WARNING: this chapter contains depictions of anxiety attacks, hallucinations, depictions of hell, and homophobic slurs.
There will be warnings in the future for anything related to these topics as well. If you have any issues and do not think you can handle them, I would advise you to skip the chapters, or turn back now.
Chapter 7
After breakfast, John had attempted to explore the bunker more. He'd already figured out the hall that his room was in. Sam was down the same area, and had helped him find one, getting Dean and Castiel to help with furniture.
He'd decided to go down the opposite hall, the one he'd seen Sam taking Dean down earlier. He laughed slightly to himself for a moment. His kids had wasted no time in spreading themselves out once they had the means. He supposed, living in close quarters your entire life would do that. Especially since they where now two grown men who needed their privacy, and not two children who stayed up past bed-time playing with each other.
However, he found mostly storage rooms, and laboratories. Sam had mentioned this being a research facility for the supernatural. That being said, he had remembered seeing a small portion of what appeared to be a large library. He decided to go check that out, odds are he would find some very informative books in there. He no longer had to worry about the Demon, Sam had told him that. But now, he could pour himself into hunting other things, things that are more pests and menaces.
He walked into the library, finding Dean's friend sitting there, surrounded by a mountain of books. He seemed to be working on something, the books he seemed to be looking into involving Demonology, and Bible lore. But a few of them held titles in other languages, and books about Supernatural infections, or diseases. His hair was more disheveled then ever, looking as if he'd run his hands through it several times.
"Sam mentioned you where the nerdy type." John stated, looking at the man before him. He was around the same age as Dean, maybe a couple years older. The man looked up and tilted his head at John's words. Reminding John slightly of a puppy that was confused by human behavior.
"I hardly see how the pursuit of knowledge is considered 'nerdy'." Castiel answered, looking back down at his books.
Pursuit of knowledge? Who the hell talks like that? John thought, looking at the man head deep in a book on supernatural cures for ailments. Once again, John found himself wondering just what his boys where seeing in this guy he wasn't. At least not for Dean. Sam could make friends with anyone, and probably even enjoyed someone to talk to about anything academic.
He walked to the shelves and started looking at the titles, seeing several things he thought he would find useful, and a few things he was pretty sure Bobby was the only one who could read. The guy was his only source in translating ancient languages. He looked back over to Castiel and noticed he was reading something in what looked like Enochian. Well, maybe now there was another one, if he was inclined to help.
"So Cas." He started. After all, he did never get to know his kid's friends when they where younger, he should now. It was the perfect opportunity, since they where alone.
"Castiel." Was the man's short reply. John thinking back to that first morning where he seemed to give only one word answers.
"That's an odd name." John inquired, looking to the guy.
"My parents where very religious." Castiel answered quickly, as if he'd been asked that often. John had to admit that, that explained a great portion of the man. Many religious parents took it to the extreme. Home schooling children so they didn't come into contact with anything that could make the child question their beliefs. Trying to keep them pure by keeping them sheltered from the world. In John's opinion, that just made the kids bad at dealing with people.
"Right." John said in understanding. "So, Castiel, you working on something?" He asked, gesturing to the large amount of books.
"More or rather satisfying a curiosity." Castiel answered, turning a page in his book.
"On what." John asked, looking at the titles again, trying to figure this guy out. Who actually looks at diseases in the monster world for fun. The only time it's usually brought up is if someone has been infected by werewolves or vampires.
"Diseases." Castiel answered simply, making John frustrated. This guy gave nothing, and he had a feeling he wouldn't get anything from him.
"I don't suppose you could be a bit more talkative?" John asked, looking at Castiel with a pointed look. But before he answered, Castiel turned his head to the side, as if listening to something. He then put his book down and walked out of the room. "Yeah, he's really friendly." John said to himself sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
John stood up, thinking about trying to find Dean's room to check on him when he heard Castiel yell for Sam down another hallway. He ran out of the library to follow the sound, Sam running up with him. John followed him, figuring he'd get there faster. When Sam stopped at an open door, he looked inside to find Dean thrashing around on his bed.
