Flirtin' With Disaster - Part One
Disclaimer: I do not own Dean, Sam, Cas, Bobby, or the Impala. No money is being made off of this.
AN: My entry into the Dean/Cas BigBang 2015. This is my first story I've written. I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to my wonderful beta padaleckhi. Thank you so much, you rock! And another major shoutout to my INCREDIBLE artist waywardwhisper! You guys were both great to work with, and this story wouldn't be what it is without you two!
Please take the time to check out this awesome art on my liveJournal! blayzepwa . livejournal . com
Title comes from the Molly Hatchet song of the same name. Fun song, and totally reminds me of Dean lol.
Warnings for language, and minor violence
Dean Winchester loved the open road. Black asphalt soaring beneath his sleek black beauty, Led Zeppelin blasting through the speakers, wind blowing in through the open window.
He had dropped Sam off at a motel a couple hours ago. He needed to clear his head after the last hunt, and nothing did it better than a few hours of alone time with just him, Baby, and nothing but open highway.
Yeah, the previous hunt had hit him hard. He was never really a fan of werewolves. They were normal people who had the misfortune to run into one of the world's many evils. He preferred hunts more along the lines of black dogs and wendigos. So when that hunt turned out to be a human child who had transformed into a vicious werewolf, his heart had sank. Oh sure, he'd finished the hunt. That was his job, after all. But he was pretty sure his soul had become a little more tarnished for doing so, no matter what Cas and Sam told him.
Suddenly there was a clunk from under the car's hood. "Dammit!" Dean cursed as the Impala began to rattle, hitting his hand on the steering wheel. He immediately regretted his action, rubbing the dashboard soothingly as he whispered words of apology to his baby.
He pulled over to the side of the deserted road and turned the car off before sighing. Things just never seemed to go his way. All he wanted to do now was get back to the motel, have a nice hot shower and a bite to eat, and crawl into bed for the next, oh, ten years.
He popped the hood and climbed out of the car and made a face as the hot Texas air hit him. It was always so much cooler when it was blowing in through the window as he sped down the road. Dean walked to the front of the car and lifted the hot hood with the tips of his calloused fingers. A quick glance in showed him that the slowly setting sun was not about to provide him with adequate light. Dean went and grabbed a few tools and a flashlight, and stuck his head back under the hood to see what was wrong.
He found the answer after about fifteen minutes. A bolt holding a cap had come loose and needed fixing. Simple, thank god. He was worried it would be something complex, and being on the side of a back road desert highway….
Dean placed the flashlight on the front of the car and leaned over to tighten the bolt. As he straightened back up, his elbow knocked the flashlight off the car, where it hit his boot and rolled under the car. Dean sighed, before shutting the hood and placing the rest of the tools back in the trunk. He bent down and reached under the car for the flashlight.
Dean pulled his hand back with a startled yelp. Grasping it with the other hand, he raised it to his eyes. Sure enough, two small puncture wounds lay on the top of his hand. Dean stared at them, as though he could not believe what he was seeing. Two droplets of ruby blood oozed from the wound. "Snakebite, just perfect. Just what I fucking needed," he snarled at the empty air. He backed up several paces, not wanting to get bit again. When he thought he was far enough away, he crouched down and peered under the Impala. The setting sun made it harder to see, but there was still enough light to see the rattles on the snakes whipping tail. How he missed the tell-tale rattle sound was beyond him, but sure enough he heard it now.
The snake was watching him, curled upon itself right beside the flashlight he had dropped. The rattlesnake and the hunter stared at each other for several minutes, neither daring to move, as though they were in a Wild West showdown. Finally the snake unfurled itself and slithered out from under the car, in the opposite direction of where Dean currently crouched.
Letting out a sigh of relief that the snake was gone, Dean turned back to his hand. The area was starting to tingle as well as burn. He tried to remember everything he had heard over the years about snakebites, but came up with a blank. Unless he could figure out the location of a clinic for antivenin, he was royally screwed. He needed to call Cas. Or Sam. Or Cas. Or Bobby. Or….Cas.
Levering himself upright, he sucked in his breath as the world tilted on is axis. "Woah," he said quietly. Okay, this was not good. Really not good. Dean attempted to blink his eyes, trying to clear some of the blurriness that had begun creeping in. He stumbled to the open car door and fumbled around on the seat for his phone. He managed to grab onto it before his legs gave out from under him.
