Chapter 4
Having lived five centuries, Angela could give a list of the different types of injuries she had seen and could give you the rundown on which ones you could hide under freak accidents and the like. She was no stranger to being injured herself and she had the scars, the ones that remained, to prove it. So she was used to the headache that usually came from having your head knocked about and was certain that she had some minor lacerations that a good coagulant could seal. The fact that everything was dark was troublesome.
Being adverse to hospitals, she ranted a little over why it was taking the doctor so long while trying hard not to bitch at the nurse that was crooning at how brave she was for saving that man from the explosion. Sentiments like that were just an annoyance just like wearing the gauze over her eyes was an annoyance but it was a necessity since she caught the blast face on. So she was waiting for a doctor to give the diagnosis, the prescription and then she was booking. Something about that shooting and the explosion didn't set right with her.
That something was wrong with her eyes, she wasn't going to question. Her body was telling her that and the fact that Rufus was huddling nearby told her that something was up. She waited until the nurse left before saying, "I know you're there Rufus. You okay?"
"I'm fine except some cheeky girl decided I was young enough to play tackle football with," Rufus retorted. It had been a close call and if she hadn't pushed him out of the way, he would have been a stiff in the ground. The least he could do was make sure she was okay.
"Well you're still standing now aren't ya?"
"And you're still here."
Angela chuckled. "So you waiting until I can book?"
"Just wait and see what the doctor says," Rufus replied.
It turned out not to be too long a wait. The doctor came in and began his examination. He was nice enough not to comment on her rescue since he saw the look on her face and the fact that she muttered about kicking someone's ass for mentioning it again. He undid the wrap and waited for her reaction. Generally in his line of work, it was best to let the patient tell what they could and couldn't see and then work with it.
Angela knew her eyes were open. She could feel them blink but she couldn't see anything. Everything was dark but she could hear things. Boy was she in a load of shit. "Well I guess that's that. Can't see a thing."
If the doctor was surprised at the response, he didn't say anything. Instead he went over and examined the eyes. His diagnosis was simple, "Flash blindness from the explosion and I did see some debris which I was able to remove."
"Okay so recovery rate?"
"It's a slow process and there is the risk for it to become permanent if it gets infected."
Angela made a slight motion with her head. That usually was the case. She had never had an eye injury before so she had no idea how long it would take for her healing ability to kick in. Then there was the chance that it wouldn't get better. He did find debris in her eyes so that was a factor. However that wasn't as pressing as the unease she felt. She needed to get to somewhere safe and where she could hide out while waiting for her eyes to right themselves or the boys came.
That she was calling the boys was a no brainer. She wasn't stupid to stay too long on her own and with the clock winding down on Dean's deal and the fact that Lilith was still on the rampage… she needed help. She said, "Okay then doc what do I need to do so that this doesn't become permanent?"
"I'll write a prescription for dilating drops but I do recommend you see an ophthalmologist since there is some burning on your cheeks which were cleaned with no problems. It could be a more serious burn. The point is that you need to rest your eyes so I am going to insist that you wear the gauze pads for the next 24-28 hours."
Angela felt like she was being tied with a leash but she did have to admit that doctors and that included healers made the worst patients. She knew that she was going to have a rough time of it the next few days or so. She didn't even like the fact that she had burns on her face that according to Doctor Who was not that bad on her skin but it could have spelled bad for her eyes. She looked in Rufus' direction and back and replied, "No problem then. Where are the release forms?"
It took longer than she would have liked to get released AMA but in the end they let her go. She understood what she was supposed to do and even gave a nice snow job about her friend taking her to see her brothers. All the while she was anxious. She got the feeling that she was being watched and she wanted to get lost as soon as possible. Something wasn't right and she was in a vulnerable state and would rather be with people she was comfortable with. It wasn't a random thing like the police made it seem. This was target specific and she had a gut feeling.
"Rufus, can you drive me?"
"You think I'm a taxi service?" Rufus looked at Angela taking in for the moment that she was taking this way better than most people and she took to the cane she was given quite easily. She just told them to give it to her even though they said it was a temporary thing and he could swear that the look she shot even though her eyes were covered were intimidated even the toughest nurse there.
