Dean's point of view

"That's where I come in. I thought your little rebellious angel would last longer. I'm truly disappointed. He would sacrifice himself just to avoid wipe out another precious angel's life" a familiar voice interrupted. The brothers turned their heads simultaneously to see the King of Hell himself.

"Crowley."

"You sound surprised to see me, Moose. Though weren't you planning to come crawling to me anyway? Or have you forgotten already?" "We were a bit busy. And what, you have nothing better to do than spy on us?" Dean snapped, his voice trembling with anger. "My 'friends' keep me very well-informed about Castiel's condition. And I thought now was a good time to say hello—especially since my favorite hunter is finally awake. Took you long enough," Crowley said with a devilish grin. "Get to the point, Crowley. I don't have time for your games."

The demon began to laugh. "Friendly as always Dean. Straight to business, as always. A little bird told me the good Castiel needs fresh grace. And, coincidentally, I have some. But of course, it comes at a price. Angelic grace is rare, especially these days." "What do you want?" Sam asked.

"A favor. One I can call in anytime. I'll even let you define the terms." "Fine. No souls, no deals involving anyone's life—ours or anyone else's," Dean demanded firmly. "Also, nothing that will kill us or our friends."

"That's quite a lot of conditions. Normally I wouldn't agree to that. But for you two? Fine. Deal. At least from my side." Crowley said with a sly smile. Dean hold out his hand, and Crowley shook it. Without another word, the King of Hell vanished, leaving the brothers alone.

Sam's point of view

Sam's thoughts finally began to clear. His brother always made decisions without thinking about the consequences. Dean looked even more exhausted now. "Get some rest. The doctor said the meds would make you drowsy," Sam said. "I'm going to check on Cas." He was halfway out the door when Dean tried to sit up again. "I'm coming with you," Dean said, but the dizziness forced him back down. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

Sam left the room. In the hallway, he nearly collided with a nurse pushing a medication cart. "Sorry," the hunter mumbled. Moments later, he stood outside Castiel's room. It took him a while to gather the courage to go in. After a few minutes he finally opened the door.

The sight inside stole his breath and threw him back to memories of Dean's near-death. Cas lay motionless, surrounded by machines and intubated. The room started to spin. Sam grabbed the doorframe for support. He needed a moment to process.

He closed silently the door behind him, pulled a chair to the bedside, and sat down. The fear inside him was overwhelming. His pulse skyrocketed, his chest tightened, and his breathing speed up. "Get it together. Cas will pull through," he said loud to himself. The pressure eased, and he began to breathe more normally. He realized what Dean must have been feeling.

After a few more minutes, sleep crept over him. He hadn't slept properly in days. Two days. It had already been two days. But he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Moments later, Sam was fast asleep.