Pushing a number on speed dial, Dean listened for the voice he longed to hear. When the voice answered, Dean felt a small ray of hope. Maybe he could get out of this after all. "Cas…I need your help."
~*~*SPN~*~*
Castiel was helping Sam with some research when his phone rang. He glanced at the number, giving a small smile when he saw who was calling. "Hello?"
"Cas…I need your help." Dean's voice sounded weak, and slightly out of breath. The smile immediately fell off of Cas's face, and he felt a ball of dread form in his stomach.
"Dean? What's wrong? Where are you?" Sam's head snapped up at those words. Wide brown eyes locked onto Cas's. The angel switched his phone onto speaker for Sam's benefit.
"Got bit…by a fucking snake. Fuck….Fucking rattler." Dean's swearing did nothing to bring a smile to either Sam or Castiel's face. "Something went wrong…with the Impala…Fixed it but…bent down to grab the… flashlight when it fell and the…fucker got me."
Sam stepped forward then, and gently took the phone from Castiel's hand. "Dean, hey."
"Hey… Sammy," his brother replied. The pauses between the words was becoming more frequent, causing Sam's heart to flutter in his chest.
"Dean, you need to tell us where you are so that Cas can come and get you to a clinic." Sam waited for an answer. When none was forthcoming, Sam took a deep breath. "Dean!" he barked into the phone.
There was a sharp inhale from the other side of the line. "Sorry Sammy….'S starting to really hurt, y'know? 'Sa fuckin…snake f'ker…." Dean's words began slurring, making it harder to understand him.
Castiel stared at the phone, wishing he had never put those sigils on the brother's ribs. The sound of Dean's weakening voice made his heart ache to be with his best friend. "Dean, where are you? Are you by a city, or a town?"
"Pass'd one….'bout an hour back…Al'ce…Cas, come gemme…" The sound of a phone being dropped was heard.
"Dean! Dean!" Cas and Sam both called to him, but there was no reply.
~*~*SPN~*~*
The phone dropped from Dean's suddenly numb fingers. He stared at it for a moment, as it lay on the floor of the car. He contemplated picking it up, he could hear his brother and best friend shouting his name, but he was suddenly too weak to reach down and grab it. His eyes strayed to the bite on his hand, and the discoloration and swelling made him crinkle his nose. Was it just him, or was it getting stupidly hot in the car?
Dean half-crawled, half-rolled out of the Impala onto the road. He managed to maneuver himself to the last vestiges of shadow that where still around before the sun had set, and he laid down on his back. Fuck, he was hot. And thirsty. He used his good hand to wipe off the sweat that started beading on his forehead.
The hunter groaned as nausea began to churn in his belly. Biting his lip to try to keep from throwing up, he thought of his angel. He hoped Cas would be able to find him soon; he didn't know how much more of this he could take.
In the final light of dusk, a set of headlights appeared on the road in front of him. He heard the sound of a car door opening, before a figure knelt down in above him.
"C's?" He slurred, then protested weakly as a strong pair of arms lifted him up.
"Hey buddy, you alright?" a voice asked him.
Dean's head lolled, his vision was too blurry to make out who the figure was. It didn't sound like his angel though. "Cast'l…Where…?"
"Frank, look at his hand. It's so swollen," a women's voice said from his other side.
"Snakebite. Damn, we need to get him to the doc's place, now. Help me lift him." The hands lifted him, and though reality was starting to blur and become distorted, he recognized the vehicle he was placed in was not his baby. "Son, was it a rattlesnake that gotcha? Son? I need you to tell me." Dean laid on the backseat, panting heavily, a moan building in his throat. He managed to nod his head, wishing he hadn't as it felt ready to explode. All he could think of was bright blue eyes, and then he faded into blessed nothingness.
Two minutes later, Castiel found the empty Impala.
~*~*SPN~*~*
Castiel was frantic. He had hung up the phone not 10 minutes ago, after getting a vague location from Dean. He had flown in a growing radius around the town of Alice, looking for Dean and his sleek black car.
He found the Impala on the side of a back road in a valley. The angel looked around frantically for Dean. "Oh no…" Whipping out his phone, he quickly dialed Sam.
"I can't find him! He's not here!" He shouted into the phone.
"Wait, what? What do you mean you can't find him?"
