Chapter 8

"So enough beatin' around the bush. Who is fixin' to treat Sleeping Beauty down there?" Bobby sat down behind his desk.

Cass frowned, "Is there not another female who could assist her?"

Dean snorted, "You mean one who wouldn't take one look at her and run screaming from the house? How in hell are we supposed to explain injuries like hers? We'd all end up getting toted off to the big house."

Bobby was nodding in agreement when he stopped and snapped his fingers. "The police! Dean you're a genius!"

Sam's eyebrows flew into his hairline and Dean started to grin in agreement, but then frowned. The brothers simultaneously chimed, "Come again?"

Bobby rolled his eyes, "Sheriff Mills ya Idgits. She'd be perfect!"

Castiel inclined his head, "This is the woman who provided assistance when the dead rose?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, yeah."

Castiel nodded, "I will fetch her immediately."

The angel blinked out of sight before any of the hunters could utter a protest.

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose, "Well crap, I can see this is just going to go over swimmingly."

Castiel reappeared, clasping a livid Sheriff Mills by the elbow. She held a radish in one hand, dirt still dangling from it's roots, and a garden trowel in the other. Turning on the angel, she smacked him upside the head with the flat of the trowel. "I don't know who you think you are, but if you think I…"

She was winding up to hit a perplexed Castiel again when Bobby lunged to intercept, plucking the trowel out of her hand. "Woah Jody! Calm down, calm down. He's a good guy!" He tilted his head, "A moron…but a good guy. We need your help."

Mills whirled on the hunters, wagging the radish under their noses like a mother scolding her errant children. "And this is how you enlist help? Huh? Beam anyone you've a mind to out of their busy lives like it's freaking Star Trek and expect them to grin and bear it?!"

Castiel rubbed absently at his jaw where Mills had bludgeoned him, eyeing the trowel warily. "I assure you, what we require of you is of far greater importance than harvesting produce."

Sam and Dean groaned and Bobby hung his head, "Cass, you idgit."

Mills rounded back on the angel, poking him in the chest with the radish, "Don't get me started on you mister. I don't know you from Adam!"

Castiel shook his head, "You are mistaken, I am not the illegitimate brother of the Winchesters, I…"

Dean banged his forehead against the doorframe of the study, muttering under his breath, "Featherbrain just doesn't know when to quit."

"…am Castiel, an angel of the Lord."

Mills opened her mouth. "Why, if you think I…"

She paused, Cass's words sank in. Her mouth opened, shut, opened again. She turned to look at the hunters standing sheepishly behind her, mouth working but no sound emerging, and then turned back to Cass again.

Bobby inched forward, "Now Jody, let's just…"

She held up her radish wielding hand, dropped her chin and rubbed her forehead with the other. "No! Don't say a word."

"But we…"

"Ah! Shuushh!"

Sam tried, "If you just…"

"I said zip it!"

The three hunters lapsed into a chastised silence. Watching the hunters expressions, Castiel believed he now had a better understanding of the human expression, 'whipped puppies.'

Jody faced the hunters, "I don't even want to know, god help me." Flinging herself into the nearest chair, Mills sighed wearily. "Alright, let's have it, what do you four imbeciles want?"

Bobby fiddled with his hat, "Well, we seem to have gotten ourselves into something of a situation. Just how good are you at doctorin'?"

SUPERNATURAL

Dean absently twirled a knife, "It's been almost 3 hours, what the hell are they doing up there? Having tea?"

Bobby shut a heavy tome he'd been perusing, "Well I don't know princess, let me just consult my crystal ball."

Sam walked in from the kitchen and tossed Bobby and Dean a couple of beers. He slumped onto one side of the couch. Cass occupied the other. "I heard water running. I'm guessing it took a few tubs of water to get all that grime off Aiyla."

