Chapter 2: Double Off
"We're in the Two Rivers Hotel, Route 34, Colorado, Room 312," Dean whispered to himself as a prayer to Cas, hoping that the angel was more able to answer than any other time after coming back from purgatory since this time he promised he would. The Winchester let out a relieved sigh when he heard wings flutter and the flash of the trenchcoat before his eyes. "Hey Cas! Now I know you can't do anything for Sam, but I didn't want to leave him on his own in the state he is while..Cas, you look like shit, what's wrong? Have you been in a fight?"
"It's the quantum superposition," Cas shook his head, grabbing hold of the back of a chair to ground him. "I find it too hard to maintain residing in a damaged vessel perpetually needing repair."
"Well, McWhiz, why don't you just quantum super-duper yourself into maybe just half the hotel rooms in America, I would think that's safe enough for cover?"
"I already don't have the capacity for half the hotel rooms in America, I'm just hoping I can emit convincingly present signals in half the hotel rooms of Colorado," Castiel sighed, gingerly positioning himself at the edge of the bed that was vacant.
Dean looked him up and down, considering his friend's exhausted appearance and frowned, "do you think you can still protect Sam? I won't be too long, but I need to check out something."
Castiel sighed, depleted, "perhaps if I make use of the bed," he glanced behind, "I could gather sufficient strength while taking a break."
"Okay, so rest," Dean encouraged him to lie back, "I'd rather leave him with you at any case than by himself," the hunter gathered his jacket to set out, a little relieved that the angel had settled himself on the pillows. Dean's focus has shifted. At this point, it was clear that Castiel needed the break more than Sam needed a chaperone. The older Winchester's gaze lingered on both prone figures for a moment, but the show always had to go on, so he closed the door behind himself.
With Dean out of sight and the younger hunter presumably in deep sleep, Castiel didn't have to hold it together anymore. A drawn out groan left his lips, his hands hovering over his stomach. His instinct would've been to cradle it, protect it, but he knew the extra pressure of his fingers would only make it hurt more. He didn't even feel where exactly was the tablet pressing his insides, his whole abdomen throbbed too much to know the difference. It had to come out, his physique couldn't handle it anymore, but he was quite sure he couldn't handle the repeat damage of what cutting himself up would cause, not now when he was so weakened. He whimpered instead, trying to quell the nausea that seemed to have filled his very being. Drinking another cup of coffee when his stomach was so full with a stone was a bad idea. It was giving him awful cramps that he again, could do nothing about without a better use of his powers. Breathing hurt, moving hurt, staying still hurt and he didn't want to imagine how much vomiting would hurt. But he didn't have to imagine. Coughs and splutters made their way up his throat, forcing him to turn to his side. He had registered the liquid leaving his mouth, but the immeasurable agony that accompanied it cancelled everything else out from his consciousness. He wasn't out cold, he knew that, nonetheless he wasn't with it either. Thus it was a surprise for him to find Sam's concerned face in his hazy vision once the pain marginally subsided.
"Cas, what's wrong?" Sam cupped his face, forcing eye contact to get a response, "you've been throwing up blood, can you tell me what's wrong and how can I help?"
"Don't. Touch," Castiel gasped, terrified that the human would shake him in his no doubt repeated attempts to talk to him. "I..the pain.."
Sam nodded, "Dean told me on the phone when I called him a moment ago that you had the tablet in your stomach. Let me see," he encouraged, "I'll be very gentle," he promised, hands hesitant in the air, waiting for the angel's response.
Castiel huffed out a tiny, involuntary moan, expression pleading, but amenable enough for the scholar to take it as permission. Sam pulled the coat and overcoat gently to the side, then even more delicately fingered the buttons on the dress shirt open carefully. The angel bit his lips, waiting stiff while riding out another wave of cramps that felt as if his stomach was intent on expelling the large object forced to stay in his stomach. He barely felt being undressed, the pain already existent could hardly be topped.
Sam shook his head, staring. Castiel's stomach was covered in purple and red bruises, telling of a number of sites of internal bleeding. The abdomen was a little extended and very hard, muscles contracted and not letting up for a moment. He could see the outline of the angel tablet as it was pushing both the hipbones and the ribcage and he could just about hear the rustle of the cracked bones with each and every movement of the desperately contained shiver that Castiel was trying to prevent. "This has got to come out Cas, right now," Sam established, not happy with the prospect. His own fever was making it hard to see, but could it wait till Dean returned? Right now, Castiel's position was more important than finding Metatron or the trials, he decided and fumbled for his cell. He had to not pass out before he could ask Dean for help at least as he was quite sure opening up somebody's abdominal cavity half comatose what not the greatest idea.
Tbc
