Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters in here or otherwise I would be making bank and laying by my pool all day.
Prompt: solider!dean. Chaplin!Cas. Dean is injured in battle and is being flown to help and Cas is in the Helicopter with him. This is not Destiel, but rather a Dean/Cas friendship.
A/N: This is a dedication to all the men and women who have sacrificed their life and well-being to keep me safe. I was hoping to have this up for Veteran's Day but I got a little sidetracked. Please I would appreciate it if only appropriate reviews were sent and if you don't have something nice to say please don't say anything at all. Reviews are appreciated as well as PMs.
SPN SPN SPN
He had always preached that things could change in the blink of an eye. Sunday mornings when he was standing in his 'chapel' which usually wasn't more than a couple of tarps strung up between light poles and a sandbag or two for him to stand on he taught his men that things are always changing that they had to be prepared but that the Lord would be there to guide them through it.
Every week he would get nods of approvals, and every once in awhile he would get a soldier who had lost faith during his time in the desert and walked out on him. His job could be the worst or the best in the world depending on the day.
Castiel Novak had been a Chaplin with the Marines for nearly five years and enjoyed every minute of it. He got to see the world with his troops and ride with them through some of their toughest; making friends along the way. Truth be told outside of his 'brothers in arms' he didn't have much else. When he was home on leave he spent it with his younger sister Anna and her husband Gabriel and their kids or his brother Michael. No wife, kids or friends were in the picture for him outside of the Corps. He lived and breathed his work.
"This week has been hard on us all," it was Sunday morning and everyone was gathered in the makeshift tent for the weekly service. The past week had been one of bloodiest since the unit had be deployed to the Iraqi desert nearly a year ago. They had lost forty men and women this week in a massive raid and multiple suicide bombers. He looked up over the sea of sand colored uniforms in various sitting positions on whatever they could find to sit on, "we have all lost friends close to us. Let us take a moment to remember them."
He watched as covers bowed down and some of them gathered their calloused hands together in prayer while others stared blankly ahead. Just as he himself was about to close his eyes in prayer he watched as a familiar face stood up from the back of the crowd and made eye contact giving a slight nod before exiting the tent.
Winchester
SPN SPN SPN
It was nearing lunch now and the troops were getting ready to go back out on patrol when Castiel caught up to the man he had seen walking out of the tent earlier, "Winchester!"
He watched as the man stopped before entering the humvee turning around to face him. He and Dean Winchester had become quick friends early on in their planned 18 month deployment. They had already been together for nearly a year and were coming towards the finish line getting ready to go back home, "What can I do for you Cas?"
With a smile he stepped forward and patted his friend on the shoulder already clad in weaponry and ammunition, "I was just surprised to see you at service this morning. I was curious to see if you were having a change of heart."
Letting out a hearty bellow Dean shook his head, "Sorry Chaplin. I was just curious to see what you were preaching. Figured I had been here a year and I haven't heard you speak once for service."
"Where are you going now; I thought you just got back from a mission?"
"They have me going out again," Dean paused wiping some sweat from his forehead, "Just another recon. Nothing to worry about, except they have meet riding in a death trap."
"Come again?" Castiel asked watching as his friend went back to work.
"They have me in the Heli this time. I'm telling you those things are bound to crash, I would much rather be in this bad boy right here," he answered patting the Humvee on the side solidly, "with my own two feet on the ground."
Chuckling at his friend's obvious fear of all things flying he decided that instead of just standing by and distracting him from his work he may as well pitch in, "So how are Lisa and Ben doing?"
"Ben is starting middle school next week and from what Lisa tells me he won't take of the tags I sent him," Dean smiled lifting extra first aid supplies into the back, "Lisa started her new job at the yoga center last month and she is writing about all these new moves she is learning. I can't wait to test her out when I get back." Dean laughed as he slammed the door shut and turned to his friend, "How about you Novak? How is Charlie doing?"
"Charlie is starting 2nd grade and can't get enough of Gabriel reading her The Hobbit, kid must have listened to it a hundred times by now," pulling out a recent picture of his little niece he handed it over to Dean, "I know every time I visit I am forced into reading it."
