his trembling hand. "This is not because of alcohol, this is trauma, and I am trying to treat it."

The moth demon raised an eyebrow, "With booze?"

"Well, I can't very well use drugs, can I? It would affect my abilities as a doctor."

"And booze doesn't?!"

"Hey, I only take enough to get slightly tipsy, and steady my hand. I would never compromise the care I give." Thorne drained his glass and gestured to Husk, who was busy cleaning the bar. "How many have I had Husk?"

"'Bout three, and it's taken you two hours to get through 'em." Husk grumbled, annoyed at being included in the argument.

Vaggie frowned, turned on her heels and walked out the room.

"Bitch" Husk growled.

"Perhaps" Thorne shrugged, "But she's a protective bitch. She just wants to make sure that Charlie's passion project works."

Husk nodded to Thorne's glass, "Another?"

"No thanks, you know me, complete lightweight."

"Yer, fucking pussy when it comes to drinking. But you were much better at…" Husk looked away embarrassed.

Husk thought years back to when he felt a certain doctor's teeth on his neck, a pair of hands travelling up his back. Taking turns to 'help' each other, before passing out and not talking to each other for weeks, then calling Thorne for a 'check-up'. They both knew that it wasn't going to last. They were looking for different things. And while it was fun, it didn't give them the happiness they were looking for. They enjoyed each other's company, but they both felt guilty afterwards as if one had been using the other.

Husk sighed, he thought back to the last time he saw Thorne, several months ago. He was fucked up, not in the way that Hell tends to mess with the unwary. Things had obviously gone to shit. A needle still in his arm, looking as if he had been in several fights. As soon as seeing him, Thorne collapsed into Husk's arms. He was soon unconscious, but not before crying about; a fire, a warehouse and two girls Mia and Abigail. Most of Hell had heard the story, large warehouse fire, entire gang of demons and overlord erased with Thorne taking the territory. Next day Thorne gone and new shiny hospital in place of the warehouse. Thorne had made headlines as one of the youngest overlords in Hell's history. Husk hadn't seen Thorne till yesterday, he wondered how things were between them.

"Ain't you supposed to be treating Angel?" Husk asked, putting his rag down.

"No show."

Then the front door clicked shut. Angel was back.

"Hey doc ya got any shit for pain?" Angel grumbled before making his way upstairs, his dishevelled coat trailing behind him, sunglasses perched on his nose.

"Angel, wait." Thorne called after him. Sliding off his barstool. "You're two hours late."

"I had shit to do!"

"You should've told me, I waited for you."

"Merda del cazzo, it doesn't fuckin' matter! Capito." Angel shouted as he made his way into Thorne's office, staggering to the desk.

Shutting the door, Thorne calmly walked up behind the lanky spider and put a hand on his shoulder. Angel spun around, his sunglasses.

"Fuck off doc, you can't help me."

Thorne put his hands-on Angel's shoulders.

"Let me try."

"Why, you don't fucking care!"

Thorne reached for Angel's glasses, "Yes I do".

Angel slapped Thorne's hands away, stifling a yelp of pain, pulling his hands closer to his fluffed-up chest. The feline demon reached for Angel's glasses again and this time without protest managed to pull them off. Angel quickly covering his face and started sobbing. Reaching up again, Thorne gently moved Angel's hands out of the way revealing; a bloodied lip and nose and a black eye, swimming with tears.

"Who did this to you Angel?"

"Y'already know who."

"Yes, but you will feel better if you say it."

"Val" Angel whimpered looking away. "He was drunk and said that he was gunna make me pretty by making my eyes match."

Gingerly lifting one of Angel's hand, Thorne slowly removed the pink glove. Revealing cigarette burns up and down the spider's arm and palm.

"What about this?"

"I fucked up. I said no"

Nodding solemnly, Thorne took Angel's other hand and gently removed the other glove, showing dark bruising on his hand.

"What about this?"

"His limousine door." Angel sobbed, finally letting the tears fall freely down his face. "Because then my hands would match."

A close examination of the hand satisfied Thorne that no bones were broken. A dark thought entered his mind.

"Did he do anything else Angel?" he asked softly.

A small nod, confirmed his suspicion.

