The fourth day of Dean's stay, Bobby showed up with more food from Ellen.

"Boy," he grumbled, "you'd better hurry up and get outta here. All that woman can do right now is cook. I swear she's gonna send me to an early grave. I've gained five pounds since you've been in here."

Dean whined again at not being able to have any of Ellen's food yet.

"Not until your bowels get back to normal," Cas kissed Dean's furrowed brow.

"The Hell's that supposed to mean?" Bobby asked

"It means that Dean can't eat solid foods until he can at least pass gas."

"I've never been so eager to take a shit in my life," Dean said as he stared at the home cooked food with longing. Cas ate with gusto.

"Benny's been asking about you," Bobby was eager to change the subject, "actually, Elizabeth's been asking about you. Wants to come visit you, so I told her I'd ask you." Dean brightened at the prospect of seeing them both.

"Yeah!" he said. "Send 'em our way."

Around one, the giant of a man arrived carrying the tiny girl in his arms. They peeked in the door tentatively. Dean was sitting up in his bed, Cas beside him in the chair, reruns of Dr. Sexy played on the television mounted in the corner.

"Brotha'?" Benny knocked softly, "we come in?" Dean and Cas' gazes both turned to the door. They smiled broadly at the sight of the two. Elizabeth clutched a piece of construction paper in her little hands.

"Of course!" Dean sat himself up a little higher, and the two made their way in. "Hey princess!" He smiled at the little girl.

"Uncle Dean," she seemed afraid of the machines and wires still attached to him, "how come you got all those?"

"Those are to help me get better," he said reassuringly. "Don't worry, baby girl, they don't hurt me."

"Daddy said you got a bad owie," she looked him over, searching for a band-aid. Dean chuckled.

"I did get a bad owie, sweetie. But I'm gonna be just fine, I just need some love. 'Cmere." He reached his arms up for her. With Benny's help, Dean snuggled Elizabeth into his right side; away from the wound and the bandages. Elizabeth leaned up to rub noses with Dean and give him a loud, smacking kiss. "Oh! I feel so much better already!" He smiled down at her. She giggled at him, then turned to Cas.

"Angel Cas," she reached out to him. Cas moved to her, wrapping her in an embrace and exchanging the same loving greeting with him that she had bestowed upon Dean. She released Cas, turned back to Dean, and snuggled into his side. She handed the construction paper to Dean. "I made you a card." Dean took it, oohing and aahhing over the picture she had drawn. "Uncle Dean," she looked up at him with her big eyes, "what happened?" Benny shifted uncomfortably, and Dean glanced up at him.

"Baby girl-," Benny started. But Dean cut him off.

"Well," he began, looking down into her innocent face, "once upon a time, there was a wicked queen who tried to take our angel away..." Elizabeth listened to the story of Dean, defender of Princess Elizabeth's angel, with rapt attention. He managed to explain it to the child in such a way as to convey the injury without creating fear; assuring her that the wicked queen would now be locked away forever and that Sam was, in fact, a FRIENDLY giant, having helped to save both Dean and Castiel.

Elizabeth's eyes grew heavy at the end of Dean's story, and she curled closer to Dean. Dean himself seemed worn out after the tale.

"Wan' us to let you sleep?" Benny asked. Dean nodded.

"Let her be, though." With that, Dean and Elizabeth closed their eyes and slept. Cas and Benny moved to the hallway to let them rest.

"How you holdin' up, brotha?" Benny gripped Cas' shoulder. Cas swallowed hard and nodded.

"all right," he managed. "Just...worried about Dean."

"And exhausted." Benny raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't know if you've seen yo'self lately, but you ain't lookin' too good. No offense."

"None taken," Cas shook his head. "I haven't slept much."

"Ya know, you ain't gon' do him any good runnin' yo'self down. You need yo' sleep, too, man." Cas nodded. With a sigh, he looked back at the door to Dean's room.

"I know."