"Doesn't sound like such a bad punishment." Dean replied somberly as he handed the photo back.
"No not at all." He answered taking the picture back and setting it back into his front pocket, "I suppose I should let you get back to your work."
"It was nice talking to you," Dean waved as the Chaplin starting walk back towards the tent city, "I'll catch you for dinner."
Walking away from the enlisted man Castiel muttered under his breath with a smirk, "I'm sure you will Winchester. I'm sure you will."
SPN SPN SPN
Sure enough Dean did meet him for dinner just not the way either one of them was hoping to. Castiel was just sitting down for a cup of afternoon coffee and to work on some papers when he heard a commotion outside his tent. Setting aside his Bible bookmarking it with a chewed ballpoint pen he slid through the door and out to the commotion.
Pulling aside one of the many camouflaged men running around camp gathering extra guns and supplies he asked, "What's going on?"
"Helicopter and Humvee attack on the outskirts. Lots of injured and more dead, we've got orders to head out."
He let the Gunnery Sargent head back to his team and watched as Humvees and tanks drove out and towards the accident with a glazed look. He knew Dean went out on recon. That could very well be his friend out there dying or dead.
Sprinting into action he grabbed an M16 from the armory and hopped into the back of a leaving Jeep, "Move out men."
"Not sure you are qualified to be here Chaplain. Think it might be best of you stayed here, they are going to need your prayers tonight." Turning to the side he saw a kid no more than 18 drowning in his uniform and his head nearly swallowed by his combat helmet.
"I'm more qualified then you kid," Cas quipped back pulling on the spare helmet one of the driver's handed him as they pulled out of Camp and past the gates getting a salute from the guards and out towards the battlefield.
It wasn't long before the caravan could see the smoke from explosions and hear gunfire in the distance. They didn't even get to make a plan before the first bullet whizzed by shattering the windshield. After that every man fought for himself.
Castiel ran towards the middle of the scene. He realized it was probably one of the dumbest things he could do but he had to find Dean. He could hear the roar of the Helicopter motor yet as it continued to run in the broken machine.
"DEAN! WINCHESTER!" He yelled taking turns to fire back at the enemy. He was surrounded by the moans and screams of the wounded. After a bullet whizzed a little bit too close to his head he ducked down and started to crawl across the debris being protected by flipped machinery and dead comrades giving him extra protection.
Crawling forward he came across young Marissa Campbell. She was just a young woman of only 20 who was doing her service to provide for her infant son. She had come to him multiple times seeking comfort in the Lord and asking for advice. Taking a moment to blink away the tears for her he looked back and reached forward closing her lifeless brown eyes, "You have fought well Marissa."
Without sparing another glance back he crawled forward when he heard a familiar voice.
"WINCHESTER!"
He continued to crawl through the sand towards the voice coming from the helicopter when he finally saw what had become of his friend.
"Dean?"
"Help," he saw his friend moaning as knocked his head back in pain letting out a bloodcurdling scream, "somebody help me I'm burning. I'm burning!"
Coming to a stop he saw what state Dean was in and he couldn't help but hope that help was on its way, "Hey Dean how you doing man?"
The fallen Sargent clung onto his sleeve with more strength then Cas realized was possible for the injured man, "I need help. I'm on fire. Get me out of here."
"I can't move you Dean," The Chaplain answered as he quickly looked over his friend. He was covered in blood. There was a piece of helicopter blade lodged in his upper thigh and a stomach wound that had Cas seeing some things that he was pretty sure weren't supposed to be on the outside of Dean's body. Letting his eyes rise up he saw a dislocated shoulder and a gash across the forehead showing bone, "I need you to hold your hand here for a minute. I need you to stay calm, don't panic."
Not waiting for a reply he quickly took off his blouse folding it on top of the stomach wound and he placed the wounded man's hand on top to hold down on it eliciting another scream, "This is for your own good Dean."
He could still hear gunfire, orders yelled and screams of the wounded or the ones left behind. He could faintly hear the drone of helicopters coming in the shots dying down. Seeing help on the way he went back to Dean, "You with me man?"
