5. Avalanche!
Castiel and Dean go of to take out a rogue witch in Tennessee who had taken up residence in the Blue Ridge Mountains and picking off solo hikers one by one. They had help from a ranger who knew about monsters and heard about the Winchesters. The hunt was going perfectly fine until the witch started using this skill of throwing out ectoplasm from her hands. Some witches have fire, ice, others electricity, but this weirdo had ectoplasm. She was practicing some seriously dark stuff. Both the hunter and the angel were hit by the gross stuff and while it was utterly disgusting for both, it immediately had serious effects on Cas. He lost all his angelic powers before he could even stand up from the blast.
"Oh! I see! What do we have here?!? Could you be a fallen little angel, my dear?" The witch teased after landing another blow that knocked Cas back against the wall. The second blow to his strength to stand and he just slumped down to the floor.
"CAS!" Dean yelled from across the small back room of the witch's hovel. Cas didn't reply. He only gripped at his chest as if suffering a heart attack.
"What did you do to him, bitch!?!" Dean shot off a witch killing bullet from his favorite gun and landed it in its target. She fell back onto her alter then Dean charged and grabbed her by both arms violently shaking her in her final moments. "TELL ME!" Dean demanded.
"No… power…" She whispered as she died.
He tossed back the corpse running over to Cas. "CAS! Hey hey you alright? C'mon Cas!"
"Dean, it's… It's draining me. My grace... it's almost gone. I can't fight it!"
"It's gonna be okay, I'll get you outta here. We'll fix you up. No worries. Just hang in there for me okay? Let's get this shit off."
Dean started to remove his own jacket and unbuttoning the plaid shirt he had on. When he saw Cas struggling to get his trench coat off he stopped to help him first. Dean had to take everything off except for the thin white T-shirt Cas sometimes wore under everything else. Dean stripped down to his black T-shirt and jeans. He tossed the gross upper body clothing aside but noticed the sad look in his friend's eyes.
Dean reassured him. "Don't worry, we'll wash it really really good. With holy water if we have to." Dean understood that Cas loved his trench coat not to different from the way a human child was emotionally attached at his Teddy Bear.
Cas nodded. Then Dean took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe the splatters of ectoplasm off of Cas' neck and face.
"I'm gonna find some water, hang on." He got up and stomped out of the room and found nothing. Then he remembered there was a pump outside, in front of the house. He grabbed a nearby bucket, gave it a few pumps and took the ice cold water to his angel.
"You clean that gunk off, I'm gonna radio Ranger Willy." Dean informed and went back outside to get a good signal on the 2-way walkie talkie. Soon enough the ranger made his way back from his safe zone to pick up the boys in his large four wheeler and all got back safely to the mini ranger station where they left the Impala. He had given Cas an emergency blanket that looked like cheap aluminium foil but was actually very very warm. Dean refused one, he said Cas needed it more. He did take a poncho to wrap up their 'ectoplasmed' coats and shirts to wash later but for now Dean tossed them in the trunk with his gun and the rest of his gear from the hunt. Ranger Willy thanked them again, wished them well and sent them down the narrow muddy dirt road to get back to civilization.
After about fifteen minutes or so, Dean was focusing on the slick, snow and ice covered dirt road/path, the only way down the mountain ridge, he finally had a moment to ask. "You doing okay, buddy?" Dean looked over to Castiel who was wrapped up in the foil blanket like a burrito.
"Is this one of those instances when you actually want the truth or just a casual response." He asked, honestly not knowing the correct answer.
"The truth, Cas. Always the truth with me, okay?"
"Alright then. My answer is no, I'm not okay. I don't feel right without my coat. That ectoplasm affected my grace to the point where I can barely feel it. I think I'm beginning to feel hunger, pain and…" he stopped.
"And what? What is it?" Dean begged.
"...My nose is cold." Cas said, embarrassed.
Dean chuckled. "I'll turn the heat up for you, dude." Dean reached down to turn the dial up and that's when he hit the black ice. That's when Dean lost control of the car. That's when the front tire of the Impala caught the edge of road and pulled the car off down a steep hill. That's when, after sliding down a few hundred feet the Impala came to a sudden stop after the hood couldn't plow through the deep snow anymore. That's when all the commotion caused an avalanche that brought heavy snow down the raveen burying anything in its path under several feet of the white stuff. That's when the snow fall picked up and within another half an hour all the Impala's tire tracks were covered and forgotten.