Dean was covered in sweat and he was screaming. Castiel seemed to be trying to talk to him, holding his hands down the best he could, but Dean wasn't hearing it. Dean screamed when they walked in and fought more. Sam took a look and went straight to Dean, pulling his belt out of his jeans and shoving the leather strap into Dean's mouth to prevent him from biting his own tongue. John following his son immediately, attempting to calm Dean and hold him down.
"Cas, what happened?" Sam asked, working to pick Dean up, everyone doing the same.
"He's hallucinating." Castiel answered quickly. "He's got a high fever, and I think he thinks he's in Hell." He finished, lifting Dean's torso up while John took his feet and Sam grabbed around his waist.
"The infirmary, quick." Sam ordered, all of them walking down the hall, having a difficult job of it with Dean thrashing around.
Once in the infirmary, they put Dean down into a bathtub and Sam and Castiel left quickly. John stayed in the room, trying to calm Dean down, but all his words did nothing more but seem to agitate Dean further. He tried to grab Dean's hands to still him, but he pulled them away in surprise. He was burning up. His fever reaching a level that John was seriously worried about his well being. Those levels could cause brain damage.
Sam and Castiel returned quickly, carrying several bags of ice. Castiel told John to start the water, cold only. As if he needed to be told, but he listened and turned the knob while Castiel and Sam poured their bags into the tub over Dean.
"There." Sam said, taking a couple of deep breathes. "That should do it. But what was that?" He asked, turning to Castiel.
"I think it maybe a side-affect. To the withdrawals he is going through." Castiel answered, looking down at Dean.
"I didn't think detoxing from alcohol was that bad." John said, watching his son calmed down under the ice. Castiel turned to stare at him a moment, then looked to Sam who gave him a nod.
"It can be, there have been people who have been so dependent, they did not survive the detox. I believe it will be a bit hard for Dean, but in a few weeks, he should start to feel better." Castiel explained, taking a seat in a chair close by.
"Until then, he's basically sick." Sam asked, looking to Castiel. "Is there any way we can help, like some kind of relief?"
"Aside from what we are already doing. I don't think so. We can try treating the symptoms, but until this is done, just support." Castiel suggested.
"How would you know?" John asked, looking to Castiel. "You some kind of doctor?"
"I do research on many subjects, whenever the mood strikes me. But mostly, I've been through this before." Castiel answered, making himself more comfortable. He obviously had plans of staying for awhile and watching over Dean.
"Well, alright." Sam said, walking towards the door. "Then I need to go to the store and stock up. We need anti-nausea, aspirin, and a bunch of other things. Maybe get some tea, I've seen some that have calming qualities. We also need soup and crackers, Dean's been having trouble eating anything."
"I'll go with you. Help you get the meds. A lot of them have alcohol and I'll look at the labels while you get the food." John volunteered. "It wouldn't help Dean any to have alcohol in the medicines he's taking. May cause him to relapse or overdose." He explained, Sam taking a look at him before shrugging.
"Sounds good. Cas, you going to be okay with him?" Sam asked, turning to Castiel who was watching Dean.
"Yes." Castiel answered, turning back to the ice filled tub.
It was hot. The stifling, burning heat was compounding onto him, making it difficult to breathe. He felt like a weight had been placed on his chest, and no matter how much he struggled, or lashed out at what it was, it remained constant. The only reprieve from the suffocating heat and pressure, was the extreme pain in his head.
He could feel they where close, and using their knives and pins to dig into his brain. He struggled against the hands that where holding him down. They shouted over his head, but he had no idea what they where saying, he just knew he needed to get out. Before Alistair came by again. He knew that this was just the warm up. The real torture was going to start up soon.
He could feel it coming, the fear alone causing his body to spasm. He felt hot, but his body shivered as he saw the new arrivals. Alistair turning his cold white eyes on Dean, a malicious smile curving his features. He advanced towards Dean, pulling a leather strap out of his pocket and forced the article into his mouth. He felt himself being lifted and dragged by several hands to another room, fighting the whole way. They seemed to be trying to calm him, but he knew it was just an act they did before they cut into him, and he wasn't going to fall for it. He felt them place him into a hard, narrow surface that seemed to cage him in. He could not spread out, no matter how hard he pushed. They where going to make him sit in his own blood while they gutted him. Then the over whelming heat, was replaced by intense and horrifying, freezing cold.
