Chapter 2: Plan B
[Dean's POV]
5 hours earlier that day.
Dean Winchester's dealt with so many different things in his life: demons, dragons, Eve the mother of all, Satan- you name it. But thousands of fallen angels chasing his ass across the country is something completely different. The angels fell just after the demon trials a few weeks ago, and from that point on, God squad have been trying to find Castiel for "questioning"(or torturing, same thing.) and they figured out that their best chance is through the Winchesters.
In a small town in Pennsylvania, Dean and Sam staggered into their motel room, carrying their series of rifles and knives with blood smeared across their face, sprayed across their jackets. Releasing a happy sigh, Dean collapsed onto one of the queen beds, stacking his feet onto the thick blankets.
"Dean," Sam said in a solemn voice as he placed his duffle back onto the small café table, pulling out his computer. "Your muddy shoes are going to ruin the bed sheets."
"Since when did you start caring so much about what I do," Dean whines as he pulled his boots off and wiped some of the dried crusty blood off his chin.
Sam opened his mouth but decided against it. Dean's done what he's asked, no need to start more immature arguments. With one thin finger, he turned on his laptop and a loud and rather sexual moan filled the room, followed by traditional Chinese folk music. "REALLY?!" Sam yelled frustratingly as he fumbled to mute the computer system then force quit the entire browser. "Do you know how long it took me to get rid of the virus last time?" he whipped his head around at his brother so fast that a few strands of hair got caught in his mouth.
When his narrowed green eyes settled on Dean he was shocked and angered to see him laughing, a provocative smile on his lips as he said between chuckles, "that's what you get for being bossy. Besides, why would you blame me for being bored while you were in the hospital dying? I was half hoping that you'd just wake up, walk to me and turn the computer off."
Sam face palmed and swallowed back an insult. So hopeless. He thought in his mind and bit back, "Well what you came up with in the end wasn't so good either—I still don't know if it's the right thing!" With that, he felt the light hearted atmosphere slip away. Ah crap.
"C'mon, Sammy, not this again." Dean said, suddenly serious. "I had no choice, Gabriel offered and it's not like I was going to let you die."
"But who knows what he could have done to me rather than healing me? We've seen what harm regular angels can do, much less an archangel."
"Sammy, C'mon," Dean said and ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "I had Gabriel trapped inside a circle of holy fire. Plus, he really didn't seem bad because after all, he did save our life that day with the pagan gods, at least he seems to have morals."
"Okay Dean…" He said reluctantly then pointed briefly at the bathroom in the corner. "I'm going to um, paint angel proofing symbols in all of the rooms for safety."
Dean nodded, a sour taste in his mouth. With his hands the began slowly messaging his eyes and temples, feeling the stress of the past few days boil inside him and threaten to bring him down. Everything from Sam's health to the angels and most importantly, his good friend Castiel. The last time he's seen Cas was with Naomi warning him that Metatron is up for no good. Dean felt his heart sank. What if she was right? What if Metatron did something to Cas…? He shook the thoughts away and began praying. Cas, if you can hear me, get your feathery ass down to this motel pronto and fill us in on what happened. We're kind of worried. But in the end, he did not answer and Dean was not surprised. He lied back and listened to the soft shuffle of Sam's feet still in the bathroom.
This peaceful moment lasted for 30 seconds until the classic rock ringtone of one of Dean's burner cellphones ripped through the room. Dean rolled his eyes and crawled to his bag at the foot of the bed to retrieve it. Flipping up the screen only to see a foreign number from New Jersey. Hmm…weird.
"Hello, to whom am I speaking to?" He said in a professional voice, just incase the other end thinks he's an FBI agent.
"Hello this is nurse Fruman from Abington Memorial hospital. Earlier tonight an unidentified patient was brought in from a car accident. He had no proper identification cards except a little note with your number written on it and thus the reason we're contacting you. For documentation purposes, may we know what to refer to you as and your relationship to the patient?" the young female voice said in one breath without a pause.
Dean pulled the phone away from his face, brows furrowed together as confusion washed over him, "What?" He said at first, at loss with words, "Excuse me, who is this patient we're talking about? May I know his characteristics to make sure that he did not get my number off an advertisement or some of that sort?"
"Yes of course, the patient is approximately 5'11", dark hair, blue eyes, he appears to be um, homeless. Also a long beige trench coat." She added calmly.
"Son of a bitch…" He whispered as dread washed over him, he knew he'd find Cas, but not like this. "Okay, refer to me as George Collins and the man that you speak of is my family. Which hospital did you say you are again? I am heading your way now."
"Abington Memorial hospital in New Jersey, the patient has been hit by a car and is currently stable. We will tell you more once you arrive." With that, Dean cut the call off and muttered 'son of a bitch' yet again. And stormed into the bathroom, surprising Sam who's painting the walls with the wild look in his eyes.
"Dean, what's wrong?" Sam sad slowly.
"Cas is in trouble."
The ride to the hospital was long and silent, the Impala's motor humming as they sped through the middle of the night. Sam took a little nap in his shotgun seat[dw, his cake hole is shut] and Dean hummed to some of the slower songs playing on the radio. Road signs and occasional rest stationed blurred past them as they traveled for what seemed like forever. And when the finally got to the hospital, the sun was just about to peek out from above the horizon and the lobby bustled with activity. Parking in one of the disabled parking spaces closest to the entrance they rushed in, they were greeted by nurse Fruman at the information desk. She's pretty with short blond hair and cherry red lips but this is not the right time for that. Cas comes first.