His face falling, Thorne pulled out a pair of latex gloves from his pocket. "May I?"

Angel slowly closed his eyes, nodded and started to remove his jacket.

Removing the gloves and igniting them in the small bin by his desk, Thorne sighed as Angel silently redressed himself sitting on the edge of the examination bed.

"There are three things you need to do right now Angel." Thorne's deep voice being the only one that resonated around the room.

Angel looked up as Thorne slowly walked back to him.

"The first one needs you to be standing."

Angel rose and was quickly embraced by Thorne, who had pulled him into a hug.

It was too much for Angel, physical contact that wasn't a beating and didn't require intercourse, with no strings attached. He broke down and started crying, no tears came, he had exhausted himself crying silently as Thorne examined him.

"Of course," Thorne continued, "You know that this doesn't come for free."

Angel looked up at the feline demon, confused.

"It will cost you a smile." Thorne spoke. "And a proper one please, don't make me pull a face."

Angel snorted a laugh, wiping his eyes with his newly bandaged hand, his mouth forming a small smile.

"That's better." Thorne smiled back, "Now Angel I want you to do something else for me."

"Yeh?"

"I want you to call someone close to you and tell them what has happened."

Angel started shaking his head. "I can't…"

"I know you will find it difficult, but you can tell them as much or as little as you want."

"No, I can't." Angel said raising his voice, before muttering, "Val took my phone.".

Rummaging through his own pockets, Thorne asked "If you had your phone, who would you call?"

"Cherri" Angel replied, before being surprised further by Thorne waving his HellPhone under his nose.

"Do you know her number?"

Angel nodded and slowly entered the number, hesitating before pressing dial. His eyes widening as she answered.

"Cherri?" Angel asked, his voice shaking. Waiting for a reply

"Yes… Cherri, something happened." Angel sobbed, "Can I see you?". There were a few minutes of silence, before the spider nodded, hung up and handed the phone back.

Thorne beamed. "Well done Angel, now we do the third thing. But you need to be in your bedroom for that."

Angel sat on his bed. The spider had changed into his night clothes and sat on his bed, knees up to his chin in silence. All he could do was replay the events of the day in his head, the pain, anger and hopelessness just swirled in his mind like red cloud. How could Thorne help him? A hug, a phone-call and now what ever the fuck he was doing now. He still had to go back to Valentino. He couldn't escape. He could stay away for as long as he could, but that fucking moth would find him, or would use his soul contract and summon him.

A small knock brought Angel out of his stupor.

"Yer"

The door opened; Thorne was carrying a tray of ice-cream tubs.

"There's someone to see you." He spoke softly. A cyclops demon barged past him, throwing her arms around Angel.

"Angie, baby." Cherri muttered, "What happened?!"

Thorne set the tray of ice-cream down, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

"Legs gonna be ok?" Husk asked, as he sat at the poker table. Partially obscured in a smoky haze.

"Eventually." Thorne replied, stretching his arms above his head as he sat down.

"Fuck"

"You telling me you care Husk?", Thorne smiled.

"Course I do." Husk growled. "Kid's got it worse than most down here in this shit-hole. And that rat-bastard is fucking him up."

Thorne's reply was cut short by a small pulling on his trouser leg. Looking down, he noticed it was a small pig. Pulling on him with his teeth.

"Who's this?"

"That's Fat Nuggets, he's…"

"The cutest ham, I've ever seen." Thorne cooed, scooping the piglet into his arms and setting him on his lap. Then with a wicked grin, taking the lit cigarette from the ash-tray and putting it in his mouth.

"No Mr. Husk, I expect you to die." Thorne sneered, doing his best Bond villain voice.

Husk smiled.

"Was that a smile?!"

"Fuck off it was."

"I knew I could make you smile."

Thorne returned the cigarette to the tray.

"You might as well have it." Husk sighed. "Can't have it now it's been in your mouth."

Thorne peered at his ex over his glasses and scoffed.

"It isn't the first time, something of yours has been in my mouth."

Husk scowled.

"What ya gonna do about Angel Dust?"

"Oh, I'm gonna leave Val a message." Thorne reclined back in his chair. "Just need to make sure he can't ignore it."

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I plan on doing more at some point.