Meg was taking food to Castiel's room when she first heard it. An echoing scream and upset cries of a patient. She didn't pay much attention to the scream; the real nurses could handle it themselves.
Multiple doctors and nurses ran past her in the hallway. She watched as they all went around the corner and out of sight. Meg would admit she was curious to see which nutcase was throwing the tantrum, and they were all heading the same place where Clearance's room was. She followed them around the corner and watched as they all disappeared into the room where the yells were coming from.
They had gone into Cass's room. Immediately she dropped the tray of food and ran to the door. Two nurses stood by his bed trying to calm him down while a doctor stood in the corner preparing a sedative. Meg watched as the nurses stroked his hair and told him everything was going to be all right. He was curled up in the fetal position, his head tucked between his knees and his face hidden under his hands. They were able to calm him down to the point where his screams were now whimpers. The doctor sat beside Castiel and explained what he was going to do.
"Now Mr. Winchester, I'm going to give you a shot. It may hurt but I want you to think of a song. Can you hum it for me?"
Meg could see the brown hair move up and down under Cass's hands. She began to hear him hum. It was an ACDC song. Something she never would have guessed he knew, but he had spent so much time with the Winchesters that it also made sense.
The doctor gave him the anesthetic and the room cleared out one by one until Meg and Cass were the only ones left. Meg was leery now. She had seen terrible things in hell. Terrible, awful things people could never imagine, yet when she had seen Castiel curled up on the bed screaming with no way for anyone to help him, it was an image she could never forget.
"Cass?" Meg asked walking toward the bed.
He didn't move. Only the sounds of shallow, shattered breath could be heard in the room.
She sat beside him and rested her hand on is head. Meg was never good at the whole 'taking care of people' thing. Torturing was the only thing she could do. But torturing an angel who just had a psychotic melt down didn't seem like the best idea. Instead she'd have to go with the first and give the whole 'comforting' thing a shot.
"You called me my name." Castiel said under his hands.
"What?" Meg asked, shocked he was talking. Castiel moved his hands out of his face and looked up towards her. His blue eyes red and agitated from crying.
"You called me Cass. Instead of Clarence, bird brain, feathers-"
Meg cut him off not wanting to hear him list of the millions of nicknames she called him. "What's you point?"
"I don't know my point. It was originally to serve my Father but after his disappearance I have found little point."
"No," she corrected. Meg's patience was wearing thin from his weird crazy talk. "I mean what was your point about me calling you Cass."
"Oh," his voice went gruff again and he narrowed his eyes, glaring at something that Meg couldn't see by the far wall. "I don't recall. But thank you."
"Okay nutter ball." She patted his head and stood up. "Do you want dinner? I can go get hamburgers this one time if you want."
Castiel shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "No, I prefer to just lye here."
Meg threw her hands up in the air. "Okay, but I'm not leaving you alone then." She grabbed a chair and a magazine from the desk and sat down, her feet propped on the bed.
Cass watched her with large eyes for what was close to an hour before he spoke again.
"Meg?"
"Hmm."
"I keep seeing him."
"Who?" she asked unconcerned.
"Lucifer. It's what's left over from Sam's," he narrowed his eyes at the wall behind her.
"Are you seeing him now?" she threw the magazine on the bed and leaned forward.
Castiel nodded, his eyes never leaving the wall. "He doesn't hurt you though. Not like the others."
Meg was confused again. "Others? What others?"
Castiel's eyes moved off the wall and back to Meg. "The other nurses. When they come in to check on me. He hurts them, and they don't even realize it."
Meg didn't ask what Lucifer did to them, what little she could imagine was horrifying enough.
"It's because you're his daughter. A traitor but you are his 'creation' and he won't hurt you." Castiel covered his face again below his hands.
"He's right." She sighed and began playing with Cass's hair. "I am a traitor. And so are you and the Winchesters. We destroyed are own destinies and now we're paying for it. But that doesn't make us wrong or right; it just means we're free. Do you see why we have to stick together?"
