As humans were more fragile, in some ways, it meant that Lazar had to get more creative. Unfortunately it turned out that at least where torture was concerned, Lazar was very creative.

It was nothing that Sam couldn't handle. He kept telling himself that. He had been in the cage with Lucifer for longer than any human should even be alive. He had been through worse and he had come out the other side. Not stronger, no. But still alive. Still breathing. Still feeling. Still remembering too and this treatment was excellent at dragging up past memories.

But he didn't break and he gave him nothing and he still managed to walk at least a few steps alone when he got back to the cell. And once he fell to his knees, he crawled the last few metres to be next to Raphael, to look him over. It felt silly to check an angel's breathing, yet he did just that, while placing a gentle hand on an unharmed part of Raphael's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Matty hated when he apologised these days. He said he hated it because Sam had nothing to apologise for, yet Sam thought that truly he must hate it because it never ended and it made nothing better. Apologies were no use. Sam knew that misery spread from him, infecting anyone he got close to. "I'm so sorry, Raphael..."