The Morningstar Brigade

Chapter 15

XV

URIEL

Day One. Twelve Days Remain.

Temporary Care Ward, Morningstar Keep

"I think he might finally be coming out of it!" Meddy said, rushing over to Uriel's side and frantically checking her instruments' readings. "Go wake Jonathan, Kat and Isaac. Tell them to get ready," she said, motioning to a nearby nurse. She smiled proudly as her patient's eyelids began to move. "I wasn't sure I was ever going to get to say this, but welcome back to the land of the living, Uriel," Meddy said with a smile as his eyes flickered open.

Uriel strained to look at the source of the voice as his vision came back into focus. Meddy's white labcoat looked as though it was made of brilliant light and her golden hair was framed as though it was a halo. "Am I in heaven? Are... are you an angel?" he asked timidly.

Meddy turned to Daken, who lay extensively (if not aggressively) wrapped in bandaging beside Uriel's and flashed him a smug look. "You hear that? He thinks I'm an angel. Why can't you ever just wake up and say something nice?"

"Well, I can tell you one thing for sure: You changed way too many of his catheter bags for this to be anywhere near heaven," Daken growled, crossing his arms. "And if you think these are the pearly gates," he continued, glancing around the decimated remains of the infirmary, "you need to raise your standards a little."

The battle had left Meddy's place of healing little more than another broken shell. Clean-up crews had managed to clear away the majority of the rubble, propping up the crumbling walls with metal supports and lightly camoflauging the splints with sterile white tarp. The bodies of the Nephilim, too, had been removed or were perhaps also consumed by the divine tendrils that still continued to grow from the gleaming, golden seal that Lady Vigilant had placed. The floor, however, was a record not so easily wiped clean. The fluids of combat still stained the formerly pristine tiles and the scars from the vicious attacks of both sides traced their stony skin. The infirmary itself had become a casualty; its only remaining occupant besides Daken was Uriel himself, for fear of what might happen if he were moved. Had Daken not ardently refused treatment by any staff other than Meddy, he likely would have been moved out to the series of makeshift wound treatment stations that now dotted the wing. The staff had worked diligently to respond to their injured, placing these stations wherever they would fit in order to treat the other wounded.

"How are you feeling?" Meddy asked, walking around his bed and adjusting her various medical devices. "Any pain? Numbness? Your cast has only been off for a little while now, and I disconnected you from as many of the unnecessary machines as possible when you started to regain consciousness, but I-"

"I'm sorry, I know this is rude, but who are you again?" Uriel asked as he attempted to sit up in his bed. "I feel like I've seen you all before, but it's almost like it was in a dream."

Daken rolled over so he was looking at Uriel and raised an eyebrow. "Her? She's the only reason you aren't ten feet under the dirt," he replied. "You did get one thing right, though: she's an angel."

Meddy blushed and then immediately chided Daken for making her do so with a light flick of his ear. "I don't know about that, but I am your doctor. My name is Medala, but you can just call me Meddy." She extended her hand and then awkwardly retracted it when Uriel looked down at his re-bandaged arms. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but considering we saved each other's lives, it feels like we've met already."

Uriel looked up at Meddy sheepishly. "I don't know what you mean by that and I don't even really know where to start, but I guess this is as good a place as any: Thank you," he said, managing a weak smile.