Not While I'm Around

Time After Time

            Sam shook his head; Dean remained silent. It was typical that when there was something Dean couldn’t handle, he retreated into himself and didn’t talk to anyone. It was something Sam was used to, so he didn’t try to talk to Dean. It would probably only make things worse.

            “Is he alright?” Dr. Dixon asked Sam as she glanced up at Dean. He stood in the corner of the elevator, his gaze never leaving his feet. His shoulders slumped in a mix of exhaustion, worry and defeat.

            Sam put a hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “He’s fine. That’s just how he copes with things. He and Jimmy are very close; it’s hitting him hard right now.” I can’t very well tell the doctor he’s worried because someone stole our Angel’s Grace. She’d have us both committed.

            “That’s understandable. Sometimes a patient’s family simply can’t deal with the severity of the situation, and require medical intervention. I just needed to make sure that wasn’t the case here,” Dr. Dixon replied with a soft smile.

            The elevator doors opened with a ping and Dr. Dixon led the two down a quiet hallway. Sam noted that Dean seemed to retreat even further into himself, and when he looked at his older brother, he looked tired. Dean looked more tired than Sam had ever seen him in his entire life. Sam wondered if his brother would ever be the same.

            The trio stopped in front of a closed door marked Imaging. “Wait out here while I go in and check on how the scans are coming along. I’ll be just a moment.” Dr. Dixon entered the room and closed the door softly behind her. In the second or two that the door was open, Dean saw an array of images on the screen in front of the doctors, and a choked moan escaped his lips.

            “Oh God, Sammy … this is really happening, isn’t it?” Dean said; his voice barely audible.

            “Yeah Dean, it is. But you know Cass. He’s strong, and he would never leave us. We need to be strong for him.” Sam wrapped an arm around Dean’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze.

            “I don’t know if I can. I’ve never felt more helpless in my life.” Dean slumped against his brother, sobs wracking his body.

            “You can do this Dean, I know you can. Just think of all the things you and Cass haven’t done yet. All the things about being human you haven’t taught him yet. He was telling me just the other day that he wanted to go see the Grand Canyon. I was thinking we could take a few days off from hunting and go on a road trip, just the three of us. What do you say Dean?” Sam wondered, changing the subject subtly. He gave his brother a gentle smile.

            “That sounds great Sammy. Cass will really like that,” Dean replied with a shaky smile. He let out a long breath, his hands sliding through his hair.

            The door opened and Dr. Dixon stepped back out into the hallway. “They’re finishing the final scan now. There’s a room across the hall that we can use to give you some privacy.”

            “Thank you so much doctor. You’ve been so kind to us,” Sam said. Dr. Dixon nodded her head and motioned for the two boys to wait in the empty room. They entered the room and sat down in the empty chairs. Sam put his hand on Dean’s knee; the gesture conveying more than words ever could.

            A few more minutes passed before Dr. Dixon wheeled Castiel’s bed into the room. She positioned the bed and quickly checked his vitals before slipping from the room to give the family privacy.

            “Cass,” Dean whispered breathily, fresh tears falling down his face. “Cass, can you hear me? It’s Dean. Cass?” He grabbed Castiel’s hand in both of his and held it to his face.

            Sam rested his hand on Castiel’s leg before speaking. “Hey Cass, it’s me Sam. We’re right here. I know you can pull through this.” You have to. Sam left his last thought unspoken, knowing that his brother was thinking the same thing.

            “We need you Cass. I need you.” Dean repeated the words over and over, his eyes never leaving the Angel’s face. “They’re sending you to another hospital; a hospital that can take better care of you. Not that this hospital isn’t good, but it’s a small town and isn’t equipped for this. They’re flying you to Harborview in Seattle, on the other side of the mountains.” Dean was talking just to talk. He’d heard somewhere that when people were unconscious, talking to them helped wake them up. “And when you get better, we’ll go see the Space Needle and Pike Place Market and … and anywhere else you wanna go. I promise. Just please … get better.” Dean squeezed Castiel’s hand.

            “We’ll find who did this Cass. We’ll find out who did this and we’ll make them pay.” Sam’s voice was low, a barely suppressed growl.

            Dean glanced over at his younger brother, eyes wide at the rare display of pure rage. If anyone acted like that it was Dean, Sam was definitely the gentler of the two. Dean could see Sam’s hands shaking as he attempted to keep from punching the wall. “Sam, are you okay?” Dean asked softly.

            “I’m f-fine Dean. I just never thought something like this could happen to Cass. He never hurt anyone who didn’t rightfully deserve it,” Sam said through gritted teeth.

            “Sammy, go out and get some air or get a coffee. You need to calm down before you hurt someone.” Dean stood and moved to his brother’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Besides, our time is probably up. They need to get Cass transported soon. We’ll say our goodbyes and head out to Seattle. Okay?” Dean held back a chuckle at how quickly their roles had reversed. Not five minutes ago, Sam was the one comforting Dean and now Dean was doing it to Sam.

            “You’re right Dean,” Sam sighed, pushing his bangs from his forehead. He squeezed Castiel’s knee and let out a shuddering breath. “Okay Cass, we gotta get going. They’re going to come and get you ready for transport here in a few minutes. But don’t worry; we’ll be right there by your side when you wake up. I promise.” He stood and moved to the door. “I’ll give you some time alone to say goodbye. Take your time, and just meet me at the Impala.”

            “Thanks Sammy,” Dean replied.

**So I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to stop this chapter, but this seemed like a good place...especially with what's about to happen. I wasn't even sure what to title this chapter but decided to keep with the song titles concept.**