Dean glanced back in the rearview mirror, checking to make sure that Sam and the Shelby were still close behind. Dean almost chuckled as he thought back to how his little brother had teased him about driving Kenna's car before him, but he stifled the noise, afraid to wake the sleeping young woman in the car with him.

McKenna had fought sleep for the first hour of the trip but finally managed to succumb to it about twenty minutes earlier. Dean noticed her shivering while she slept, and turned up the heat a little more. He was staring to sweat, but Dean was willing to sacrifice his personal comfort if it meant bringing Kenna a little bit of comfort.

He slid his right arm along the back of the seat until he reached her shoulder, and gently tipped her to the left. Her body subconsciously took the hint and snuggled into his chest on her own. After that, he reached into the back seat, found his leather jacket, and placed it around her torso.

At last, her shivering finally ceased.

Dean looked down at her and worry lines formed along the top of his brow. He didn't like how she had described the treatment she was preparing to go through. He didn't like the words Castiel had used to explain it.

Words like painful and burning. And how she would feel worse before she felt better.

Dean had been watching her since they'd first found out about the cancer, and he couldn't imagine her possibly feeling any worse. He silently wished that he could take the pain from her, suck it out of her body, and absorb it into his own.

Better yet, he wished he could take a knife, cut out Zechariah's heart, and make him watch as it ceased to beat.

But for now, he'd just have to settle with having McKenna sleeping peacefully in his arms during the long drive ahead.

And that suited Dean just fine.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Bobby was waiting for them when the trio arrived at the hospital a few hours later. He immediately reached out and held McKenna's hand as she, too was placed in a wheelchair and taken upstairs to the nearest open room. Without any fight whatsoever, Kenna climbed into bed and didn't even flinch as an IV needle was inserted into the back of her hand.

Sam, Dean, and Bobby looked on, watching with broken hearts as she willingly accepted the doctor's constant poking and prodding. She didn't move, not once. She didn't even try to lighten the mood by making a cute joke or sarcastic remark.

Kenna only lay there, completely drained of her usual life and energy. For a moment she glanced over at each of them, offering a gaze that simply said: "I just want this to be over with."

Unable to take anymore, Bobby squeezed her hand, kissed her cheek and wheeled himself out of the room. Sam pushed his way through the mass of nurses surrounding Kenna's bed, and sat down next to her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and took her hand.

"I'm gonna go stay with Bobby, okay?" he whispered. "Maybe I can talk him into spending some time in the chapel with me for a while."

McKenna smiled softly and nodded. "Thanks, Sammy."

Kenna had never called him that before, and while Sam normally didn't like anyone else but Dean calling him "Sammy", hearing it from her felt just as right.

He smiled at her, his chin trembling, and placed another kiss on her forehead.

"You better be cured by the time I get back here," he warned. "Or else you'll have to answer to me."

If she wasn't so tired, McKenna would've laughed, but at the moment, she just couldn't manage it.

Sam stood to his feet, gently squeezed Kenna's hand one last time, and patted Dean's shoulder on his way out.

Dean stepped forward and took Sam's place on Kenna's bed, immediately taking her hand in his. And without even hesitating, he carefully threaded their fingers together for the first time. McKenna stared down at their joined hands for a moment, a look of complete awe covering her face. Before she could comment on it, the doctor came in wheeling a new IV stand with him.

This one had a bag of thick, amber colored fluid hanging from its hook.

"Is that it?" she asked, her voice raw and soft.

The doctor nodded as he proceeded to hook her up, first to a bag of regular saline, then to the magic treatment bag. Once again, Kenna wished she could just disappear, or even better yet, she wished she had disobeyed Castiel and never called Sam and Dean to come get her.

If only I hadn't listened…I'd be gone by now and I wouldn't have to do this…

"Is it too late to change my mind, Doc?" she asked, suddenly.

The doctor looked down at her and smiled, almost as if he thought she was joking. Little did he know, that she really wasn't.

But deep down, she knew it was too late.

She was already here and the ugly fluid in the bag above her head was not only her last chance, but possibly her saving grace, as well.

"This isn't going to be easy, McKenna," the doctor said, somberly. "I wish it was, but once we start this treatment, you're going to feel like you've gone to hell."

"That's okay," McKenna whispered, stealing a knowing glance at Dean. "I've been there before."

~~~~~*****~~~~~

Less than an hour later, Kenna was wishing she could take it all back.

Castiel had been right about everything. The thick liquid felt like fire as it pumped through her thin veins, and her whole body screamed in agony. She spent most of the time with her head in a bucket, completely unable to keep anything down. Even now, when her stomach was finally empty, the constant heaving wouldn't end.

Her three favorite men stayed with her the whole time.

Dean held back her hair and rubbed her back in what he hoped was soothing circles, never once too afraid to face her sickness, head on.

Sam sat in the corner, eyes closed, and lips constantly moving in silent prayer.

Bobby stayed by her side, his wrinkled hand resting on her knee, offering what little comfort he could while she continued to lurch forward.

The doctor made regular stops by her room, each time repeating how sorry he was, and that he wished she didn't have to go through this. But his words brought McKenna and her adopted family no comfort whatsoever.

Two hours into the treatment, McKenna finally collapsed back into the pillows, weakly begging her three companions to just do her the favor of ending her life. Sam, Dean, and Bobby laughed it off, but they all knew that she was vaguely serious.

Hour three finally allowed Kenna a few minutes of sleep, but she eventually woke up again, her face immediately hovering over her bucket.

After another hour, she finally seemed to relax a bit, but she continued to spasm and tremble uncontrollably, her body keeping time with the speedy clicking of the saline fluid flowing into her arm. The IV machine had a hard time keeping up with her body's ever increasing dehydration, and she wanted nothing more than to rip it out of her arm and run away forever.

Sam and Bobby eventually managed to fall asleep, Bobby in his chair, and Sam on a cot in the corner of the room. Dean would often close his eyes for a moment, but they would instantly snap back open again at McKenna's slightest move.

He sat up and pressed a cool, moist cloth to her head, whispering soft words of encouragement close to her ear.

An unexpected gust of wind suddenly blew through the small room, accompanied with a flutter of wings. McKenna and Dean looked up as Castiel sadly gazed down at them.

"Cas," Kenna whimpered. "Please..."

The angel didn't need to hear another word. He knew a direct cry for comfort when he heard one. Summoning every last bit of weakened heavenly strength within him, Castiel sealed his first two fingers together and gently pressed the tips of them to McKenna's forehead. Her eyes slowly fluttered, blinked, and finally closed, an expression of sheer relaxation painted over her face.

Dean let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Cas."

"I didn't come just for that," the angel whispered. "I've heard some whispers recently. About McKenna."

Despite being utterly exhausted, Dean stood to his feet and ushered Castiel out into the hallway, careful not to wake his three sleeping companions.

"What is it?" he asked, once they were out of the room. "Is it about her cancer?"

"No," Castiel answered. "It's about her last remaining demon."

"Well, what is it?"

"He's here, Dean," the angel whispered. "He's in this hospital as we speak."

-I wish I was one of those awesome people that do the Supernatural montage/music videos on youtube, because if I could, I'd totally do one for the "McKenna during treatment" scene. And if I could pick a song for it, I think it'd be Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone." Especially the instrumental part of the song. :)

Anyway, you know that reviews are always greatly appreciated, as well as needed. Thank you!