Less than ten minutes after Cas shows up at Bobby's, they're ready to go. Dean nods at Sam and Bobby, grabs the keys, and heads out to the beaten up pickup truck they're using in lieu of the Impala without a word. He doesn't seem willing or able to face Cas at the moment.
Sam and Bobby glance sideways at each other for a second before heading towards the living room, where Castiel is slumped on a sofa.
Wordlessly, they each take and arm and pull the angel - god - whatever, to his feet. He tries to help them out, tries to support himself, but he's just too weak at this point. It takes them a while to get out to the car, by which time Castiel's breathing his shallow and laboured.
He's fading fast, but he doesn't complain. He doesn't say a word. His face communicates everything, anyways. Grief. Remorse. Regret.
They finally reach the car, opening the rear door and pushing Cas inside as gently as they can. Then they glance once more at each other.
"I'll sit with him." Sam says quietly.
Bobby arches an eyebrow, as if to say, "Are you sure?"
Sam nods and slides into the back seat, as Bobby shrugs and takes shotgun, next to a very tense Dean.
Dean's turned up the music very loud, and has a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. Bobby checks his watch.
"We've got an hour and change till the eclipse," he says gravely, "I suggest we get a move on."
Dean doesn't waste any time. Without a word, he steps on the gas and the car shoots out of Singer Salvage like a bat from hell.
In the back seat, Cas, slumped against the driver's side rear window, has started to shiver. Glancing into the rearview mirror to make sure Dean isn't watching, Sam reaches across the seat and pulls Cas over, so that he's leaning against him.
Castiel's eyes flutter open and he looks at Sam in surprise.
"Sam?" he whispers weakly.
"Yeah, Cas. I'm right here." Sam replies, loud enough that Cas can hear him over the music, but quiet enough that Dean can't.
"I… I am so sorry. For what I did to you. I wish I could - if there was some way I could fix-"
"Sssh…" Sam says. "I know. It's alright."
"But I-"
"You messed up, Cas." Sam concedes. "I get it. You were desperate to stop Raphael, and you messed up. But just, for a second, think about who you're talking to. I mean, I started the damn apocalypse. As far as screwups go, I think I'm much worse off than you. And at least you knew enough to come to us for help. I'm… I'm not saying you're blameless, I'm just saying… no one's ever done anything so bad they couldn't be redeemed."
There is a long pause after Sam finishes speaking, one that seems to stretch forever. When Cas finally speaks, it's barely a whisper.
"Nevertheless, I am sorry, Sam. For everything…" his voice is unsteady now. Very unsteady. If Sam didn't know any better, he'd say Cas was on the verge of-
They pass under a lone streetlight on a stretch of country road, and for a split second, Sam can see Castiel's face clearly. Covered in blood and what looks like burns where his vessel is wearing thin, with dark circles under those familiar blue eyes. Eyes that seem to be filled with tears.
Something breaks in Sam at the sight. He's never seen Castiel like this. He's never seen him so… human. Without thinking, he wraps his arm around his friend, giving him the briefest of hugs. Castiel's breath hitches. He looks scared. Sam grabs hold of his hand in a comforting gesture, and they stay like that for the rest of the journey.
Sam looks again into the rear view mirror. This time, he sees Dean's green eyes looking at him with a mixture of disbelief, hurt, and gratitude. He saw the whole thing. Sam isn't sure what's going on with Dean; if he's forgiven Cas for what he did, if he's worried, if he's angry. What he does know is there's little chance of Cas surviving the second ritual, especially as weak as he is.
He looks right back at Dean, and tries to wordlessly communicate to him how important it is to make amends with Cas before it's too late. Neither of them had gotten to really talk to John and clear the air before he died, and Sam doesn't want the same thing to happen with Cas.
Before he can get a response, the car comes to a halt in front of an old, abandoned lab.
"Let's go." Bobby says.