He did want to get going himself but he wasn't going to leave her there. He could take her to where she needed to go and make sure that she had someone coming. He looked at her as she followed him to the pickup she drove over to see him. "Why do you need to book so badly aside from the fact that you seem to hate hospitals?"
"I need to get to Lawrence, Rufus. I can't explain it but that attack was no accident and the sooner I get to a place where I can feel somewhat secure, then I'm good," Angela replied as she ran her fingers on the door and popped it open.
Rufus opened his side and got in, "So why not have me drive you all the way to Bobby's? I can tolerate his ass long enough to give him back his stray."
"Bobby's not in the best of moods with me right now."
"Right about that thing you asked for. Why are you trying to save a demon?"
"Not because I have a thing for him," Angela replied as she shut the door. She adjusted the dark sunglasses to make sure they were on. They covered the patches really well and it saved from people asking peculiar questions. "He's like you. He knows things and frankly he's my stoolie and I want him back."
Rufus started the engine and turned the battered pickup towards the highway to get to Lawrence, Massachusetts. "Most people would just get another one."
"You have any idea how long it takes to train a stoolie to your liking, especially a demon one?" Angela looked towards the driver's side with a wry grin on her face. In her lap was a small bag with the drops she had been given. She didn't look forward to that prospect since she couldn't see a thing and more likely she would poke her eye out.
"Point taken but still you know Bobby."
"I know. The sad thing is he knows a lot of what I intend to do and he knows he should stop me but he's helping me anyway."
"You must have a silver tongue to work that kind of magic," Rufus replied. He certainly thought so since she managed to work her way to his motel and get what she came for plus she helped out with the nest of vamps the night before. He still couldn't believe though that she was half vampire.
"I can be persuasive but…" Angela shrugged her shoulders and went silent.
Nothing more was said until Rufus found a motel in Lawrence and paid for a single. He got her inside and asked, "What now?"
"You can go. You've done enough Rufus and I suspect that you'll hold this over me for a long time," Angela replied as she sat on the bed.
"You've got to be kidding me. At least let me stay until your people come."
"No. I think this thing is after me and the less you see of me now the better," Angela replied as she rubbed her head with one hand while fishing her cell phone out of her jacket pocket with the other. "Besides Sam and Dean know me and have worked with me. They know how to avoid these kinds of things."
Rufus shook his head. She was a stubborn ass but he liked it. He replied, "Fine but I'm stocking you up on some food before I go." He turned to leave the room, making sure there was a key on the dresser just in case.
"Can you bring some pie?"
Angela laughed as Rufus grumbled. She could hear his footsteps head to the truck and the engine started. She flipped open her cell phone and felt it over. Funny how some things were taken for granted like sight. She did have a nice lesson in that at the Morton House. Good thing there was such a thing as speed dial. She brushed her thumb over the keypad and pressed and held down a number. She waited while it rang and prayed for a voice to answer.
It warmed her heart when she heard Sam's voice. So she pressed his speed dial number. She answered his call as she normally would. She could tell by his voice that he had been jittery and it seemed like he might have driven Dean crazy with her being gone. Dean probably did the same thing since they both insisted on being helpless with basic housekeeping. She didn't tell him exactly what happened but said that the job was finished and asked if they could meet her at her motel and gave the town and which one it was.
The waiting seemed long but at least Rufus left her with a nice supply of food and drink, including a bottle of whiskey which they shared before he booked. She thanked him and gave a nice kiss to the cheek. She grinned when she heard him grumble and she added the parting shot, "I'll get the truck the next time I'm in Canaan."
She was left to her own devices and she spent the time learning to move and walk without someone's elbow. True it was only a room but she needed to learn this if she needed to get on the move and fast. She was able to learn the whole layout of the room with the cane before leaning it discreetly in the corner near the bed and started walking without it. She stubbed her toe twice but persisted in it until she could make a circuit around the room for various things.
It was nerve wracking when she heard the door knock and Dean calling her name. She hadn't mentioned what happened but her thinking was that they would have broken speed limits and all sorts of traffic laws to get there. Taking a breath, she walked to the door and opened it, aware that it was strange for her to be wearing sunglasses in the room with the late afternoon sun heading down in the west. She teased, "You're not breaking records here Dean," referring to his bragging about his timing their rides cross country.
It was automatic for Dean to retort, "Depends on the situation. Emergencies I'd be here faster."
