Dean felt conflicted as they drove from Colorado to Indiana. When he looked at Emmanuel, there was no doubt in his mind that he was really Castiel, but Emmanuel had no memories of his previous life. He didn't even seem to realize that he was an angel.
Regardless of whatever was going on with Emmanuel's memories, Castiel's betrayal was still fresh in Dean's mind. He and Martha debated whether they should tell Emmanuel the truth, but Dean decided that it was for the best to keep him in the dark. They had no way of knowing how he'd react to hearing the truth and Dean wouldn't risk anything that could possibly jeopardize Sam's recovery.
Things got even more complicated the next morning when they made a pit stop. Dean had felt uneasy from the moment he stepped inside the convenience store and his suspicions turned out to be on the mark. He was cornered by three demons. The first demon attacked and Dean flung him into the beer case before ganking him with Ruby's knife. The other two got the jump on him, knocking Dean to the ground and causing him to lose track of the knife. Dean silently weighed his options just as someone stabbed one of the two demons in the back with Ruby's knife. The final demon took that as his cue to escape its meat suit.
"Martha? I thought I told you to keep an eye on Emmanuel."
The knife retracted from the wound in the dead man's chest and the second demon's vessel collapsed to the ground revealing Meg holding the bloody knife. "Dean, Dean, Dean," she tsked with her usual level of snark. "You've got some 'splaining to do."
Martha leaned against the hood of the Charger as she tried figure out her next move. Her instincts told her to check on Dean, but her conscience said to stay with Emmanuel.
"Does my presence make you uncomfortable?" Emmanuel asked.
His voice tore Martha away from her thoughts. "What?" She shook her head. "No. Of course not."
Emmanuel sighed softly. "I sense that there is something that isn't being said."
"That's Dean for you," Martha said with a slight smile. "He has a big heart, but he doesn't like talking about his feelings."
"It's a common problem, I imagine."
Martha nodded. "I think he holds too much in though," she confessed. "Sometimes I just wish he'd let it all out. He doesn't even have to tell it to me. It could be Sam. Or…"
"A prayer?"
Martha turned to Emmanuel. His memories may have been missing, but he still had that earnest expression that Castiel always wore. "Dean has a…complex philosophy when it comes to that sort of thing."
"A crisis of faith?" asked Emmanuel.
"Something like that."
"And you, Martha? Do you have faith?"
"I'm a doctor, Emmanuel. The science tells me what I need to do, but it's my faith that helps me believe that it'll work."
Emmanuel smiled at her words as if her answer gave him comfort. His comfort was short lived though. Martha noticed his smile fade as he looked towards the shop Dean went inside. She followed his gaze to Dean, who was accompanied by the demon Meg. "Her face!" he said nervously. "She's one of them!"
"Relax," said Meg. "We come in different flavors."
"She's a…friend," Dean told Emmanuel.
"Meg," the demon introduced herself to Emmanuel. "We go way back." Dean cut his eyes at Meg and she laughed. "Dean and I, of course," she clarified. "I've only just met you…but I think we're gonna be good friends too."
Martha looked at Dean and he met her eyes with a look that said 'I'll tell you later.'
"Enough chit chatting," Dean grumbled. "Let's go."
Emmanuel looked uneasy about riding in the same car with Meg, but he obediently slid into the passenger's seat.
"Don't worry," Martha whispered from behind him. "I trust Dean with my life. So can you. He wouldn't bring Meg along if she couldn't help. Have faith in him."
Dean didn't like having Meg around, but as long as she and Crowley were on opposite sides, he knew could trust her not to sell Castiel out. It wasn't the ideal alliance, but he needed to keep Cas safe in order to save Sam.
When the four of them finally arrived at Northern Indiana State Hospital, they found it surrounded by demons, blocking their entrance. "We're gonna have to find a way to get past them if we want to get to Sam."
"They can't just be here for Sam, could they?" Martha asked.
"More likely they're after him." Dean nodded his head towards Emmanuel, who stood away from the rest of them.
"The word is out about the little tree topper," Meg informed Martha. "It's only a matter of time before someone puts two and two together and figures out that Emmanuel is poor dead Castiel."
"Then we have to make sure no one finds out," Dean insisted.
"Including Cas?" asked Martha.
Dean exhaled sharply. "You both know what he did. You think we can just tell him and hope that he takes it all in stride? He could snap or disappear. We don't know."
"I gather we know each other," said Emmanuel from over Dean's shoulder. Dean turned at the sound of his voice. "You can tell me," he continued. "I'll be fine."
Dean scoffed. "How do you know? You've just met yourself. I've known you for years."
"You're an angel," said Meg.
Emmanuel looked confused. "I'm sorry. Is that a flirtation?"
"No, it's a species," Meg retorted. "A very powerful one."
"She's not lying," Martha added in a gentle voice. "You really are an angel."