"Try one bath and 2 showers. Not to mention disinfecting and treating a back that makes the Spanish inquisition look like a Sunday school story, binding her ribs, field splinting a wrist and an ankle…and don't get me started on her arms and legs!" Sheriff Mills voice rang clear from the top of the stairs.

"Woman's got the ears of a bat." Dean whispered to Cass. The angel threw Dean a horrified look. Before he could reply, they heard the angry clomp of the Sheriff's descent. The three men whipped to attention. Even Castiel sat up a little straighter.

Mills stormed into the room, "And all that, with crap supplies at my disposal. Honestly Bobby, I would think that in your line of work you would have medical supplies stocked up the wazu. But no, Rambo here, hands me dental floss, a pen knife, and torn up sheets for bandages!"

Sheriff Mills seemed to run out of steam. Pinching her eyes shut, she rubbed at her temples. "I've never seen anything like it. Who does that to someone as sweet as that girl?" She whipped up her head, pinning each of them in turn with a murderous stare, "I hope you beat the Sons of Bitches into next week, killed them, brought them back to life, and then killed them again for good measure!"

Castiel shook his head, studying her ears intently. "The majority have been smited, however the demon Crowley remains at large."

Mill's slitted her eyes, "Well, when you find the bastard, make him pay. I wouldn't mind taking a few goes at him myself."

She walked over to the couch where Cass and Sam sat, plopping herself between them. She was oblivious to the stiff wide-eyed look Cass threw her way. Sam turned toward her, "How's she doing then?"

Mills shook her head, "That girl should be in a hospital Sam. She's in a world of pain. I tried to get her to take some medication, but she refused. Said they would only make her sick." As she talked to Sam, Cass raised a hand to poke at her ear. Dean reached over, slapping his hand away, before he made contact. Mills remained oblivious, barreling on, "I felt like a sadistic bitch, throwing her into the shower and scrubbing those wounds clean."

Dean winced, "It had to be done Mills. She'd be worse off in the long run if you hadn't."

The sheriff nodded, resting her head on the back of the couch. "I know, I know…but you should have seen her Dean. Those big blue eyes were pouring tears, but she didn't make a peep."

He nodded in approval, "Sounds like she's got some backbone, that's good."

Mills nodded, "She's sweet tempered, quiet…a little shy; but she's definitely got some fight in her too. " Mills let out a breath and got up, using Cass and Sam's thighs for leverage. Cass eyed her hand as if it had sprouted claws. "I should get going." She dug in her pocket, and thrust a piece of paper at Bobby's chest. "Here's a list of medical supplies you should pick up for her. Just because you boys think you can get away with dental floss and sheets, doesn't mean she should. At the very least, get her a decent wrist guard and ankle wrap. Oh, and I left those old crutches of Dean's next to her bed…but she could use Bobby's old wheelchair until her wrist heals up. And get her some decent brush and comb. We spent a good hour getting all those snarls out of that hair of hers. I nearly gave up at one point." Sticking out her hand, she waggled her fingers at Bobby, "Give me some keys."

Cass stood, "I will return you home."

Mills shot the angel a glare, "Oh no, one Star-Trek rerun is enough for me Scottie. I'll take one of Bobby's vehicles. She grinned; I'll leave the keys on the tire. One of you boys can pick it up later." She sauntered to the door, but paused and grinned maliciously, "I'm heading out to Seattle to visit my sister for the next three and a half weeks, so you boys are on your own. I'll check in when I'm back, and she better have only good to say about you boys! And don't even think about sticking her down in that basement again! She will need help with bandages, combing her hair, and just plain getting around in general. Have fun playing nursemaid." She bolted out the door before the hunters could voice a protest.

Bobby puffed his cheeks and let out a breath, "That's one formidable woman."

Sam smiled, "Her skills with gardening tools ARE impressive."

Dean grinned, "Never thought I'd see the day when an angel got brained by a trowel."

Cass raised his chin, "She did not injure me, the weapon was most ineffective."

Dean snorted, "Don't make it any less funny."