"I mean the Impala is here, but Dean is not!"
~*~*SPN~*~*
Doc Handford met them at the door. He took one look at the young man brought to his doorstep and hurriedly ushered them into his spare room.
"Quickly, put him on the bed." The doctor was already setting up an I.V. broad spectrum antibiotic. "You sure it was a rattler?"
Frank nodded. "We were able to get that much out of him before he passed out. He kept asking for some girl. Cas? Casteel? I guess maybe his girlfriend or something." Frank paused and looked at the young man on the bed. He looked so young. He hoped that they had found him in time. "He was pretty out of it in any case, but he did nod his head when I asked him if it was a rattler."
Doc Handford glanced at the swollen hand. "The amount of swelling here, I'd say he was telling the truth. I've never seen a coral snake do this." The doctor quickly listened to his heart and lungs, and took his blood pressure. Lifting up the young man's top lip, he grimaced. Blood. This boy had been bit, and it definitely wasn't a dry bite, that was for sure.
"You still got that antivenin on hand, Doc?" Jenny asked, wringing her hands as she looked at the doctor with wide eyes.
"I do Jenny, but I don't know if he's allergic to the serum. I think it's something we have to risk though. He's already bleeding from his gums." He paused and looked at Frank. "Grab me the promethazine from that cupboard over there, Frank. It'll keep him sedated, the last thing we want is for him to wake up in a strange place and have a panic attack."
After injecting the young man with the promethazine, Doc Handford quickly went to his fridge and grabbed his case of CroFab antivenin. He pulled out several vials and began injecting them into the I.V.. "We need to watch him very closely for the next couple hours. Chances are if he is going to have a reaction, it'll happen in that window. I have some adrenalin ready, in case that happens. Jenny, keep an eye on his breathing, and make sure it doesn't get worse."
Jenny nodded and moved to sit beside the young man's head. She rested her hand on his forehead, frowning at the heat she felt. "Poor thing," she whispered.
~*~*SPN~*~*
Dean's return to consciousness was slow. He floated in nothingness, content to stay there, where there was no pain, and no memories to torture him. He couldn't remember what happened to him, and he did not particularly care. In this vast emptiness, he didn't hurt.
Hours passed, not that Dean had any concept of time. But slowly memories began to trickle in. He vaguely recalled his baby breaking down, followed by a flash of pain. He tried to shy away from the memory, but stopped as he recalled talking to someone on the phone. Names floated by, too briefly for him to recall. Who had he been talking to? Brother…Sam! And someone else, an angel…Castiel! He focused on the name Castiel, and everything rushed back to meet him. The Impala breaking down on the side of the road. Getting bitten by a snake. Phoning his angel to come find him. Pain. Weakness. Hands lifting him. Where was Cas? Why hadn't he healed him yet? Dean knew he couldn't be dead, he had seen both Heaven and Hell, and this was neither.
Distantly, he heard voices. He couldn't make them out, but perhaps one of them was Cas. He had to find out, he needed his angel. Steeling himself, he pushed towards consciousness.
~*~*SPN~*~*
Jenny hadn't moved from her spot on the bed. She noticed the slight twitching from the non-swollen hand, and the slight increase in breathing of the young man on the bed, indicating a return to consciousness. "Frank, get the doc. I think he's waking."
Frank nodded and left the room in search of the doctor. The two men entered the room, quickly walking over to the bed. The doctor leaned over, checking vital signs. "I think you're right, Jenny. I would've thought he would stay under for a while longer yet with the meds I gave him, but he certainly seems to be coming around." He put his hands on his patients forehead, frowning slightly when he noticed he still had a temperature. "He's still a bit hot, but the swelling's decreased. It seems as though we got to him in time."
Dean moaned weakly as he woke up, blinking his eyes in confusion. He stared at the blurry figures leaning over him. None of them looked like Castiel, or Sam, or Bobby. In a panic, he moved to push himself up. A hand at his shoulder stopped him and gently pushed him back down.
"Easy son, we're not gonna hurt you. You gave us quite a scare there, but thanks to the doc here, you'll be alright," a gentle voice said. Dean was too weak to fight against the hand pushing him down, but he relaxed slightly at the calming voice.