Castiels eyes peeked between his fingers. He gave a small nod in agreement and Meg leaned back satisfied with herself. "Dad's gonna' be real mad at me when he finds out." She joked.
Castiel just stared blankly at her. "Do fish have fingers?" he finally asked, narrowing his eyes at the question.
"Yes." She wasn't listening again. Meg pretended to read her magazine when really she was determining how to keep herself and crazy under the radar. All the nurses seemed to know, and love, Clarence while Meg was becoming a bit too 'outgoing' with a few of the male nurses. They would have tone it down or they could be discovered and that was the last thing she needed.
"Clarence," she nudged him with her foot to make sure he would listen. "Which nurses come in the mornings?"
He listed of a few of the nurses, some Meg didn't even know.
"Which one is your favorite?" Meg asked absent-mindedly. In normal circumstances she wouldn't care which nurse was going to take care of him, but it was better to use one he trusted for her plan. But that plan fell apart rather quickly when he told her.
"You are." He said smiling up to her.
"What?" she threw the magazine into her lap and glared at him. "Pick a real nurse feathers."
Castiel looked puzzled as if thinking again. "But I like you better than the rest."
Meg rolled her eyes. "Listen, I'm trying to make up a plan so we can stay at the hospital without nurses and doctors harassing us. If I can get one of the morning nurses to watch out for you when I won't stay then you might be able to stay unnoticed."
Castiel sat up, his scrubs wrinkled. "What do you mean 'when you won't stay'?"
Meg stammered for a moment trying to think of an explanation. "Nothing. Just…yeah nothing." She stood up gathering her things to leave.
"Meg," Castiel's voice became very serious as he stood up to follow her. For the first time since he had come here, she noticed light beneath his vessels eyes. It turned the soft blue orbs into a lighter shade, his grace beginning to shine through as a warning. "What did you mean?"
Meg wanted to ditch the meat suite. Angelic smiting threats tended to have an effect like that on demons. She could feel her insides squirming, preparing to leave if he attacked. "You don't want to do this Clarence. Think about it."
"I won't if you just tell me." His voice was still calm despite the tension in the room.
"This is why!" she shouted gesturing to him. "You, the Winchesters, all Crowley's bitches!"
Castiels eyes dimmed. "I…don't understand." His head cocked to the side studying her. "Sam, Dean and I mean you no harm without a reason."
"Clarence! I'm the reason your friends are dead! Their father! They have more than enough reasons! Can't you see when they come back to get you they're gonna' kill me if you don't first!" Meg took a moment before speaking again.
"I have demons and hunters on my ass. By helping you and the Winchesters I thought I would have enough back up to scare off a few of them, but that wasn't smart because I'm just a sitting duck at this hospital. I was planning on ditching when I got the chance." She looked back to Cass, expecting to have to ditch sooner than expected, but he just stood there, face expressionless like usual.
"I'm sorry." He walked forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a stiff hug.
"Clarence…" Meg tried to squirm away but he was hugging to tight. "Please stop."
"No." was his simple answer.
They stood there for a few long minutes. Meg still squirming and using her arms trying to pry herself away and Castiel's chin resting on her head. He smiled as he felt her relax and pat his back. "Okay feathers that's enough."
He let go of her and smiled. "I promise upon my life I will not allow the Winchesters, demons, angels or other hunters to harm you." He thought about what he said then added, "Unless you hurt Dean and Sam, then I'll kill you myself."
Meg nodded in agreement. "Okay feathers, you have a deal." She patted his back and when he finally let go she warned, "But I swear, you freaking hug me again I'll cut your arms off."
They shook on it. The promise that she wouldn't hurt them and in return Castiel offered protection and no hugs. At least two of the promises would be broken in the end. The hugs were back within a week, no shocker for Meg really. Castiels promise to protect her failed within the next month when he disappeared to purgatory. And Megs? She hadn't decided yet. By her old standards the Winchesters deserved to die, to suffer like she had with Crowley. And her chance was here, yet that day a year ago still bothered her. And this was her chance for revenge or to keep her word as a demon.