I'd like to say that I literally loved "Goodbye, Stranger". I just wish they had given it a different ending. Not substantially different but I wanted to see some other things that I included in this fic. More Sam and Dean scenes that is and as it's obvious from my previous stories some more intense hurt!Dean or hurt!Sam moments. Enjoy ;) Reviews are much appreciated!
"Cas… It's me. We're family. We need you. I need you."
Dean's breaking voice, his words awoke something in Cas. Dean's half-opened eyes were focused on his, waiting for either a final blow or release. When the Angel saw in them the trust and love of his friend, his brother, he regained his senses and dropped his sword which fell on the ground making a metallic sound. He let go of Dean's arm and turned his gaze to the tablet. Dean's painful screams echoed all over the crypt. The moment Cas picked it up, the room filled with blinding light from which Dean tried to protect his eyes by covering them with his unscathed arm. Castiel's entire body was glowing and so were the enochian writings on the tablet. He was finally disconnected from Naomi who was shouting hysterically in her office, realizing she had now no control over him. Then he vanished into thin air.
Dean was on his knees, half of his face deformed from Castiel's brutal punches and he was bleeding immensely. Blood kept coming out of his nose and mouth as well as from other parts of his head. The pain from his broken arm was excruciating. He tried to speak his brother's name but the effort alone was too much. He hadn't got such a serious beatdown since that time when Alastair made his head a boxing bag, sending to the hospital half-dead. He tried to stand up but soon he reckoned it was a very bad idea. The dizziness clouded his sight and the pain hit him like a lightning strike. His breaths were fast and heavy and his heart rate became slower. Before he could make another move, he collapsed, face down on the floor and then embraced the darkness of unconsciousness which saved him from the unbearable ache.
"Go. Save your brother and… my unicorn." Meg told Sam who was more that surprised by her new attitude. She was a demon. She had caused them too much trouble in the past and she was to blame for the deaths of Ellen and Jo. But she did save their asses more than once too. Of course, she mostly served her own purposes but the change in her was obvious. She could have double-crossed them on many occasions and she didn't. Now she was staying behind to face the King of Hell alone. It was a certain death but it would buy the boys some time to get the heck out. Sam started running. He found the entrance to the crypt rather easily since Cas had previously brought down the wall behind which it was located. He yelled Dean's name a couple of times. There was no reply. When he walked down the stairs that took him to the main room, he stopped cold at the sight of his unconscious brother who was lying motionless on the ground; he was a bloody mess.
"Dean! Dean! Oh God, what…?"
Sam came to Dean's side with the speed of light. He turned him over so he could see his face and grabbed the collar of his jacket pleading him to wake up.
"Come on, please, PLEASE! Wake up dammit! Don't do this to me!"
He checked to see if he was breathing and fortunately he was but his pulse was alarmingly weak. After five minutes that seemed like a century to Sam, Dean finally responded. He could barely open his eyes. Well, mostly his right eye because the left one was too swollen. For a moment, he wondered where he was, trying to recollect the memories of what had happened. Then, the pain kicked in again. Sam understood that apart from his face, Dean was hurt somewhere else too.
"Hey, hey Dean! Take it easy. You with me?" Sam asked his big brother, the tone of concern extremely apparent.
"My…arm…" Dean said. It was more like a whisper than a normal answer. The overwhelming pain brought tears to his eyes and he struggled to remain conscious.
"Jesus! What the hell happened…? Screw it. Don't need to answer me now. We need to get to the car and then find you help. Dean, you must bear with me. Crowley is outside and I don't know how much longer Meg will be able to keep him busy. Come on, let's get you on your feet, alright?"
Dean simply nodded. His mind was too confused, trying to assert the situation while the majority of his body felt like it was on fire. After two or three tries, Sam managed to lift him up.
"Lean on me. We're gonna make it. Just don't pass out!" Sam begged.
Dean put his arm around Sam's shoulder and Sam grabbed him by his waist. Luckily, Sam had found another way out through which Crowley wouldn't see them coming.
