Chapter 2: Insufficient

Two melees, a flight with two passengers and three smitings later, Dean was starting to believe the respite has done Castiel a lot of good and that he had recharged as much as he ever did these days when he suddenly became aware of Castiel's absence from his immediate proximity again. Apprehensively, he turned around to find that the angel was still thankfully in sight, although hunched over and holding his stomach. "What's wrong?" The human started, his question being quickly answered by a surge of gastric juices and bile parting from the angel. Benny shook his head, eying up the situation to determine the implications and delay resulting from the celestial being's indisposition this time.

"Easy..easy…" Dean decided to support his swaying friend by the waist, "you think you're done? Stop staring at it, it won't do you any good," he steered Castiel a few steps away from the mess as the angel just gave an indecisive moan. "Damn it Cas, what's wrong with you?"

"Just a minute please, I'm starting to feel better, thank you for your assistance," Castiel huffed, straightening up a little, " we should resume the trek," he attempted to free himself from his best friend's hold.

"Not so fast Cas," Dean kept a supporting arm round the other's back and arm, "I'll let you go when you stop shaking and I'm convinced you'll stay standing when I let go," the hunter asserted.

"And a proper explanation as to what we're dealing with would be good too," Benny inserted, "teamwork doesn't work well without trust and truth."

"I was hoping I could assist you further, but it seems we'll have to part nonetheless," Castiel gave an apologetic frown, still trying to catch his breath.

"Like hell we're parting when you can't even defend yourself!" Dean argued, livid and frustrated over being left clueless while something had obviously been wrong with Cas for a while.

"A little bit I could've went further if you didn't press for explanations," Castiel reproached, "but now I have to admit that I will not only be a danger beacon as I had been before, but a hindrance as well. I'm afraid I don't have the strength to go on."

"We'll wait with you, as long as it takes," Dean assured him, "nobody gets left behind, remember?"

"You don't understand, Dean," Castiel winced, allowing himself to lower to the ground steadied by the hunter's strong hold, "I can't walk, I'm in too much pain. I have been hiding it from you, except there's no need now," he blew out the air, hunching over himself.

Dean spared a worried glace for Benny before swallowing and looking back at Castiel to take stock, "okay, well, it might take even longer than I thought, but I've searched for you for months, a few days here or there won't matter."

Castiel shook his head, "you can't take me. I'm dying. This place, purgatory, it wasn't meant for angels. It sucking out my power day by day, poisoning me and the cramps are getting unbearable," he looked at his friend with pleading eyes, "please Dean, don't make me move," he curled up on himself.

"You're telling me you're dying and that you're in terrible pain and you're asking me to leave you to it? Then your mental faculties must be affected as well," Dean spat. "How far do you think we are from the portal?" He looked up at Benny.

"A couple of days perhaps," the vampire said noncommittally, as evenly as if nothing would've happened.

"You hear that Cas? Two days, that's not long to walk. We'll help. We can carry you if need be," Dean offered a tentative, reassuring hand, rubbing at Castiel's arm.

"No. I won't be a burden. You shouldn't wait. I won't be able to make it anyway," the angel argued.

"And you know that how! We need to get strong branches and hard-wearing vines to bind them up into a stretcher," the Winchester started to look around searchingly.

"I'll deal with that," Benny offered, "you stay with him," their friend from purgatory set to work, knowing how much Castiel meant to the human.

"No, no," Castiel hung onto the supporting hand Dean had provided and heaved himself into a sitting position, "a stretcher would largely hinder your abilities to defend yourself promptly at the first sign of danger. I'll walk."

"Didn't you just say you couldn't?" Benny pointed out raising his eyebrows.

"You begged me a minute ago not to move you," Dean hovered uncertainly.

"That was before your stubborn streak manifesting," Castiel argued, "I will not let you put yourself in peril on my behalf. Help me up!" The angel grunted from the ground just as stubbornly.

"Yeah, whatever," Dean rolled his eyes, "as long as we get you to the portal," he leaned down to grab his friend by the waist and hauled him up, easier than expected as he had Benny's help from the other side. "How's the pain?" The hunter leaned in to look into the angel's ashen face.

Castiel shook his head, trying to straighten up, but bending right back down over his stomach, "not as bad if I don't try to stand straight."

"Peachy," Dean frowned, "could you take one arm away from your belly and over my shoulder?"

"I think so," Castiel bid determined, following the action through resolutely, almost as if he was a lot better than he appeared a moment.

"Okay," Dean spoke with hopeful determination, "just tell us when you need a rest."

Tbc