"Where…?" The word croaked out of Dean's mouth. Damn, he was thirsty. As though someone had read his mind, he felt a hand lightly lift his head, and a cup was placed at his lips. Feeling the cool water touch his lips, Dean gulped frantically. It was pulled away, and another voice cautioned him to slow down. When the cup was returned, he took slower sips, slaking his thirst. "Thanks," he whispered. He lay back and closed his eyes.
"You're at Doc Handford's place. My name's Frank. My wife Jenny and I found you on the side of the road. You were bit by a snake." Dean opened his eyes, finding them better able to focus. He looked at the voice, seeing a bearded face looking back at him. The man looked to be in his forties, and had laugh lines around his eyes and a small smile on his lips. "Hey there son, it's nice to see those eyes of yours open."
Dean nodded weakly, and glanced at the other two occupants of the room. He was disappointed to see neither of them were his angel. Or even his brother. One was a woman, Dean guessed she must be Jenny, Frank's wife. She smiled gently at him. The other was a tall, weathered man who looked at Dean in concern.
"What's your name, son?" The doctor asked him.
Dean hesitated. Experience had taught him that giving his real name to strangers was a bad idea, and he had no idea what these people were going to want from him in return, as he barely had any cash on him. But he figured as soon as he was able to stand, he was gonna blow this popsicle stand anyways, so what did it matter? As long as they were only satisfied with this first name anyways. "Dean."
"Well, Dean, I'm James Handford, but everyone around here just calls me Doc. Do you remember what happened?" Dean nodded weakly. "You are one lucky fellow. If Frank and Jenny here hadn't found you, you wouldn't be here right now."
Looking at Frank and Jenny, Dean smiled his thanks. His eyes began to drift shut, but a thought entered his mind. He needed to call Cas, let him know he was alright. Only problem was his phone was still on the floor of the Impala. He hoped Cas had successfully deduced his location and got to his car before thieves did. Struggling to stay awake, he looked at the doctor as he moved to his I.V. with a syringe in his hand. "Please Doc…I need to use your phone…I need to call someone…"
Doc Handford hesitated. He was loathe to sedate Dean without granting him the use of his phone, but the young man was in dire need of rest. Making his decision, he plunged the needle into the I.V. port, his heart clenching at the weakened moan of protest Dean let out.
"No, please. Cas…I need…." The sedative was fast acting, and Dean, with his sapped strength, could not fight it.
The room's other three occupants watched Dean succumb to the sedative. Jenny shook her head sadly at the doctor. "You should have let him call his friend."
~*~*SPN~*~*
Sam had never seen Castiel so frantic, not even when Dean was about to say yes to Michael. The angel had returned with the empty Impala and a frightened look in his eyes that seemed so out of place on him. Sam for was just as scared as Cas. They had no idea what had happened, and with the amount of evil things out there that wanted their heads on a silver platter, it wasn't hard to imagine the worst.
"Were there any signs of a struggle?" the hunter asked his friend.
Cas shook his head. "Not that I could see," he said. Suddenly his head shot up, and he fixed Sam with an excited look. "Sam, I have an idea!"
Sam felt a glimmer of hope. "What? What is it?" he asked excitedly.
"I can try to connect with Dean through dream walking. If he is merely asleep, I can speak with him and find out where he is."
Sam nodded as Cas moved over to lay on the bed. He sat down on the opposite bed and jiggled his leg up and down as he watched the angel anxiously.
Castiel's mind searched the dreamscapes for the shining beacon of light that was Dean's soul. It was a soul he was intricately familiar with ever since he had held it tightly and raised it from Perdition. As he searched, a part of him reflected on the beauty of this particular soul. The soul of the Righteous Man was intense and vibrant. It had to be, he supposed, to be able to withstand Michael.
The longer he combed the dreamscapes for Dean's soul, the more desperate he became. There were several possible reasons he would not be able to locate him. Only one bore thinking about, and that was if Dean was in fact awake. The others...
Finally he was forced to admit that Dean was not in a natural state of slumber. He opened his eyes to find Sam hovering anxiously over him.
"Any luck?" The hunter questioned, his eyes wide and hopeful.
Castiel just shook his head. Sam sat down heavily beside him. "We'll find him; he can't have gotten far," he said. He just wished he knew those words were true.
