Dean

He felt like he was walking around in a fugue state. Even though Sam had warned him, walking into group and seeing Anna's curled up figure in her chair still felt like a punch to the gut. What made the whole fucked up situation even worse, was when group ended, he saw her shuffle gracelessly out of the room to the gentle prompting of Dr. Fuller. Lifeless and dull.

It was like something had just sucked all the personality out of her. Her previously innate grace was buried away, nearly gone. Her once sharp eyes were dull, and her long dark hair was lank and uncared for. Not that Anna had ever been vain, but she'd still been a girl. Washed and styled her hair, wore flattering clothing and had occasionally enjoyed dressing up. The shell Dean saw in group was almost nothing like her. It tore at him inside; ripping open the lockbox he had built for himself to contain all the things he'd felt for her.

He'd promised to live in the sun for her. And he'd tried, really tried. But then he'd gone to Hell, and then the seals were breaking and then the mess with Ruby and Lucifer rising and suddenly it was like no matter how hard he'd tried, the darkness was crushing him. But he'd always had the memory of her to pull him along. And now... even that was gone.

But Dean was certain of one thing. If that wraith went after Anna, he had no doubt that his old friend would lose. So he stood on guard, watching the security mirror, checking everyone who passed by for a monstrous visage. So far, nothing.

As he continues to vigilantly inspect people through the mirror, he hears the distinctive click click of his shrink's shoes.

"What's up, Doc?" He asked flippantly, as he continued to examine everybody who passed by him in the mirror. She leans against the wall next to him, mirroring his own alert position.

"You tell me." Dean fights the urge to smirk at the irony of being able to tell the absolute truth about what he does. He gives in as he snorts a little.

"Hunting. A wraith, actually. Could be anybody." He shrugged, glancing at the Doc, even as he kept one eye on the mirror.

"So, I could be a monster?" She asked him. Dean glances into the mirror and sees nothing different. Same human face. He shakes his head before going back to check everyone else.

"No, you're clean." He reassures her. He checks a passing patient in the mirror. Also clean.

"Why you?" She asked suddenly. He frowns, mildly confused.

"Why me, what?" Dr. Cartwright shrugged, even as she watches the mirror with him. Dean kept his eyes on the mirror even as he listen to her respond.

"Why do you have to hunt monsters? Why not let someone else do it?" He freezes for a moment. Dean has no plans on discussing yellow eyes or any of the crazy from the past few years. He falls back onto old habits, and deflects.

"Can't find anybody else that dumb." He said with a laugh. He paused for a moment. In the hospital, this is as close to sharing and caring he can do for the job. He shrugs to himself.

'In for a penny, in for a pound.' Dean sighed before continuing.

"It's my job. Somebody's gotta save people's asses, yours included." He admitted.

"So, is there a quota? How many people do you have to save?" Dean pushed down the irritation that came with the question. Of course there isn't a quota. He could never put a price on human life. Helping people is just what he does, he's not fulfilling some demented checklist.

"All of them." He replied with certainty. And he would. Every single person he could. Disbelief colored Dr. Cartwright's face as she repeated his words.

"All of them? You think you have to save everyone?"

"Yep. Whole wide world of sports." He nodded, ignoring the strange expression on her face.

"How?" The one word packed a punch. It was a question he asked himself every single day. How. She gave him a hard look.

"Believe me, whatever you've got, I've heard weirder." She prompted him. He sighed.

"It's the end of the world, okay? I mean, it's the damn Biblical apocalypse, and if I don't stop it and save everyone, then no one will, and we all die." He looked over at the doc seriously. She had a sympathetic expression on her face.

"That's horrible."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Dean shrugged nonchalantly. In a weird way, it was nice to be crazy, to talk to a relatively non judgmental stranger, about his problems. It was freeing, in a bizarre kind of way.

"I mean, apocalypse or no apocalypse...monsters or no monsters, that's a crushing weight to have on your shoulders. To feel like six billion lives depend on you...God...how do you get up in the morning?" Dean finally looked away from the mirror, focusing on the quiet woman with icy grey eyes staring silently out a window.

"I made a girl a promise."