He gasped in lungfuls of air, trying to counter-act the affects of the cold. His mind coming to himself again, his memory caught up with him. He wasn't in Hell, he hadn't been there for years. The tingling sensation made more sense as he noticed he was completely covered in ice. He pulled himself up out of it, the top layer sliding off landing on the floor. He looked around in from of him, seeing no one.
"You where running a fever." He heard a deep voice speak from the seat next to the tub he'd been placed in. He looked to find Castiel sitting there with a rag he had clearly been using to wipe Dean's head.
"So you put me on ice?" Dean asked, looking to his friend. At Castiel's apologetic look, Dean just sighed and started trying to lift himself up, but his hands where slippery and his arms where shaking. He couldn't hold himself up, or muster up the strength to even try.
"Here." Castiel said, getting up and putting an arm around Dean's back and helping him to stand.
Dean clung to the warmth Castiel was giving off as he was helped out of the infirmary and to his room. Happy that he hadn't seen his father or brother in any of the halls on the way. He was a bit embarrassed that he had to use Castiel for support just to walk. But he also welcomed the feeling of having an excuse to touch his friend in a way outside of sparing. It felt good, even if he did want more. At the moment, he was feeling to sick to do anything else anyway.
"The ice was Sam's idea." Castiel told him as he took him into his room and started rifling through his drawers. "Your fever had gone into malaria levels. It was suggested as the best way to cool you off."
Castiel put Dean down on his bed, making him sit up. Once he was sure Dean was stable enough to hold himself up, he reached down and started to un-button the flannel shirt he was wearing. Dean lacking the frame of mind to ask what he was doing. He pushed Dean's shirt over his shoulders, and slowly down his arms. The wet material clinging to his skin, which was tingling from the cold.
Castiel then reached down, tugging at the hem of Dean's undershirt. Dragging it up and over Dean's head as quickly as possible. Dean feeling a fresh chill hit him as his shirt was taken off, put his arms back down and looked at his friend who kept his face neutral. His newly exposed skin prickling as the air hit it. He then felt the drag of a fluffy white towel being draped over his skin. Then he felt Castiel's hands on his shoulders, wiping the towel over his skin, working on drying his chest and shoulders before going to his head to run it through his hair and soak up any excess liquid.
He left the towel on Dean's shoulders when finished to give him some warmth as he lowered himself to his knees. He started divesting Dean of his socks, throwing them into the pile of wet clothing sitting on the floor. He then moved up slightly, and his hands went to Dean's belt.
"Whoa, Cas, don't you think your taking this a bit to far?" Dean asked as he felt Castiel's hands at his crotch. He'd started to understand what Castiel was doing once the towel hit him, but taking off a guy's pants was just too weirdly intimate for someone he wasn't sleeping with.
"Dean, your going to get sick if you keep these clothes on." Castiel explained. "And you're too unsteady on your feet to do it yourself." He finished, taking Dean's belt off in one quick movement, that so did not give Dean new naughty ideas about what the Angel could do in bed. "If you feel uncomfortable, you can take care of your button and pull them down. But you need to be dried and redressed before your fever comes back."
"Fine." Dean said, un-buttoning his jeans and pulling his pants over his hips. Castiel helping to drag them the rest of the way down his legs. Dean was actually glad for his help, the material being wet, it took a bit of effort to get them off. Dean feeling like he would be sick if he bent down to do so himself.
Castiel grabbed another towel he'd carried in, and started drying off his legs. Patting them down with enough respect to not go to close to his groin area, so as not to make him too uncomfortable. Dean very happy about that. He felt like crap, but he did not want to have to explain to his friend why a certain part of his anatomy was suddenly deciding to perk up. When finished with Dean's legs, he looked up at Dean pointedly, then placing the towel over his crotch to give him some cover.
Heaving a great sigh, Dean lifted his hips and pulled down his briefs. The towel slipped slightly down, but Castiel had turned away to get the clothes he'd set out for him. Once he was free of his underwear, he patted himself dry as quickly as possible then placed the towel back over himself. Giving a slight cough, he received a face full of a dry pair of underwear. Castiel was kind enough to keep his back turned while Dean quickly put on the article of clothing.
"So, where are Sam and Dad?" Dean asked to signify he was decent.