Castiel didn't know what that blaring sound was. He couldn't open his eyes to see. He tried to move, speak, anything, but he couldn't. He struggled and pushed past unconsciousness to discover the blaring sound was the horn of the Impala being pushed by Dean's chest as he lay slumped over on the wheel. Cas reached over, gripped Dean's shoulder and managed to pull him away leaving is head tilted straight up, looking to the roof of the car but passed out.
"Dean." Cas tried to say but found his throat dry and horse. He swallowed hard and tried again, louder. "Dean!" With no reply. It was dark. He couldn't see clearly. There was only the light from the radio controls. But the radio itself wasn't making a sound. He unbuckled himself and moved closer to the hunter. He leaned in and saw the blood that was stuck on Dean's face having come down from the gash on the top of his forehead. It must have hit the top of the wheel. Then, Cas' memory came flooding back. They lost control and slid off the road. But he didn't recall what happened next or where the car ended up. Or why it was so dark. He looked out the windows but they were all fogged up. He used his bare hand to wipe away some condensation from the windshield. Snow. Tons of thick, packed, cold snow.
"Oh, no." Cas said aloud.
At that, Dean moaned a little.
"Dean? Dean! Please." He touched Dean's bloody forehead with two finders. He then closed his eyes and tried to push whatever grace he could to help Dean. He felt as if he was in a thin black tunnel and could barely see a blue-green light at the other end trying to also reach him but then the tunnel collapsed and Castiel shot open his eyes. It didn't work. His grace was far too weak to reach Dean's soul. Cas looked on at Dean thoroughly concerned for his well being. He recalled times when the brothers would put packets of ice on their wounds, especially head wounds, and thought maybe if he could get a little snow that might help. He carefully rolled the passenger window down an inch and used his fingers to scoop some into his palm. He packed it together, closed the window and scooted back over to Dean crinkling the warm emergency blanket that was still loosely around him. Castiel tentatively placed the snowball onto Dean's forehead making the water that melted off his brow drip down and mix with the tacky blood that trailed down his exposed neck. Cas noticed Dean's Adam's apple bob up and down followed by another soft moan. It seemed to be working. Cas moved the melting snow around slowly across Dean's brow. He wiped away the blood with his fingertips and didn't let it fall into Dean's eyes. He slowly did this till the snow had melted completely.
"Dean? Please wake up, Dean."
Just then Dean took in a quick breath through his nose followed by a louder moan before he whispered "Cas?"
"Yes! Dean, it's me! Wake up, Dean! You have to wake up, please!"
Dean's head was still tilled straight back on the top of the seat. When he heard Cas' voice he turned his face toward the sound and then felt his body fall over. He fell into Cas' tinfoiled arms. Cas didn't notice till Dean's shoulder hit him but something in his side gave him a sharp pain so he tried to sit Dean up. He was barely conscious and needed to lean heavily on the angel.
"Dean, we're in trouble." Cas took a moment to wince at the fresh pain in his side. "We're buried in the snow."
"Where's Sammy?" Dean mumbled into Cas' white T-shirt.
"He's not here. He didn't come. He was researching the effects of a blood moon on werewolves and you said you and I could handle the witch. Remember?" Cas sighed. "You really have to stop injuring your head so much. Hematoma after hematoma is not healthy."
"You're not healthy." Dean mumbled a sassy but weak comeback, but Cas knew that meant he was coming around. "Wait…" Dean pushed up and grabbed Cas' shoulder with his left hand for support. His head wobbled slightly. "Cas… The witch… She hit you with something bad. The bad stuff. Are you okay?" Dean sounded drunk but he was getting better.
Cas couldn't help but grin. Dean Winchester, before he's concerned about himself he checks on his brother and his angel first. He could be bleeding out on the floor but it wouldn't matter. He would always put his family first. Castiel admired that about him so much.
"I'll manage." Cas said trying to keep the mystery pain a secret. He didn't often feel pain as a human would and he assumed it was probably nothing.
"No no no it was bad. I was super worried, I remember being so worried. Tell me the truth, dammit." He demanded, gripping Castiel's shirt tighter around his shoulder and finally making eye contact with him.
