The angel I ruined. (Castiel x male reader OC |NSFW|)

Chapter 21: "Trying"

"Hey Stefan, can I chat with you for a sec? Mrs. Hogan's family has raised a few concerns. They mentioned that during your shifts, things seem a bit rough when providing basic care, and there's been some reported rudeness. Also, they mentioned some bruises from when you were helping with repositioning. I saw those marks myself, so it's hard to deny that something might be off."

I sighed and glanced at the clock; my shift should have ended four hours ago, but here I am, chasing nurses through the dimly lit corridors, my mind heavy with worry about what's happening on my watch.

"Dr. Mortimer, I..I.. appreciate you letting me know. I'm a bit surprised to hear about the complaints. I always try my best to provide proper care and treat patients with respect. As for the bruises, I can't recall anything out of the ordinary happening. Maybe Mrs. Hogan had some delicate skin that's prone to bruising? Or perhaps they were there before my shift. Nonetheless, I didn't notice something.
As for the family's perception of rudeness, I might have been a bit stressed, and I apologize if it came across that way. I'll make sure to be more careful and mindful moving forward."

I studied his face closely, searching for any hint of deception. He did seem genuine, but I had already decided not to let it slide, resolving to keep a very close eye on him from now on.

"I know we are all tired, and we are humans after all; humans make mistakes. But I want to believe that you will treat your patients with all the respect and empathy you possibly can from now on. Patients should never pay the price of our lack of energy, physical or emotional. Are we clear?" I raised my eyebrow and tried to look as intimidating as I could, ensuring my message was crystal clear.

"Of course, I would never intentionally try to harm people, especially those in need."

My phone's sudden ring saved him from a potentially lengthy lecture about responsibility, and I gave him a subtle signal to return to his post while I took the call.

"Hello, Dr. Mortimer speaking." I already had seen the caller's ID; it was Dean. I knew with my reply Dean would never miss the opportunity to tease me. I guess I missed him.

"Ohhhh, Doctor Mortimer, is that you? I thought I was calling my friend Joe?" He paused only for a second and added, "I see you've decided to make use of your prestigious doctor title today. Very impressive, I must say. But you can just call me Dean. No need to be all fancy or anything. So, how's my buddy Castiel doing over there? Is he being good? Keeping you busy, or are you having a nice lazy little vacation?"

I couldn't resist but crack a smile. I imagined myself in the middle of the corridor, grinning like a schoolgirl.

"Well, it's been only like two days or so. I haven't managed to get sick of him yet." I was lying, of course; I had already started to adore Castiel even if I didn't want to admit it. "I wouldn't call it a vacation. I still have to show up to work, you know."

"Work? Oh, you didn't call off sick? You still have to go to work every day despite the fact that you're hosting an angel in your house? Damn, that takes some dedication. I mean, I get it, you can't just stop your entire life just because Castiel is crashing on your couch, but still. Gotta commend you for staying on the grind even with all this craziness going on in your life. I'm impressed."

He was right. I should have called in sick so I could have the opportunity to spend as much time as I can with Castiel, but my worries were getting the best of me. What if he ends up hating it? Or, even worse, realizing that I'm not an interesting person to be around? I couldn't risk it.

"Maybe you should tell me if everything is okay with you and Sam at the moment. Don't worry so much about me and Castiel; everything is under control."

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Joe, but everything is definitely not okay. In fact, I called because I just wanted to give you a little update. The cops have completely lost our trail, and let's say with some Sam's Winchester brain *magic*, they're chasing after some random Russian dudes who moved to the US back in 2012 now. And his leg is getting better even though it's not 100% yet, but the thing is we're gonna be away a few more days because we now have to track down...a pack of shapeshifters..."