~*~*SPN~*~*
When Dean awoke next, he was alone in the bedroom. He glanced around warily, noting the absence of James, Frank, and Jenny. He lifted up his and looked at the puncture wound. He was pleased to note that the swelling had decreased, and his skin was a normal colour once again. Quickly he gave himself a once over, and saw with satisfaction that he was feeling much better than the previous time he woke.
Pushing himself to a seated position, Dean glanced at the nightstand beside his bed, pleased to note a glass of water sitting there. Lifting to his nose, he sniffed it to check for drugs. Sam had been devious enough on more than one occasion to slip drugs into his drinks before when he was sick. The water smelled clean though, and he took a welcomed gulp.
Once his thirst was satisfied, he looked around the room for a phone. He had to call Cas, tell him he was okay. Between the angel and his brother, he was certain there were enough hysterics going on to last through the next decade. At least.
The hunter was disappointed to not find a phone in the room. Pushing the covers off his legs, he was pleased that his pants remained on, even if his favorite shirt was now ripped to shreds on the floor. Pulling the I.V. out of his hand with a grimace, Dean stood up.
Almost immediately, the world began to tilt. Dean let out a quiet grunt and fell back onto the bed. Catching his breath, he steeled himself and tried again, albeit slower. When he was able to stand without feeling as though his legs were jelly, Dean made his way to the door. Hearing Cas's gravelly voice was the foremost thought on his mind.
Dean opened the bedroom door quietly. The bedroom he was in was at the end of a narrow hallway. Down the hall he could hear James and Jenny talking in hushed voices. He had been hoping to sneak out and use the phone, but it didn't look as though that was going to be an option. Bracing himself against the wall, he made his way towards the living room. As he got closer, he could make out the words being said. They were enough to perk his interest. First he needed to call his angel, and then he would find out more.
"Jenny, I'm telling you, the Lechuza isn't real! It's a myth, an urban legend, nothing more!"
"Libby heard it Doc! The freak storm happened, right over her house, and then her sister is found dead that night! How is that a coincidence? I know you examined her body, you can't tell me she died naturally, she was ripped to shreds for heaven's sake." Jenny glanced up as Dean entered the room, her expression turning from agitated to surprised. "Oh! Dean, you're up!"
Doc Handford wheeled around. "What are you doing up, young man? Your body went through quite a trauma, and you need to be resting!" He paused and looked at Dean's hand. "Where's your I.V.?"
"Uhhh, I feel fine Doc. Really. Look, I really need to use your phone."
The doctor sighed. Little eddies of guilt had been swirling in his gut since he put Dean out before letting him use the phone before. He conceded this time. "Have a seat on the couch and rest son, and I'll bring you the phone."
Dean nodded his thanks, and moved to sit on the couch. The doctor handed him the phone, and he immediately dialed Cas's number.
The angel answered immediately, a wealth of emotion in his voice. "Hello?"
"Cas, it's me."
"Dean! You're alright? Where are you? I looked for you but you had disappeared and I…I couldn't find you…" Dean could immediately hear the worry and fear for him in Cas's voice. His stomach gave a flutter at that.
"Whoa whoa, Cas, it's okay. I'm okay. Really. It's gonna take more than a snake to take me out." Dean heard James let out a snort across the room at that statement. "Some folks found me at the side of the road, brought me to a local doctor. Listen, I've taken up enough of these people's time, can you come get me?" Dean looked over at the doc, seeing him hold up his hand in protest. "It's okay, doc; I'll go to the hospital if I start to feel bad again. What's your address?" Dean hoped the doctor couldn't read the lie in his words. When the doc still hesitated, Dean did his best impression of Sam's puppy dog look. "Please doc, my friend and my brother will both make sure I take care of myself. They are like mother hens, the both of them." He heard Castiel's huff of agreement through the phone.
Doc sighed and rattled off his address for Dean, who repeated it into the phone for Cas. "So I will see you in an hour, right?" He said before hanging up, wanting to make sure his angel didn't pop in immediately and freak everyone out, but damn if part of him didn't want him to. He ached to see Cas, knowing how close he was to never seeing him again freaked him out. He paused for a moment to reflect on that. Weird, because aside from Sam, he had never felt so close to anyone. Not his dad, not even Bobby.
It took him a moment to realize that James and Jenny were watching him curiously. Huh, he must have zoned out for longer than he thought. Mentally giving himself a shake, Dean grinned at the two. "He'll be here in an hour."