When they got outside, Sam watched from a distance Crowley practically slaughtering Meg. For a second, he thought about helping her but the thought was quickly put aside because his priority was Dean who was scarcely holding it together. He needed a hospital ASAP. He whispered to Dean to be quiet and guided him to the Impala as noiselessly as he could. Not that Dean was in shape of even uttering the shortest word but he did his best to suppress the need to let out heavy groans. The moment Sam opened the passenger's door, Crowley turned around, his eyes spitting fire and he was about to attack the brothers. That's when Meg took the chance to stab him with an angel blade. Crowley growled and backed off. Seeing this, Sam hurried to put the mostly unconscious Dean in the car and quickly made his way to the driver's seat. He started the engine and looked behind to see the two demons. If only Meg hadn't missed the bastard's heart. The son of a bitch was still standing and took all of his fury on Meg whom he shoved away after driving his sword through her chest. Sam didn't stop. He couldn't take the risk and there was nothing he could really do. He stepped on the accelerator and drove off. Crowley considered going after them but it was Castiel and the Angel tablet that he truly cared about. In addition, Dean had rebuilt the Impala to be Demon-Proof.
Sam had violated every speed limit on the road. He kept talking to Dean, trying to keep him awake which worked at first. Though after a while, Dean shut down completely. His head was leaning against the cold window but he couldn't get any colder than that. His skin was pale and ice-cold. Sam had checked his pulse twice. It was steady but slow. It's a miracle how he didn't crash the car. When they got to the nearest hospital, Sam got out and screamed for help. Two male paramedics rushed outside carrying a stretcher, put Dean on and took him to the ER. Sam followed them, worried sick about his brother but after a point they wouldn't let him go further. He was led to a waiting room and told to be patient. He ran his hands through his hair and leaned against the wall. He didn't feel good himself and decided to sit on one of the plastic chairs. He started coughing violently until it was difficult to even breathe. But then he reminded himself that he had no time to deal with his crap because Dean needed him and he had to be strong for when he would wake up. He finally caught his breath and tried to calm down. A young, blonde nurse who was passing by, noticed that he didn't look well and offered him some water. He gladly accepted it and kindly thanked her. After two and a half hours, a doctor came out of the ER and gave Sam and update about Dean.
"Your brother sustained a very serious concussion. His face is covered in bruises. Whoever beat him up must have some strong fists. We've managed to stop the bleeding and luckily there was no brain damage. As for his arm, it will have to remain in a cast for at least a month. He is able to breathe on his own but we're providing him with some extra oxygen. He is sedated at the moment. He'll need plenty of rest. You can see him now if you like."
Sam sighed with relief. Dean would be fine but he still needed to unravel the mystery of what had happened back at the crypt and how his brother ended up like that. He was suspecting that Castiel and his sudden disappearance to parts unknown had something to do with it but he could never imagine the unexpected turn of events. He denied the thought of Cas being responsible for Dean's state. Sure, he had taken a swing or two on him in the past but he had done so to put some sense into Dean who he had decided to say "Yes" to Michael and become his puppet. That time Dean actually deserved to get his ass kicked.
The doctor saw Sam to Dean's room. He was lying on the hospital bed, covered by sheets, his broken arm carefully put on his side while his other rested flat on his chest. The doctors had a nasal cannula inserted in his nostrils to make his breathing easier. His clothes, including his bloody jacket were folded and placed on one of the chairs and he was in a typical white patient outfit. Sam took a seat beside him and had a good look at him. He hated seeing Dean like this.
"You're going to be a-okay, bro. We'll be home in no time, you'll see. And we'll get our payback. I promise." Sam softly told Dean, his voice reassuring.
Soon, he felt the exhaustion taking him over. He had been though much himself and since he had completed the first Trial he was in a pretty bad shape. Plus, Dean was now aware of that and he couldn't hide it anymore. He mostly wanted to believe he was alright. Eventually, he sank deeper into his seat, curled his arms around his torso and fell asleep.
The next day, when Dean came to, Sam was still there and smiled at him when he opened his eyes.
"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?"
Dean felt like he had thorns stuck inside his throat but this time he was able to speak.
"I feel like I've been stepped on by a truck. Ouch, dammit!"
"Take it easy. The doctor says you'll be good to go in a couple of days. But you will be stuck with the cast for a while"
"Oh, not again. Last time I almost blew my brains out of boredom. This sucks ass. And we have no time for such crap. Especially when you have been acting off lately." Dean protested.