"Mr. Collins." She acknowledged him and shook his hand curtly then her eyes went and looked at Sam and they shared a nod. "Just come with me."
"How is he doing?" Sam asked quietly as they walked through the long hallway toward the emergency care section, weaving past people with white lab coats.
"It was a hit and run, the police is trying to get footage to find the person that did this to your, uh, family member. Keep in mind, though, it's almost a miracle that he survived. Normally being hit by a car at 20mph would have instantly killed them but he pulled through with only three broken ribs and a concussion. It's almost like there's an angel watching over him."
Angel my ass. Dean thought and remembered the fact that every angel of existence is now trying to kill Castiel. "Concussion? How bad is it?"
"Pretty bad, we're not sure if it may lead to memory loss but we cant be sure until the patient becomes conscious."
Memory loss.
Sam and Dean shared a look of horror as the nurse pushed open one of the little rooms and there Cas was, a bandage around his head and eyes closed, an oxygen tube helping him breathe.
"Thank you…do you mind?" Dean said and eyed the door. Taking the cue, she walked out and closed the door behind her.
They sat on the tiny uncomfortable stools and studied the figure lying in front of them, Dean couldn't help but feel anger bubble up: whoever did this, they're going to pay for it. But even then, Castiel looked so peaceful and at ease, his features are relaxed instead of the usual uptight poker face he gives everyone. He felt the urge to put his hand on the man's cheek.
"Hey, Sam, why don't you go finish angel proofing the room since that plan at the motel didn't really work?"
Sam smiled slightly and rose up, head almost bumping some of the equipment hanging on the ceiling and began making these signs in the corners of the room.
Dean felt goggly as his eyes began to flutter close, he hadn't slept for over two days and it's reallying starting to take a toll on him. Before he knew it, he was asleep and when he woke up, Cas was starting to move in his bed, his head was shaking from side to side as if in pain. Alarmed, Dean put one of his hands onto Cas' cheek to hold his head still, afraid that it's going to make the concussion worse. Then suddenly, his sky blue eyes fluttered open as his pupils dilated, focused, then dilated again.
"Cas, Cas, it's okay, Cas!" Dean said in a soothing voice as Sam came back with two coffees in hand. Cas stared at Dean for a second, seemingly confused then all of a sudden, he winked. "What's up, Dean."
Well, that's not normal. "D-Did he seriously just say that?" He asked Sam, who walked forward and handed him a cup of coffee. He could feel the warmth traveling up his neck all the way to the tip of his years.
"I guess he did." Sam cocked his head a little and cracked a small smile.
Dean directed his eyes back to Castiel as both men stared at each other in wonder. But then Castiel focused onto Sam and asked genuinely: " Who are you?"
"Dude, what do you mean it's okay he literally just winked at me and he doesn't even remember you!" Dean said in a hushed voice just out side the room with Sam leaning against the wall in front of him.
"I mean, not gonna lie, I thought that was funny." Sam said, shrugging.
"DUDE. Inappropriate, this is a very serious case not one of your little jokes with whatever 'deestiel' is." Dean waved his arms frantically in the air, attracting curious looks of several people passing by. "He doesn't remember and the doctors wont do crap until they monitor him for like 5 more days!"
"Dean, you need to calm down, Castiel needs some time and we'll figure this out." Sam reassured.
"That's what you always say."
"Then why don't you go ask him yourself?"
"Fine." Dean pushed the door opened again as it released a piercing squeak. Sliding a stool quickly under him, he laced his fingers together and propped them onto the hospital bed.
"Cas, what was the last thing you remember?"
Castiel turned his head to face him, his dark hair splayed across the pillow in an adorable fashion. He winced as the movement caused a sharp pain in his head and grunted. "Huh, I don't know."
"Cas, buddy, I need you to think because it seems like you don't remember much and…that could really be dangerous." Indeed it can, imagining Cas being captured and tortured by fallen angels and him not even knowing why hurt Dean more that he thought.
"I remember waking up and see a cute guy staring at me." Cas smiled and winked again, now obviously more conscious of the situation.
Not because of medicine then. Dean cleared his throat as his eyes darted to Sam's for help but Sam just stood near the door and shrugged, again.
"I mean, before that."
"I don't know- it was all dark and then the first thing I saw was you… then…uh… somehow your name and only yours floated into my mind and the fact that my head hurts like shit and you have pretty eyes." Castiel said thoughtfully, his eyes still fixed on Dean but the stare was soft and warm.
"Anything else?"
"Random facts, like if a female ferret does not have sex for a year, she will die. Or how the average length of an erect penis is 5.6 inches though I gotta say, mine is- "
"You know what, that's enough." Dean said as he pushed himself away. Castiel looked disappointed as he pouted and looked at him through his thick lashes.
"In general, just things that I have no reason to know but just do." Castiel finally said. "It makes no sense though, why would anyone want to know how many genitals some type of lizard have?"
Just when Dean was about to point the barrel of a gun at his head and shoot himself, he felt Sam's warm hand on his shoulder as he sighed, "What the hell happened to him? I did not expect coming back to this."
"I don't know brother, but I think we need to get some help…"
"But how, at his state of health he can't leave until he's strong enough, unless we-" no, he caught himself mid sentence. It's too dangerous.
"We have no choice, Dean. Just like what you said, he's family, we cannot let him die."
"So, Gabriel?"
"Gabriel."