~*~*SPN~*~*
As soon as Cas was off the phone with Dean, he turned to Sam, smiling widely. "I know where he is. He sounds alright."
Sam let out the breath he had been holding ever since Castiel answered his phone. Running a weary hand down his face, he felt the relief flood his body. "That's great. Where is he?"
"Some people found him by the side of the road and brought him to a doctor's house. That's why I did not find him; I was checking the roads and hospitals."
Sam watched Castiel as he paced back and forth, staring at the clock. In truth, he had almost been as worried for the angel as he was for his brother. He had never seen Cas look so terrified as he did when the angel could not find Dean. He knew that there was something going on between Cas and his brother, even if those two had yet to acknowledge there was. The stares when they thought no one was looking, the way they would finish each other's sentences….Personally, Sam thought it was incredibly cute and sweet, not that he would ever mention that to Dean, even if Dean finally admitted his feeling for the angel. Sam valued his limbs, thank you very much. But he knew that the apocalypse will have come and gone before those two did anything about it. Perhaps it was time for Sam to step in.
Cas stopped his pacing and spun towards Sam. "I am going to check on him. I can remain hidden. I will take him his car too." Without waiting for a reply, Cas vanished in a flutter of wings. Sam grinned. Oh yeah, definitely time to step in and do something.
~*~*SPN~*~*
Castiel stood in the corner of the living room, hidden from human sight, and watched his charge. He could have sworn Dean looked around when he arrived, which made him pause in thought. There was no way Dean should have been able to sense him. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind for later contemplation, he returned to observing his hunter.
Dean was sitting on the couch, talking quietly to a man and a woman. Cas assumed one of which was the doctor who had helped heal Dean of the snake venom. When Dean referred to the man as 'Doc', he was proven correct. He would have to find a way to repay this man later.
Dean still looked weak from his ordeal. Cas could see the slight tremors wracking Dean's body from where he was standing, left over from the shock his body had recently been through. He longed to go over there and heal his human, but knew he had to wait until they left the doctor's house. It pained him to know that Dean had been hurt, and that he was not around to help.
"So what was this myth that you guys were talking about?" Dean asked casually, leaning back against the couch. He saw the doc glare at Jenny. Dean held up his hands. "Sorry, don't mean to cause anything, just that urban legends have always been an interest of mine."
"It's not a myth," Jenny muttered under her breath.
James sighed. "Jenny, I'm sorry about your friend, I really am, but there is no such thing as monsters," turning to Dean, he grimaced. "I'm sorry you heard that Dean. Some people in these parts believe in some owl/witch thing. It's nothing but old superstition and hogwash."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "But you believe in this thing, Jenny?"
She nodded. "It's true. It's called La Lechuza. She was a bruja that sold her soul to the devil for supernatural powers." The doc snorted at this, but Jenny ignored him and continued. "According to legend, she summons and controls thunderstorms, and if you hear her cry, than a member of your family will die! My friend Libby heard it, right before her perfectly healthy sister dropped dead!"
"That sounds like quite the story," Dean commented. "Where did this all happen?" Cas could hear him growing weaker. He glanced at the clock. There was still too much time left. He had to figure out a way to get his human out of there quicker without raising too many questions. He couldn't just erase their memories of Dean; he didn't know who else had found him on the road.
"Just outside the Corpus Christi State Park. Lib's sister had a cabin out that way, said she loved being around the trees and the water."
"Like I said, it just an urban legend. Dean, maybe you should go lay down while you wait for your friend, you're looking a little pale."
"I'm fine," Dean said. "Really."
It was obvious the doctor didn't believe him, as he came to stand in front of Dean. "You're not fine, Dean, you were on Death's Door not long ago. I do believe you will be okay, but at this moment? You need to rest. You should be under observation for the next 12 hours, and I do wish you would remain here so I could keep an eye on you."
Cas bit his lip as he watched the exchange. He needed to help Dean. Making his decision, he flew to the front door and rang the doorbell. When the doctor opened the door, Castiel smiled. "Hello, my name is Cas. I am looking for my friend Dean."
James raised an eyebrow at the man in the trench coat on his doorstep. He was definitely not what he was expecting. "Yes, please, come in. My name is James Handford, or Doc, and that over there is Jenny." He held the door open for Cas, whose eyes immediately fell on Dean.
"Cas! You're here sooner than I thought," Dean tried to hide the relief he felt at his angel's arrival.