"Good thing this isn't an emergency," Angela replied. She stepped back to let them in and walked to sit on the bed. "You boys have a good hunt."
Dean wasn't stupid. He noticed that she was wearing shades but he wasn't going to jump to insane conclusions. When Sam got a migraine, he wore glasses because of increased sensitivity to light. He figured this was the same thing. He replied, "Got rid of the damn thing though it tossed us around a bit. I nearly got skewered."
"Shish kabob Dean I see," Angela replied. "So how did it feel not having me around?"
Sam was following Dean's lead but he was more observant of the room. He noticed the can by the dresser and swallowed down the urgent question he wanted to ask. He was sort of annoyed that she was insisting on pleasantries since he was certain that not everything was right. He replied, "Boring."
Angela raised her brow and moved her head slightly in Sam's direction. She heard the tone of voice. "Really? I thought you'd boys would love doing the duo act again."
"It's no fun without you Angie. So you get everything you need?" Dean looked over at Sam and found him staring. He then noticed something. Angela was staring right at Sam who was staring at something leaning against the wall. She had to be seeing what he was doing but she wasn't commenting on it. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Angela replied, "Everything and then some. Did the job and it ended sooner than expected. You want some pie?"
Dean watched her movements. "Sure."
Angela nodded and stood up. She started to where Rufus left the foodstuffs and didn't know that Dean purposely stuck his foot in her way. When she hit it with her foot, she stopped and stood there and sighed. Dean knew that Sam had watched the whole thing too. Something had happened. Dean asked, "What happened, Angie?"
"It's just flash blindness," Angela replied. "It'll clear up on its own. It usually does."
"Okay then why not say anything over the phone? We would have been here sooner," Dean scolded her like he would Sam for being a dumbass like he was with his shoulders from the poltergeist. He crossed his arms while she stood there just staring at him. It was disconcerting because she was looking at him but not seeing him and he knew when she was spacing out.
"And breaking traffic laws and landing your asses in jail and what would I do then?" Angela knew she was being scolded but she wasn't beaten yet. She could still dish it out if needs be. "Besides that's not the problem."
"Sure," Dean nodded in mock seriousness with the sarcasm dripping heavily. "Because being blind is like a walk in the park for you right?" Dean couldn't help but be like the concerned parent. If he had stopped to think about it, he would have realized that he was acting just like his father which would account for the slightly bemused expression on Angela's face.
"Don't sass me boy," Angela replied as she moved her head up as if she were looking Dean in the eye. "It took me two hours to memorize the layout of this room alone and I wasn't even focused on the room but more on how do it automatically. So it seems like I'm handling this better than you."
"Yeah with the patience of a saint."
The smack to the back of the head was a long time in coming and Dean felt it as he rubbed the back of his head while looking at her. How she did that without being able to see had him stunned as much as the fact that she smacked him. Dean looked at her, "What the…?"
"Dean," Sam finally said. He had watched the whole thing and didn't say a word mostly because he was trying hard not to freak out with the fact that he might be having visions again. All of them had her blind in them and now here she was diagnosed with flash blindness…
"Sam, she didn't say anything…"
"You don't need to shout. I'm blind, not deaf and the reason I didn't say anything was because I was more concerned by the fact that this accident wasn't an accident," Angela replied calmly and softly.
"What makes you say that?" Sam asked since Dean was still in shock over the fact that she could still deliver a good head smack that accurately.
"The person that I was meeting, we finished the job early and were having coffee… I think at 6:30am. We were going our separate ways when I just had a feeling. I turn and see one of those laser targeting thingies and reacted. Took cover and boom. Lucky shot and then this," Angela summed as she pointed at her face. She glanced in the direction she was sure the boys were in and just stood there. What was she going to do?
"So you think that whatever it is… is after you?" Sam hated to ask but it certainly was answering questions he had been asking himself.
"Possibly. I haven't gotten rid of this feeling yet. Thing is I don't know why and that's what bothers me," Angela replied before she turned and headed in the direction where her bag of food was. She was serious about the pie but that could wait. It seemed that Rufus had grabbed road food both healthy and more Dean healthy. She grabbed one of those snack bars and held it in her hands. "For all I know it could be random but…" She turned to look at the boys. She knew it was a lot to take in especially that she was looking at them but not seeing them.