Dean was doing well at all his eyes were glazed with shock and he could now see the burns covering his exposed skin. It would be a miracle if the guy made it out of here alive.
"Cas?"
It was just a small whisper, but it was enough to alert him that his friend was at least somewhat alert, "Yeah man it's me. I know you said you wanted to meet for dinner but I was really hoping it would be at the chow hall and not in the middle of the desert." He pressed his hand laying on top of Dean down a little bit harder as he saw blood starting to seep from underneath the uniform top.
"I hate to break it to you," Dean panted letting a small trail of blood leak from the corner of his mouth, "but the chow hall is in the middle of the desert."
He could hear the copters landing now not far from where they were taking refuge, "I'm going to go get some help. Keep your hand pressed down, I'll be right back."
He watched as the young man closed his eyes in pain as his hand was pressed down harder against his stomach.
Running from the gruesome sight he could hear the field medics shouting to one another as they looked over the casualties.
"I have a live one over here!" Castiel shouted gaining the attention of one of them, "He needs help now."
He didn't even wait to see if he was being followed before he was running back towards Dean whose hand had slipped from the makeshift bandage and was resting haphazardly on his hip, thumb caught in his pant pocket.
"I thought I told you to keep your hand there," he mock scolded, worry escalating at his comrade's lack of awareness, "if I wouldn't know better I would say you were disobeying a direct order."
"Lisa?"
"She's not here right now, but as soon as we get you out of here you will get to see her and-"
Before he could continue the reassurances he was cut off by the medics coming and dressing the wounds that they could and strapping him to a stretcher, "I think you better come with us Sir, this doesn't look real good for him."
Castiel could see the seriousness in the medic's eyes and truthfully he knew that his friend probably wouldn't make it the makeshift hospital only a couple minutes away, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing his new brother in this godforsaken sandpit when he clearly had so much to live for, "I'm right behind you men."
SPN SPN SPN
They weren't in the air more than a minute when the vitals started to crash. The medics had started oxygen and blood transfusion as soon as they took off, but their patient was just losing to much blood and they had no idea what kind of internal injures he had as well.
"Sir," the young female sitting on Dean's left holding the IV bag up said looking up at Cas who was on the other side holding Dean's right hand, "I think if anything now might be a good time to say Last Rites."
Looking down at his friend he saw hazel eyes start to flutter open before bloody red lips started to part to speak, "I told you planes crash."
Then the face that once held so much excitement and happiness even in the worst of situations fell blank with the steady shrill alarm in the background.
SPN SPN SPN
A week later found Castiel Novak delivering the body of Dean Winchester home to Cicero, Indiana. He watched as the flag draped casket was taken out of the back of hearse towards a small plot in the back of the small cemetery where Lisa had purchased a small plot for her boyfriend.
The whole time he was giving the eulogy for his friend he couldn't help but think of that small unimportant sentence that had been Dean's last. I told you planes crash.
It was weird how someone with so much potential and life could just go out like that. With a snap of your fingers they were gone. After they left today from the small yard what would be left to remember him by? A couple photos, some memories? Sure they would have the gravesite with a marker and all of his possessions back at the house, but eventually those would all fade and go to ruin. Eventually the man who had given his life to protect millions of others would be forgotten.
He knew he was required to say more at the burial so he slowly marched forward his dress shoes shining brightly on the sunny July afternoon, "We are all mourning the loss of a bright young man who we lost to soon," he paused, he could see Sam and his wife Jess dressed sharply in a black suit and dress, both leaning on each other for support.
Turning to the right though was a sight that he would never forget. It was Lisa and Ben. They sat as if frozen in time, not a single tear rolled from their bloodshot eyes but they couldn't seem to drag their eyes off the casket in front of them.
He continued to look around he saw the field was filled with people young and old along with TV reporters surrounding the small family sitting in the front. He knew he had to continue but this part of his job never got any easier, "I always told my men," he answered taking a deep breath letting his medals and ribbons jingle on his chest before continuing, "that everything could change in the blink of an eye."
Reviews please?