"Yes. It seems I was closer than I had originally thought. How are you feeling, Dean?"
Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm getting sick of hearing that question. I'm fine!" Or at least he would be when Cas pulled some angel mojo once they were out of here.
James piped up. "He claims he's fine, but in truth he should be in a hospital, under surveillance for the next 12 hours. I gave him doses of antivenin, but he is still feeling some of the effects of the venom. I have him on a course of antibiotics, and I'll write out a prescription for the pills."
Castiel looked over at the doctor. "I appreciate you taking care of him, and I will ensure he is looked after." Turning to Jenny, he smiled. "And I assume I have you to thank for finding him?" At Jenny's nod, Castiel bowed his head in thanks.
Dean stood slowly with Cas's help. He was damn near desperate to be alone with Cas. His swollen arm ached, he still felt weak, and breathing was still somewhat of an issue. Plus, for some reason he longed to feel Cas's arms around him. He paused at that last thought. Huh. Must be the venom messing with his brain.
"Doc, Jenny, I can't thank you guys enough. I wish there was some way I could pay you…" James waved him off.
"Don't worry, Dean. Pay me back by taking care of yourself." He stepped over to his desk and wrote some things on a pad of paper. Tearing the pages off, he stepped over to Dean. "Here's your prescription; make sure you finish it! And my phone number in case you run into any issues. Please don't hesitate to call me."
Dean accepted the papers with a nod of his head. "Thanks. And tell Frank thanks as well Jenny." He slipped on his boots, frowning when he needed Cas's help. Stepping out the door, he grinned happily when he saw his baby waiting for him. "You found her! Thanks Cas!"
"Of course, Dean," Cas replied, helping Dean into the car. The moment they were around the bend in the road, Cas turned onto the side of the road. Reaching over, he placed two fingers on Dean's forehead, removing the final traces of venom and inflammation. The relief that Dean felt was immediate. He leaned into the healing touch and closed his eyes in contentment. After a moment, he opened them, realizing Cas had yet to remove his fingers from his forehead.
Castiel was staring intently at Dean. When the hunter looked at him quizzically, he sighed and put his hand down. "I thought I had lost you," he explained. "I did not like that feeling. You…mean a lot to me, Dean."
Dean felt his face flush. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Ummm, thanks, Cas, you mean a lot to me too, buddy," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Now let me drive my car." He opened his car door and stepped out as Cas shifted over to the passenger seat.
"You should phone Sam. He was worried about you as well." Castiel commented with a pointed look in Dean's direction.
Dean glanced over at his passenger as he pulled back onto the road. "Yeah yeah. When is that guy not worried?" Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone and dialed his brother. "Hey Sammy!"
"Dean! How are you feeling? Cas came to get you?" The relief in Sam's voice was obvious.
"Yeah, he did. I'm fine now, thanks to Cas's angel mojo. Listen, I need you to look up something for me. See what you can find out about a witch named La Lechuza." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Castiel looking at him. 'I'll explain later,' he mouthed to Cas.
"La Lechuza? Leave it to you to find a case on your deathbed, Dean."
"I'm serious, Sammy. Jenny, one of the people who picked me up, said that she's already killed someone. I don't know if there's any truth in this or if it is just an urban legend, but I'm not about to let any more people die if this is our kind of thing."
"Alright, I'll see what I can find out. You heading back this way?" Dean could hear Sam rustling around, probably clearing space for his laptop on the tiny motel table.
Dean nodded his head, even though Sam couldn't see him. "Yeah, I'm gonna stop and check out the town first though, see if I can figure out any more about this witch," he said.
"Be careful, Dean. I know how you are," cautioned Sam, a guarded tone entering his voice.
"Sammy, I'm always careful! Besides, Cas is here." Dean reached over and clapped a hand on Castiel's shoulder, causing the angel to look at him in concern.
"Dean, you are not supposed to remove both hands from the steering wheel," the angel commented.
Dean could hear the smirk in Sam's voice. "Yeah, Dean, I thought you knew how to drive."
"Bite me, bitch"
"Jerk."
~*~*SPN~*~*
Sam hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment. Dean and Cas alone. In an enclosed space. For several hours. He snorted in amusement. Perhaps something good would come out of this night after all. Flipping open his laptop, he proceeded to find out what he could about this La Lechuza.