"I'm more worried about you."
"Me? I'm fuckin' fine, until the car stops spinning anyway… Oh shit! We we crashed, oh baby what did I do to you?" Dean turned to rub the wheel of the Impala lovingly. He felt the blood stick to his fingers and then he touched the gash on his head, making the connection. He looked over to Cas lost and upset.
Cas sweetly reassured him in the same tone Dean had used earlier when his trench coat got ruined. "I'll help you fix her up once we survive this, okay?" He moved his right hand to clutch his aching left side and grunted after his reply.
"Let me see you, are you sure you're alright?" Dean moved his hand away and started to lift his white shirt without warning.
"Dean, please." Cas struggled against him but couldn't hold back his wincing.
"Jesus, Cas! This is not okay!" Dean looked over Cas' body with increasing concern. There was dark bruising all along his side. He could see the place where his seatbelt held him back. "Okay, I need you hold your breath and I need to push down. It's going to hurt."
"Must we?" Cas asked since Dean's touching was already hurting him.
"Dammit Cas, do as I say." Dean commanded in a deeper tone. This time Cas listened and weakly held his breath. As Dean pressed down methodically and Cas yelled through clenched teeth. When he stopped Cas was left breathing heavily which caused a fresh burst of agony with every breath.
"You don't just have bruised or cracked ribs but I think one is at least actually broken. First that witch tossed you into the wall, then this happening. You're lucky it didn't puncture your lung or your heart, dude. What a shitty time to go human on me."
"What does that mean?" Cas' breathing was calming down.
"One, you're lucky to be alive right now. Two, we gotta get you to a hospital stat. Three, you shouldn't move too much." Dean sounded sure of himself.
"Dean, I hardly feel like I'm going to die. I'm just not used to feeling pain like a human."
"Dude!" Dean held up one finger. "I've watched so much Dr. Sexy, M.D. it's not even funny. I know what I'm talking about."
"That hardly makes you medical professional." Cas retorted.
"Okay, alright, fine. It… It happened to me once, when I was a kid. The doctor said I was real lucky."
"What happened? Were you hunting?"
"Nah, it…" Dean paused and looked up at Cas second guessing what he was about to say. "It… was my dad. I screwed up on a hunt. I missed a shot I shouldn't have missed. And later, dad… Well, he was drunk...so it doesn't really matter."
"Dean, what happened?" Cas asked calmly, coaxing him to continue sharing.
"He taught me a lesson. With his fists… and….his steel toed boots."
"Dean… No, that's horrible." Cas' eyebrows knit together.
"Yeah, it's only because I wouldn't stop coughing up blood that little Sammy snuck me out while Dad was passed out and got me to a clinic by the motel we were staying at. The doc didn't ask many questions and she didn't ask for insurance or money or nothing. To this day I don't know what Sammy told her. But she said the broken bone pieces from my rib was tearing up my insides. She said I could've died. Me and Sam stayed at her clinic for a few days, maybe a week. Come to think of it, that was the last time I ever got seriously throttled by the old man." Dean saw Cas' worried face and smiled. "It was a long time ago. Doesn't matter."
"No." Cas replied strongly. "The only thing that doesn't matter is the fact that it happened a long time ago. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I'm so sorry that happened to you, Dean. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to help you deal with that time in your life."
"Thanks, Dr. Phil. I'm fine, really." Dean smiled. "Let's see what we can do about this situation, huh?"
"Alright."
Dean fussed around the car, even hoping into the backseat at one point. He thought about tearing through the seats but it wouldn't help much, there was nothing that could help them get a signal out or safely dig out all the snow on top of them. Dean had completely forgotten about the walkie-talkie he forgot to give back to the ranger sitting in his bag in the trunk. Dean resolved that there wasn't anything they could do except hope that Sammy was worried about them and maybe someone saw them careen off the road.
"I hate to admit it, but there isn't much we can do." Dean finally admitted and settled down into his seat behind the wheel. Dean shivered so he rubbed his hands over his bare arms for a little warmth via friction. Cas started to remove the emergency blanket from himself but Dean insisted, again that he should keep it and try not to move.
"I'm okay. You're not used to being cold. I'm fine. Just get some rest, hopefully someone will come to the rescue soon enough. I'm seriously late for my check in with Sammy." Dean tried to sound hopeful.
