Catch A Flame

Chapter 8

Cas couldn't help but smile at the thought. Dean had been the bull in the china shop that morning in the little cafe.

"Damn it must have hurt." He paused, slightly shocked he had gained Castiel's attention. "I think I'd know a thing or two about pain, I work for the fire department."

"What hurt?" Castiel looked around, patting his sides.

"When you fell," he cleared his throat a little as Cas gave him a confused look. "From Heaven I mean."

Though Cas had finished the Us series two weeks ago. Now he was on Carver Edlund's The Queen. He liked this one very much and knew Dean would have loved it. Koda the main character is the daughter of Bobby Singer, the father figure of Sam and Dean -coincidence right?- and all the twists and turns that ensue after she makes a deal with a demon. At least that was what the back was saying. Castiel had never taken the time to read this book, even though Dean wouldn't stop going on and on about it. He understood why now, even though he was only just now getting to the time jump in the middle of chapter 6. It had gone from after the father-daughter pair had come home from the hospital after the "accident" and now to several years later.

"'July 15, 2004

The Tv still ran playing the western movie as snores filled the room. Bobby passed out on the chair and Koda taking up the entire couch on her stomach. Lucia curled up on the floor beside her. The aging dog and the old man were tied with who could snore the loudest. Meanwhile the cowboys on the screen dashed around firing their guns. No one stirred. There was a creaking from the porch as the wind chime of old parts that Koda put up forever ago tried to untangle itself without success. Bobby awoke with a jump at what had sounded like a school bus.

'Koda! You're gonna miss the bus!' He said while still trying to wake up.

A chuckle came from the blanketed lump on the couch. 'Daddy, I graduated college six years ago. It's the dead of summer.' She shifted without opening her eyes. 'And today is my day off-'"

Every single word became a jumble as the hand within his twitched. Cas's heart stopped when he thought back to a few days ago. He had been walking out when Dean's monitors had started going insane. The doctor ended up extubating him. Finally only supplying air through a nasal cannula. His mouth when dry, the hand slipping from his as the man on the bed shifted. Suddenly the requirements to breathe were drastically too much.

Dean? Even though Cas desperately wanted to say the words out loud his tongue became heavy, and his mind going five miles faster than his motor functions could keep up with.

It could have been nothing. But Cas's heart was going too fast for that to be true. His newly freed hand lightly brushed the call button, the damn click alone echoed in the silent room. In that moment there was that green. The very green that Cas wasn't sure he'd ever see again. Unfocused green eyes shifted to his shocked face. They weren't clear, but they were there. They were Dean's.

Cas opened his mouth, but by the time he could have gotten anything out, nurses shooed him from the room. Just like that the door was shut. Cas's eyes still wide even after the doctor went in himself.

...

He was actually sitting down by the time he heard Sam's laughter. Cas was perched on the hall chair, not turning his head to greet the younger Winchester. Something had become fascinating about his shoes as the doc ran tests on Dean. Sam still had his lawyer get up on, though his tie had been loosened as he and Jess approached.

"Cas?" Sam's shaky voice reached him at last.

Castiel finally looked up. His eyes lifted but did not meet Sam's. Said man was now frozen in his place further down the hall. Charlie would have been with them if she hadn't been on shift. Same went for the rest of truck 67.

Jess took hold of her fiance's arm, prepared to support him in the event of bad news.

Cas opened his mouth, only to close it and repeat the sequence several times. He just couldn't get that look out of his mind. The way Dean had stared at him, as if he was trying to find the missing piece to a puzzle. It just unsettled Cas to no end. Then again he did know why. The nurse had told him as she pushed him out the door after his second attempt to get in.

"Cas." Sam was begging, and nearly on his knees beside Cas's chair. "Tell me he's alive." There were already tears in his eyes. Cas could hear it in his voice.

All he could manage was a nod at first. "He's awake," came out hardly above a whisper.

Sam bowed his head, finally hitting his knees with a breath of relief. "Jesus... You scared the hell out of us." Jess walked away to call Rufus to let everyone on shift know the good news.

Cas still didn't make eye contact.

Sam would have been lying if he said that Cas's behavior wasn't nearly heart attack inducing. He didn't get to dwell on the subject.

"Sam?" The doctor stepped out. "He's asking for you."

Quickly Sam rushed through the door. He didn't question much until he stood at the foot of his brother's bed.

Dean eyed him suspiciously, sleepily sizing him up. "Bitch," he tested.

"Jerk," the word flew out automatically.

Those tired green eyes grew soft at this. All the while Sam's heart sank. He yawned, the green no longer in sight as his eyelids drooped.

"Damn Sammy, you grew up."