"Well, first off, you have no choice. You can't do much with one arm. I know it's no fun but you'll have to endure it. As for me … Look. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was just hoping it wasn't really something to worry over."
"Sam. I can't take any more lies. You need to be honest with me from now on, man."
"You're right. And I will be. But Dean…I have to ask. It's driven me crazy. What the hell happened back there?"
Dean remembered all of it. How Cas almost beat him to death, how he heard that there was someone controlling his actions. Someone called Naomi. And of course how he managed to snap him out of it. His haunted eyes betrayed the terror that he lived through and at the same time the worry about the Angel's whereabouts.
"Dean… What?"
"Me and Cas found the tablet. Only a human could open the box where it was hidden so I did. When I took it in my hands, Cas wanted me to give it to him. I hesitated and told him that you and I would take it to Kevin. He insisted that he had to take it and when I refused to let it go he charged me."
Sam had turned red from anger.
" . . Next time he pops up I'm gonna rip him to shreds! That fucking bastard!"
"Sam. It wasn't really him. It was as if his actions weren't his own. Like a robot, his moves were programmed. At some point he spoke the name of some Naomi. I suspect she is behind this."
"And that's supposed to make it better? He nearly killed you Dean! What would have happened if I didn't get to you in time? What would I do?" Sam was panicking. He couldn't control his emotions.
"Sam you did. I'll be ok. We'll have to lay low for some time and then we'll see what we're gonna do."
"So, what happened in the end?"
"I guess, I kinda convinced him to stop and after he touched the tablet he disappeared. That's about it. The only thing I remember next was you coming to me and carrying me outside. Did I miss anything?"
"Meg is dead. She stayed back to fight Crowley giving me the chance to get to you. When we got to the car she stabbed him but it didn't work. He killed her."
"Huh. That still doesn't make us even but I've got to admit, she did save our bacon. "
Sam tilted his head left and right, agreeing with Dean.
"Ok, man. That's enough for now. You gotta rest. I'm gonna go grab some stuff. I'll be back in a few. You'd better gone back to sleep when I return."
Dean threw a bitch face. He didn't want to be treated like a baby. Especially by his younger brother. He did enjoy though being taken care of from time to time. It was always his job to take care of the others so even if he denied it at first, deep down he craved for some kind of attention.
As Sam left the room, Dean turned to face the window. It was raining outside. He was still shaky about what had happened. He had never imagined Cas would hurt him so much. But then again, he couldn't control himself. And he managed to find the strength and resist this Naomi's brainwash. He had to find a way to make things right. He wouldn't shut him out. He was their friend and he needed help too. Dean decided to close his eyes and allow himself to go back to sleep. For now all he could focus on was getting out of the freakin hospital, recovering as soon as possible and keep an eye out for Sam. The kid was dealing with an impossible task and Dean would be damned if he would just sit and watch him go through it alone. They were in this together and together they would finish it. That much he knew.
His sleep was rather tranquil. He was dreaming of that 14th of July that he and Sam had burned down a field. One of his happiest memories. And then he heard him. A distant yet familiar voice. Castiel. He didn't make a full appearance; instead, he just whispered a few words.
"I'm sorry, Dean…"
Dean felt sudden warmth in his body and opened his eyes. He was no longer feeling pain. He touched his face and realized his wounds were healed. So was his arm. There was no cast wrapping it and everything was fixed. He was startled. He choked back the tears that were threatening to fall down his eyes. He pulled the sheets away, got out of his bed and put his clothes on. Minutes later, Sam came back to the room. When he saw Dean up and around he almost dropped the cup of coffee he was holding. He was so astonished that Dean had to remind him to close his mouth.
"I know. I look fantastic."
"What… how…?"
"It was him."
Dean picked up the rest of his things and grabbed the still confused Sam from his jacket. They used the back door so that no one would notice them.
"Ok. Let's get the hell out of here, shall we? I miss my room. Gimme my keys. We've got work to do."
Initially, I had thought to end the story when Sam left Dean in the room but then the rest came to me. I hope you liked my story! I would really appreciate it if you took the time to write a review! It really means a lot :)