"But the chances of them finding where we are buried is low." Cas said plainly.
"Thanks, Spock." Dean grinned. "Listen, I'm tired. I need to close my eyes for a few minutes." Dean leaned his head back in the seat, crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"That's because you have a concussion."
"Whatever, doc." Dean yawned.
"But Dean,-" Cas stopped because Dean was already sleeping. Cas decided that perhaps some rest to conserve oxygen was a good idea so he closed his eyes too.
Later, Cas woke to find Dean still sleeping. He reached over to wake the hunter and he was shocked at how cold Dean's arm felt.
"Dean, wake up." But Dean didn't wake up. He didn't move. "Dean!" Cas shook him hard. He reached up to his face and could make out the dark purple color of Dean's lips. 'How long has it been?' Cas thought. "Dean!" He yelled even louder.
Dean whispered. "Cas…?" He shivered.
"Dammit, Dean. You're losing body heat faster than your body can create it. You probably have hypothermia."
"Okay, Dr. Sexy." Dean mumbled not opening his eyes.
"Dean, do you know where you are?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you know where you are?" Cas asked urgently.
"Umm Earth, several billion years after…" his words trailed off and he slipped back into unconscious.
"Dean!" Cas shook him again but to no avail. He cumbersomely shifted the emergency blanket, leaned Dean into his aching chest and wrapped him with his arms and covered him with the blanket. Even though he was out of it Dean shivered violently. The blood still on Dean's face was staining Cas' white shirt over his heart. When Cas' body stiffened in pain Dean had a reflex to move his still crossed arms behind Cas' back and looping them around his waist. This was more comfortable but Cas' face started to blush.
"Dean? Can you hear me?"
"Mmhmm." Dean gave a positive response.
"Um. This is...I mean to say… You are being very affectionate. Do you realize that?"
"Mmhmm." Dean affirmed. Cas noticed the shivering had stopped but with hypothermia that isn't exactly a good sign.
"Are you still cold?" Cas asked nervously.
"Mmmm, you're warmmm." Dean mumbled.
"Dean...I…I think we should stop." Cas stammered.
"No." Dean said clearly and ever so gently tightened his hold and nuzzled his face into the crook of the angel's neck.
"Oh… Okay." Cas agreed and couldn't deny how lovely this made him feel. Soon enough, Cas leaned putting his back against car door. Then he moved his legs so that they laid on either side of the hunter's freezing body, across the front seat. Dean moved insync and followed Cas' lead into the new position. They laid together, happily wrapped up in the tinfoil blanket with smiles on their faces as they both drifted into a deep sleep.
When Cas started to wake the first thing he heard was a rhythmic beeping chirp. His eyes felt like a magnet was keeping them shut. He could see there was light on the other side of his eyelids coming through them. He needed to see. The beeping noise quickened it's pace and he managed to open his eyes. There was a white ceiling. He was laying on his back, on a bed but Dean wasn't in his arms anymore.
"Dean?" He mumbled not able to move his head around to see.
"Cas!" A voice called back. Within seconds Sam was looking down at him.
"Sam? Where's Dean?" Cas started to gain more consciousness.
"It's okay, he's okay. You're alright. He's right here." Sam motioned behind him where Dean laid unconscious on a hospital bed just a few feet away from them. "Do you know what happened?"
"We…. We were trapped. Buried in the snow." Cas moved a hand to his side that had a strong bandage wrapped around his torso. "How did you find us?"
"So get this, there was a couple that was backpacking on a trail close to where the Impala got buried. They saw the whole thing from about a mile away on the neighboring ridge. They knew where you were buried and everything. They called for help but the rescue team couldn't get to you till the snow storm lightened up, it started right after you crashed. Ranger Willy called me and by the time I got here they had found you and brought you here." Sam looked over his shoulder at the door before whispering. "Cas, why aren't you healing? They examined you and you were all human."
"The witch attacked us with ectoplasm. It drained my grace. I can feel it though. It will take some time but I will recover. What about Dean? Is he alright? His head injury and also I think hypothermia." Cas strained to turn and look. Dean's head was wrapped with bandage and he had IVs in his arms. He looked pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. His lips were slightly parted and his head tilted to one side toward Cas.
