Bad Omens: A Companion True (Novella)

Part 3

Crowley was sitting at Eden's bedside. Aziraphale had left to pick some roses from the garden just for Eden. Roses were her favorite and he and Crowley concurred that some more roses might cheer her up.

Eden's pain had been soothed by the herbal tea, and later by some herbal broth, followed by a scoop of vanilla ice cream to wash away the bitterness. But Crowley could see the look of frustration that had crossed Eden's face. Vanilla ice cream was the only sweet she could eat, and broth was the only food she could eat on account of the damage that her stomach had sustained when Satan had run her through.....

No. Don't think about that now Crowley, the demon told himself. The less he thought about that day the better.

"Daddy." Eden said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes darling?" Crowley practically jumped to his feet, anxious to fulfill whatever his daughter wished.

"Can you read to me?" Eden murmured. "You haven't read to me in awhile....because Papa is usually in here with me....but I miss you reading to me."

Crowley was already at the bookshelf. "Oh of course love! What would you like me to read to you? One of your Dark Crystal books? I know how much you love the Dark Crystal novels! You and Papa just finished book four, but we can start book one again!" Right when the demon grabbed the dark purple book, Eden's voice cut in, "Not today Daddy. I want to hear a Doctor Who story. The Last Voyage, please."

Crowley grinned. "I can do that." Crowley bent down and searched the many shelves that contained Eden's impressive collection of Tenth Doctor Adventure novels, and comics, before he finally found what he was looking for.

"Here we are! Doctor Who, The Last Voyage! Are you sure you want me to read it? You have the audio book read by David Tennant himself; you have several read by David Tennant, not including his Big Finish Audios....."

"No." Eden said firmly. "I want you to read it." There was a time where she thought she would never hear her father's voice ever again.

"You sound like him, even look a bit like him....you'll do."

"Which one?" Crowley demanded. He had heard this from Eden before and didn't see the resemblance. "The Doctor or David Tennant?"

Managing a weak, but sly smile, Eden tried to sit up, but a stab of pain from her stomach and broken arm made her grimace.

"Eden! What did we say about this!" Crowley scolded as he helped Eden to sit up.

"I just want to get comfortable." Eden answered honestly. "I'm sick of lying on my back."

"You are supposed to wait and let us help you! You could break your stitches; we can't afford to let that happen again!"

Once Eden was sitting up as comfortably as possible, Crowley finally began to read, lulling Eden to sleep.