"They went into town to do some shopping. Sam mentioned something about being woefully under stocked in chicken soup, oatmeal, hot tea, and over the counter medications." Castiel answered, turning around and holding a shirt up for Dean. Dean grabbed the shirt and pulled it over his head.
"What do we need that stuff for?" Dean asked, looking to his friend who was holding a pair of sweat pants for him to sleep in.
"Something along the lines of you looking a bit green. Which I could understand, considering the fever you where running." Castiel explained, bending down on the floor in front of Dean to help him get his pants on. "Your father decided to go with him to make sure he did not purchase anything with alcohol in it. He seemed to believe that that was a bit too much of a temptation for you." He finished, giving Dean a small smile. Guiding his feet into the leg holes and pulling them up his legs about half-way, letting Dean finish the rest.
"Oh, of course." Dean groaned. "Now would be the time Dad decided he needed to be a good parent." He mumbled. "I'm gonna kill Sam for telling Dad I'm an alcoholic. Now I'm going to be under constant supervision. The guys like a blood hound, always has been." He gripped, rolling his eyes.
"So, we're going with the story that you're detoxing from alcoholism?" Castiel asked, taking a seat at the desk and folding his hands under his chin.
"Apparently." Dean said before groaning and laying down on the bed.
Castiel stood up straight away and rushed to his side. He carefully pulled Dean's covers out from under him, and helped Dean to lay down. Dean felt the warm hand Castiel placed on his forehead, and looked at his friend. Castiel's face was calm, his concerned face had melted away to be replaced by one of relief.
"You don't have a fever. Does your head hurt?" Castiel asked, removing his hand from Dean's head and checking his pulse. "Are you having any anxiety, your pulse is rather quick?" He asked Dean, who controlled himself enough not scough at his friend. His friend, and star of his sexual fantasies who had just undressed him and put him to bed by the way. But no, it's the anxiety. "I would have figured your hallucination would have ended when your fever went down."
"I'm fine, Cas." Dean grit. "Just irritated. My head hurts, and if I do anything but lay down I feel like vomiting. I'll get past it." He said, shooing away Castiel and covering his head with a pillow.
"Very well." Castiel said, getting up and moving to the door. "I'll bring you some soup once Sam and your father have returned."
"I don't like leaving Dean alone with that guy for too long, Sammy." John cautioned, walking along side his son. Who was picking up items from the shelves as needed. "What if he decides to show his true colors while we're gone and Dean is alone?" He asked, stalling when Sam started laughing.
"Your being paranoid." Sam said, not even looking at John. "If I trust anyone with Dean, it's Cas."
"I don't like him, Sam." John argued. "He secretive, too smart for his own good, and no human is that stiff and calm all the damned time."
"So are you." Sam reasoned. "Look, nobody likes Cas when they first meet him. Dean didn't, I didn't, in fact I was terrified of the guy. I was pretty sure he was ex-CIA." Sam said, stopping in his search for chicken noodle to look at John. "But he grows on you. Honestly, I don't think I've ever met someone as loyal as Cas. Everything he does is to protect us, especially Dean."
"Still don't trust him." John said, looking his son straight in the eye. "I mean, what if he's so loyal because he's some kind of pansy and he takes advantage of Dean while he's out of it." He continued earning another laugh from Sam.
"Heh, Cas take advantage of Dean. That's funny, Cas has so many moral issues, taking advantage of someone, especially Dean, would be on the same ground of him. Oh, I don't know, ending the universe." Sam explained, with a smile on his face. "You know, I don't expect you to trust him, you don't trust anyone. But if it helps you, I'm half convinced Cas is asexual."
"Huh?" John asked, looking dumbfounded.
"He doesn't really look at anyone in that way." Sam explained, going back to the shelves to find the soup. "You know, we should really get you some clothes while your here." He said, retrieving his objective and pushing forward. "We don't really have enough to split as many ways as we are. You've been wearing ours, but I think you need some of your own." He said, walking away from John and to the clothing section. John following him with an uneasy feeling still in his stomach. He wanted to get back as soon as possible to check on Dean.
Another chapter, woohoo. And so quickly. I haven't really been able to do anything but write lately. Everything else just seems so meaning less and can't get my attention. Bad for me, but great for anybody who reads my stuff.
Hope you all liked and have a good day.
