Castiel gazed upon the unconscious body of Dean Winchester. Dean's brother Sam sat on the bed beside his brother looking grief stricken. Dean had been severely beaten by an angel named Zachariah who was bent on destroying him. Dean eyes were both blackened and his face was so swollen, he was almost unrecognizable. Castiel looked upon a man, a mortal man whom he admired greatly. Dean Winchester was without doubt the bravest man he'd ever met.
Castiel knew that when, if, Dean awoke and recovered, he would not hesitate to hunt down the angel who did this to him and kill him. He would not stop, not be deterred or swayed by anyone least of all fear. It was one of the reasons he had been chosen.
"Cass," Sam called.
Castiel looked to Sam and replied, "Yes Sam," in his deep, gravely, monotone voice.
"We have to take him to the hospital in town. He needs treatment. He probably has a concussion," Sam lamented.
Castiel didn't reply. He leaned down and laid his hand on the side of Dean's face.
Power, it emanated from Castiel.
Sam moved from the bed to crouch on the floor against the wall. He could feel great power radiating from Castiel. He saw on the opposite wall Castiel's shadow grow and a pair shadowy wings spread wide from it. After a moment, it all subsided.
"What was that Cass? What did you do?" Sam asked moving back to his brother's side.
"He'll live now." Castiel said.
Shocked, Sam shouted, "What?"
"He was dying. He will live now but you'd better take him to the hospital soon."
Frantic, Sam grabbed the car keys, he ran to the Impala and opened the driver's side passenger door. He ran back to the motel room grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him up and slung him bodily over his shoulder.
He called to Castiel, "Come on!"
Castiel followed him outside.
"Help me get him in the car Cass," Sam pleaded, "Go around to the other side and get in the backseat."
Castiel did as he was told. Sam lowered Dean into the open door so he sat on the edge of the back seat. He looked past him and saw Castiel sitting in the back seat facing forward as if waiting to go.
"Cass!" he yelled exasperated, "help me lay Dean across the seat."
Sam allowed Dean to fall back, and Castiel reached out and pulled Dean gently toward him so that his head settled in his lap. Sam twisted Dean's lower body slightly so he could fold his legs into the car and close the door. He then jumped into the front seat, started the car and tore out of the parking lot onto the road to town.
"Thankfully," thought Sam, "the hospital is not far from here."
Sam, glancing in the rearview mirror occasionally at Castiel, said, "Listen Cass, we can't explain what happen to Dean, so when we get to the hospital we're going to have to lie. We're going to tell the people at the hospital that we don't know who Dean is and that we found him this way beside the road."
"Yes, I understand."
"Ok good. If they ask who we are," Sam paused and asked, "Cass what are you doing?"
"I'm stroking Dean's hair" he responded.
"I can see you're stroking Dean's hair but why are you doing that?"
Castiel looked down at Dean's pummeled face and said, "Because I love him."
Sam laughed and stated, "You love Dean."
"Yes, I love him. Do you think he would mind if I kissed him?" Castiel pondered.
"Oh, hell yes! He would mind!" Sam shouted, his mind blown, "and stop stroking his hair!"
"No," Castiel continued to stroke Dean's hair adding nonchalantly, "I love him."
Sam brought the car back from the center of the road from where he had let it drift. He looked at Cass stroking Dean's hair and started to analyze all the recent interactions between Dean and Cass. He had noticed there was something between them. He had been jealous a few times of how close Dean and Cass seemed to be getting, but he would never have suspected…love! It had to be one sided. Dean was the straightest person in the world according to, well, everyone who had ever met him. No, this was all Castiel.
Sam thought, "It's absurd. Never mind all that. Just get Dean to the hospital, leave Cass in the car unseen and go from there. When Dean is well, and fully recovered, I'll tell him about Cass's feelings for him, and he can deal with it."
Sam focused on the road and tried not to think about anything but getting his brother to the hospital.
But a nagging thought entered his mind, "Why doesn't Cass love me?"
Then he thought, "Oh fuck!"