"That's why you heal people," Dean informed him. "You don't eat. And I'm sure there's more."
Emmanuel sighed softly. "Why wouldn't you tell me? Being an angel sounds pleasant."
Dean scoffed. "Trust me. It's not. It's bloody and it's corrupt. There's not a damned thing pleasant about it."
"He would know," Meg commented. "The two of you used to fight together. Bestest friends, actually."
Emmanuel fell silent. "Am I Cas?" he asked with a slight frown. Dean didn't answer, but he took his silence as a confirmation. "I had no idea. I don't remember you. I'm sorry."
"Look," Meg cut in. "You got the juice. You can smite every demon in that lot."
Emmanuel shrugged. "I don't remember how."
"You can do it," Dean assured him. "It's all in there. I'm sure it's just like riding a bike."
"I don't know how to do that, either," Emmanuel replied eliciting an eye roll from Dean.
"Have faith, Emmanuel," Martha told him.
Emmanuel met her eyes briefly then turned towards the hospital. "All right, I'll try."
One by one, Castiel smote all the demons that stood in the way, including one that was torturing Sam with an electroshock machine.
Once Sam was back in his room, Martha stayed close to his bed. He looked worse for the wear and it was only a matter of time before his organs began to shut down. Castiel had placed his hand on Sam to heal him, but stepped away after a moment looking concerned.
Martha reluctantly pulled herself away from Sam's side and followed him over to Dean, who stood near the door.
"I'm so sorry." Castiel sighed softly. "I can't help Sam."
"What the hell do you mean you can't help him?" Dean's temper flared and Martha instinctively placed her hand on his shoulder.
"The wall in Sam's head…there's nothing left to rebuild."
"Why not?" Dean demanded.
"It crumbled. Whatever is happening inside his head right now crushed the pieces to dust," Cas explained.
"So you're saying there's nothing? Sam's gonna be like this until his candle blows out?"
"I'm sorry."
Martha exhaled slowly. Dean was still struggling to deal with Bobby's death. Losing Sam would absolutely kill him. "We should make him comfortable," she told Dean softly, though she had no idea of how to even do that. Everything the doctors had tried up until that point had failed, but if there was a way to take Sam's pain away they would find it.
"Comfortable," Castiel repeated glancing at Martha before walking over to Sam's bed.
"Do you have an idea?" Martha asked; her voice full of hope.
"This isn't a problem I can make disappear, but I may be able to shift it."
"Shift?" asked Dean.
"Yes. It would get Sam back on his feet." Castiel sat on the bed and leaned in close to Sam. "It's better this way. I'll be fine."
Martha frowned. "You'll be fine?" she repeated, not liking where this was headed.
Dean took a step forward. "Wait, Cas, what are you doing?"
"Sam," Castiel began to speak and Sam recoiled away from him. "This may hurt. And if I can't tell you again...I'm sorry I ever did this to you." Cas put his hand on Sam's head. Sam gritted his teeth and let out a painful groan as his eyes glowed red and his face was covered in fiery vein like lines. The red lines traveled from Sam, crawling up Castiel's arm until they reached his face and turn his eyes red as well.
Sam gasped for breath and fell back against the bed. His face and eyes returned to normal.
"Sam?" Dean rushed to his brother's side.
"Dean." Sam looked up at him. He noticed Cas sitting next to him. "Cas? Cas, is that you?"
Castiel looked at Sam and slowly rose from the bed, backing away in horror.
"Cas," Martha said his name softly and he stared at her with the same level of fear. "You see him, don't you?" she asked though she wasn't expecting an answer. "Sam, do you still see Lucifer?"
Sam shook his head. "What happened? Did Cas heal me?"
"He said he couldn't," Dean replied. He still watched Cas warily.
"I think he might somehow have absorbed your hallucinations," Martha told Sam.
"Now what?" Sam asked. "I mean, we can't just leave him here."
"Well, we can't bring him with us," Dean insisted. "Everything on the planet's out for us. If the word gets out, we can't protect him."
Martha nodded. "Dean is right. I much as I'd hate to leave Cas behind, I think he's safer here."
"Besides, every demon who knows about Cas is dead," Dean added.
"Well, not everyone." Martha looked at Dean.
"What?" Sam searched their faces. "Who else knows?"
Dean exhaled sharply, but Martha hated lying to Sam. "Meg," she confessed. "She's here."
"Meg?" Sam repeated.
Dean held up his hand. He was in no mood for a fight. "Look, man, I get it. She's not our friend. We don't even have friends, but Meg wants to save her own ass and she needs Cas to do that. So as long as she's around she'll keep other demons away."
"I don't like it," Sam replied. "This whole 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' thing feels kind of like a demon deal."
"It's not a demon deal," Dean insisted. "It's—"
"It's what?" asked Sam.
"It temporary," Martha answered. "Now let's go find a way to take down Dick Roman."