5
"Note to self get Balthazar sleep aid tomorrow as well" John mumbled to himself, listening to the poor new man, toss and turn. After lunch, which Balthazar nearly choked on, because he was shoveling in his mouth to fast, John got him to talk about what happened a little. Apparently when fed Balthazar was only given rice, originally because Gabriel only knew how to make it, then later it was because it was cheap and tasteless. All he drank, when given stuff to drink that wasn't holy water, was water he nearly died of dehydration though, because he didn't trust Gabriel when she would tell him to drink it, and that it wasn't holy water.
It made it so much worst, that things like that, were common for Balthazar. Then John brought up about taking a bath…it wasn't good. John was happy he didn't have snooping neighbors, above or below, because it probably sounded really bad. He begged and threatened, then finally got Balthazar into the tub and Balthazar just sat there, not moving a muscle. John had been embarrassed to have to bath the man like a child, but it had to be done, John didn't want to hear the man whine, when his lacerations began to get infected or itch, from scabbing over, something they didn't get to do while in Gabriel's hands.
While bathing Balthazar, the phone had rang, luckily it was at the end of the bath and John gave Balthazar some space, to let him dry himself. It turned out to be Angela, who needed an exorcist, but John knew he couldn't leave the man, so instead he called in another one to take the job. He had to help the man with his back, a marred and scarred place, proof that Gabriel had truly lost her mind.
The meal had been fine, but then while putting dishes away John had dropped one, and then Balthazar began to pick the pieces up, with his bare hands. John panicked, but knew to keep a straight head and pushed Balthazar away, then began to slowly take the pieces from Balthazar's slightly cut hands and that's when John saw that, it looked like his hands had once been shredded before and John had it had to do with a broken plate.
The thing that bothered John the most was that were most torture victims were infection ridden, it seemed like Gabriel kept the wounds clean, John was sure it was just so Balthazar didn't die. The mere thought made Johns stomach turn and twist in his body, and made him want to reach for a bottle, but John knew getting plastered in front of the man would be a bad idea, then John thought about Balthazar creeping off the couch and killing himself that made John rise out of bed and pad out to the living room and found Balthazar caught in a nightmare. Yup have to buy sleep aid…for both of us. John didn't do anything for the man remembering that you're not supposed to wake a victim of a nightmare. John just padded to the kitchen, and thought of a way to make sure Bal couldn't open them, after doing that John then put the knives up and away and thought about how it felt like he was hiding things from a child. A beaten scared and scarred child thought John with a flinch but maybe John could use that make sure Balthazar didn't go back to his nasty demon self. 'Like that's possible he doesn't want to be touched he doesn't trust me…but why should he?' John thought bitterly 'I gave him no real reason to trust me'. Balthazar suddenly sat up and gave a choked yell that made the man cough John hearing this got Balthazar some water and began to walk over then remembered to announce himself and made his steps heavier to tell the man where he was John knew Balthazar heard him because he tilted his head towards John. Who told him to drink the water and John wasn't surprised when Balthazar refused to drink it and kept coughing. John shook his head at the man and tried to think of a way to get Balthazar to trust him unable to think of anything John walked away and decided to if there was anything he could make into breakfast deciding that running on only a few hours of sleep one more day wouldn't kill him. He turned on the radio that crackled out a blues tune and John let it be and began to cook breakfast listening to Balthazar wheeze and hoped the demon would just take a drink already. John then hoped for the millionth time that the demon would heal quickly both physically and mentally.
Authors note: Yup ...this sucks. Review please