When Sam woke up in the hospital, he was a bit disoriented but not enough to keep that look on Dean's face from being burned into his memory. There was so much pity and hurt and self-blame and anger and betrayal. Sam couldn't bear it. He knew this would happen. He knew Dean wouldn't take it well. This is why he never told him. He didn't deal with his situation quite the right way, but it was over. There was no reason Dean needed to know.

Yet there he was, walking out of the room like someone ripped his soul out. Cas followed Dean out of the room like an abandoned puppy. He looked so sad and guilty. Sam felt awful for having him lie to Dean. Dean really didn't need to know, but he didn't mean to hurt his brother and Cas by protecting them from what was going on. When Dean left, Sam turned to Gabriel. How could he have done this?

"Why did you tell him? How could you-"

"I didn't have a choice, Sam," Gabe said, his eyes wide and fearful, "Luci was in the waiting room and I couldn't just let him-"

"Luci's here?" Sam asked. So, he hadn't been hallucinating. That was comforting...sort of. If Luci was in the hospital, Dean was going to kill him. Sam got up quickly, making absolutely everything hurt. He looked at his broken arm. The cast was heavier than he thought it'd be.

"Sam, what're you-?" Gabe asked. Sam breathed through the pain and rushed out of the room. Gabe trailed behind him. He wasn't sure where Dean had gone until he hurt a slam from the hospital wall. He ran outside and saw Dean about to throw another punch.

He shouted, "Dean, stop! Don't hurt him." Luci grinned at Sam before Dean hit him hard in the jaw. If he didn't stop him now, there would be no stopping him. Sam grabbed Dean's shoulder with his good arm and tried to pull him off of Luci.

"Let go, Sam," Dean ordered.

"No, Dean," he huffed, shoving against Dean, "Stop." Knowing Luci, he'd probably enjoy the beating. Dean turned to Sam angrily.

"Sam, he hurt you. And he maimed my Baby. And he's a complete prick. I should kick his ass on principle alone," he snapped. Dean turned back to Luci and landed a punch in the same spot on his jaw as the last. Luci groaned and slumped against the hospital wall. Sam grabbed for Dean's arm, but Dean shook him off.

"Dean," Sam said, stepping in front of Luci, "He isn't worth it." His brother pushed him to the side and swung at Luci.

Cas came up behind Dean, wrapped his arms around Dean, and pulled him back.

"Cas, for Christ's sake!" Dean shouted. Cas kept a hold on him tightly. When Sam was sure Cas had a good grip on Dean, he turned to his ex-boyfriend.

"Get out of here," he said quietly.

Luci smiled with a mouth full of blood, "Not without you. I need you, Sam."

Sam said evenly, "No, you don't. And I certainly don't need you. Leave. Now." Luci kissed Sam hard. Sam shoved him away with his unbroken arm, and wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. Dean shook off Cas and walked over, much more calm than before.

"You heard my brother," Dean said. Luci looked from Dean to Sam, but finally backed away. Dean turned to Sam and hugged him gingerly.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," he said. Sam couldn't tell if he was apologizing for beating up Luci or for not doing it sooner, but the guilt in his eyes made him think Dean was sorry for not protecting Sam.

"Dean-" Sam started.

Dean cut him off with a tight smile, "C'mon. We have to get your ribs checked. I already asked for the x-ray." Sam nodded and followed him in. Cas slowly walked in after them, but he went to the waiting room instead of following them down the hall.

As they walked back to Sam's room, Sam said, "Don't be mad at Cas. I asked him not to tell you, and I shouldn't have done that."

Dean sighed, "This is between me and Cas. Don't worry about it."

"Dean, really. It's not his fault. He was trying to be a good friend," Sam tried.

Dean stopped him before going into his room.

"Cas lied to me, Sam. I get that you told him to do it. And you should've fucking told me what was going on," Dean said, "But he still chose to do what you told him to do instead of being honest with me. Just...go get your ribs checked and worry about you, okay?"

Sam sighed and walked into his room where a nurse was waiting for him.

She handed him a lead smock and asked, "Everything okay out there?"

He nodded, "Yeah. No more fights today. Promise."

She smiled, telling him, "Put that on and roll the top down so we can get a good look at your ribcage."

Turned out, he did have a small fracture on one of his ribs, but it wasn't a full break. All they could do for him was to give him pain medication, some variation of vicadin, which they had already prescribed him for his arm.

Jo, Benny, and Balthazar all drove back to the Roadhouse in Jo's car, leaving Sam, Dean, Gabe, Cas, Charlie, and Dorothy to walk back to the apartment. Sam's arm was freezing since he could only wear one sleeve of his jacket. Only Charlie and Dorothy were talking.

"That nurse was adorable," Charlie said, "What was her name again?"

Dorothy replied, "I think she said her name was Tessa."

"Next time we're at the hospital, I'm getting her number," Charlie said happily.

Dorothy shook her head.

Gabe asked, "It doesn't bother you when she talks about other girls like that?"

Dorothy sighed and laughed, "I knew what I was signing up for when I started dating her."

Charlie hugged Dorothy around the middle and turned around to face Gabe. "She knows she's the only bitch for me," she giggled.

Gabe glanced at Sam. Sam looked away awkwardly. He was still really upset that Gabe told Dean. Really, he was more upset with himself. This was his fault. Anything that happened with Dean and Cas was his fault. His arm was his fault. Why did Gabe have to tell Dean? This was so fucked up.

Charlie and Dorothy kept chattering but Gabriel fell silent.

When they got to the apartment, Sam grabbed Gabriel's hand.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Gabe nodded.

"We'll be up in a minute," Sam said to Dean. Dean hesitated but nodded and walked upstairs. Sam waited till everyone else went inside.

"I get why you told Dean," he said, "I'm pissed as hell about it, but I get it."

Gabe sighed, "Sam, I'm sorry. I know you didn't want him to know, but-"

"It doesn't matter. He knows. I'm just gonna need some time to deal with him," Sam said quickly.

Gabriel nodded and said, "Yeah, I figured. I'll head home."

Sam stopped him and hugged him in an awkward one-armed embrace.

Gabe hugged him back and said in his shoulder, "I'm proud of you, Sam."

Sam let Gabe go and took a step towards his apartment. "Thanks," he said.

At least one of them saw something good in all of this. If he had stayed with Luci, Dean and Cas wouldn't be at odds right now. But he did feel good to be free.

He walked to the door and said, "I'll call you later."

Gabriel smiled and headed off to his place.

Sam started to head upstairs when he heard Dean say, "You should've told me."

Sam raced up the stairs.

"Dean, please," Cas said, "I couldn't tell you. I know-"

Dean opened the door and said, "You should stay somewhere else tonight."

Sam put his hand to Cas' shoulder and said, "Dean, c'mon. It's not his fault."

"Sam, shut up," Dean snapped.

Cas looked at Sam, then Dean. "If you were really worried about hurting me, you wouldn't be doing this," Cas said.

Sam said to Cas, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for—"

Dean pulled Sam into the apartment and said to Cas, "You can't stay here."