"The doctors said he went through a lot. You both did. But he's going to be okay. I asked if they could put you guys in the same room. He's gonna be tired for awhile. Doctors said he would've died if you hadn't," Sam paused to clear his throat. "Shared body heat." Sam grinned.
Cas immediately took his concerned eyes off of Dean and shot his surprised look to Sam. He started to blush high in his cheeks and stammered at what to respond with.
Sam chuckled lightly. "Dude, Cas, I'm kidding. You guys were freezing to death. Listen, I'm really glad you're both okay. Now, would you do me a favor and watch over Dean? I need to go make arrangements to get the Impala dug out of that raveen before he wakes up and panics."
"Of course." Cas calmed down.
Sam left the room and closed the door behind him. Cas rested into his pillow but turned his body comfortably to face Dean. Sam came back a few minutes later when good news that a crew could come out tomorrow for the Impala when Cas thought of something.
"Sam, when you were young. Do you remember taking Dean to a clinic for broken ribs that your father had inflicted?"
"Yeah, definitely. Did… Did Dean tell you about that?" Sam was surprised he would share something so private.
"Yes but he couldn't recall everything. He also said it was the last time your father would beat him. What happened?"
"Well I couldn't come up with a good enough story why I was bringing my half broken brother in without an adult so when they told me that Dean could've died I told them the truth."
"Which was?"
"That our dad was a drunk that kicked him till he stopped moving. They asked for our dad's phone number. Then when he came busting into the clinic, child services took over. I think they took him to a rehab center or something because we didn't see him for several days. They put me and Dean into temporary care but Dean needed to stay at a hospital and I begged then to let me stay with him. They had him on some strong pain meds so I didn't think he'd remember all of that."
"And your father?"
"They let him take us when Dean was better and I remember him hugging us, bawling about how sorry he was. I didn't care how sorry he was. And… And I threatened him that if he ever hurt Dean like that again that I would call child services and they would take us away from him forever."
"Sam, I'm so sorry." Cas' eyebrows swished together again. "No child should suffer like that and be forced to make those decisions."
"It's okay. I'm actually surprised Dean remembered anything about that. He was so drugged, spent most of that week sleeping or watching TV like a zombie."
"You're a zombie." Dean's voice mumbled behind Sam's back.
"Dean!" Sam and Cas both exclaimed.
"How long have you been awake?" Sam asked taking the two steps over to his brother's beside and placed a firm hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Long enough." Dean replied as he took stock of his situation, IVs, monitors, hospital gown and all. "Cas, you alright over there?"
"Yes, Dean. I'm fine." Cas smiled warmly and Dean reciprocated with his own cheesy grin.
"You, uh, back to normal yet?"
"No, I'm afraid not. I think these injuries will be healed by modern medicine before my grace is strong again." Cas informed.
"Well, we'll keep an eye on you till then. Stay with us at the bunker. Kay?" Cas nodded and smiled more. "Sammy, I hurt Baby." Dean voice turned to business. "She needs help."
"I've got a team that's going out, first thing tomorrow."
"Good. Okay. And Sammy?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks… For that thing with Dad. I had no idea." He touched Sam's hand that was still on his shoulder and gave it a good manly reassuring slap. "Alright now, go find a hotel and get some sleep. You look beat."
"Speak for yourself!" Sam teased back.
Sam grabbed his coat off a chair and smiled to himself as he left the room. Soon enough a nurse and later a doctor came in to check them both and ask questions. Everything sounded great and depending on some tests and scans later they would be free to go in a few days or maybe sooner. Once they were alone again Dean sat up slowly and got out of his bed. He played with the bed's wheel brakes and pushed his bed so that it was flush with Castiel's. Dean rolled over his monitors and IVs and hopped back into bed scooting close to his angel.
"Dean, what are you doing?"
"Well, it looked like you could use some shared body heat." Dean was acting cheesy again and gestured to his own torso. "I know that I could."
Cas paused at first, shocked at how easily Dean could talk to him like that. "Yes, but…" Cas blushed wildly. "I don't think that's allowed here."
"Shut up Cas, it's fine!" And Dean put his arm behind Cas' neck and down his opposite shoulder while turning on the room's TV. Dean pulled him in closer and Cas found a comfortable way to fit against him. There, they both drifted to a peaceful sleep with the TV softly playing in the background.