Dean looked at Sam who appeared to be thoughtful. No doubt Sam was making connections between his dreams and this and it occurred to him that maybe Sam was thinking visions here. He also knew well enough not to take her feelings lightly when it came to stuff like this. The best thing he could come up with was to head back to Bobby's. "Okay then so what do we do? You talk to Bobby yet?"
"No and I don't think he's in the mood to talk to me," Angela replied as she toyed with the package.
Both Sam and Dean could understand that. It was only because Bobby cared about her. Whatever it was, it had to be something that Bobby considered stupid and was only looking out for her. Of course she would have listened and then did her own thing anyway. That was how she worked once she set her mind to something and had considered all the options.
Not standing the silence, Angela said, "Look we can stick around tonight and then figure out what to do in the morning or we can book now. It's up to you."
Dean glanced at Sam. This was a new situation for the both of them. Right now Sam was just relieved that she wasn't seriously injured like gaping wounds kind of injury. The blind thing was just something that was going to take time. He made a motion with his face at Dean and he nodded. Dean replied, "Alright, we'll stay. Just don't get into any trouble."
That was all well and said but it seemed like Dean wanted to cause trouble. First he tried making it so that they were all crashing in the same room. Angela shot him down quickly and said that she would rather sleep in the Impala and made to carry out her threat. She left the room after grabbing her cane and room keys and crossed the room like it was nothing.
Sam waited until she left before saying, "Nice Dean."
"Hey I'm just trying to help," Dean replied, "Besides if there is someone following her…"
Sam made a slight eye roll, "That is weak even for you. Dean, she just wants help in that we have her back… not babying her." He was going to say something else, "Look I'll see if we can get the room next door."
"I'll get it," Dean replied realizing he did commit a serious error. He knew as well as Sam that Angela had a huge independent streak. She was new into losing one of her senses and he should have known that she was feeling vulnerable even though she wasn't showing it. He left the room to head to the main office to book him and Sam a room. He managed to look at the Impala and grew concerned that she wasn't even in there but he wasn't going to get hysterical unless there was a reason. He felt a small measure of relief when Sam came out.
Sam knew that Dean needed time to think about things. He knew Dean meant well and Angela did too and knew she would eventually be her usual self. That was after she had her thinking time and thinking about it made him want to laugh a little since the last few times ended up with her engaging in a sparring match.
His reason to look for her was to make sure she didn't get into trouble. She got into plenty of it with her sight. He could only imagine the amount without her sight. Plus he just didn't want his latest set of dreams to come true. So far what he had seen hadn't but the fact that this latest set had her in her current state dying… He wasn't sure if he was going crazy with everything that was going on.
He followed Dean out and his first thought was to check the Impala. She wasn't in there and he made sure to check really good since she did manage to pull the same thing on the Morton House. He looked up and looked around and thought about where she may go. He took off in a direction that seemed most likely.
Sam had to admit that he thought this town and this area was not exactly the best part of town. On the way down, he read that Lawrence, Massachusetts was a very poor city and a fairly high crime rate. It was a milling town in its heyday and then when the mills closed, everything went down. He hated to think that she would walk into a situation that was directed at her… It made him look harder and faster.
He was about to give up and mount an official search and call Dean to start looking when laughter caught his attention. He rounded a corner and came across a group of drunks and they were pointing and jeering at someone. A closer look revealed that someone was Angela and she wasn't afraid but rather she was alert and tense; she was ready to strike and it was for the kill if necessary.
"Hey sweet thing, you need a hand?"
Sam clenched his fists and swallowed down the anger that threatened. He wanted nothing more than to rush in there and start swinging but that was reckless even for him so he forced himself to remain calm. He started walking forward just as Angela said, "If I need a hand, I prefer someone who didn't stink of vomit and booze. Excuse me."
She tried walking past them but was stopped and wheeled around. The guy who was talking said, "Oh we're not through yet." He then said something in a language that Sam didn't understand but he knew for certain that she did seeing that she stiffened slightly before her lips turned into a scowl.
It was the last straw when the guy pushed her against the dumpster that was nearby and reached for her neck. Sam shouted, "Hey!"
A/N: One thing after another in trouble. At least it seems the boys are taking this fairly well. Now we'll see some action next time on Blindsided...
