Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 10

Sam and Dean were called by a doctor not long after Castiel had been rushed into hospital for an emergency operation. Dean's hands were shaking, whilst still covered in blood, as they waited impatiently. Dean's breath was caught in his throat when the doctor explained Castiel's condition. He's in intensive care and is currently sleeping to recover. He did lose a lot of blood, so he may not wake up for a while.

"Can we see him?" Dean asked.

The doctor nodded and led them to Castiel's room. When they entered, they saw him sleeping in the bed. Multiple wires and tubes were sprouting from his fragile body. He looked so pale - lifeless, even. Dean struggled to walk towards him, but he forced himself. Sam was sitting on the chair next to Castiel's bed, while Dean stood at the foot of the bed.

His heart broke at the sight of Castiel, and he couldn't look at him any longer. He stormed out the room and out the building towards the impala. When he got there, he stopped and began to breathe. Deep breaths. In. Out. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes - silently praying. He may not believe, but he didn't want to lose Castiel.

He couldn't lose him.

When his breathing got back to normal, he wiped his tears away and got in the car. Reaching for the bottle that was usually in his car, he began to chug half the bottle to help with the aching pain he felt in his chest. Castiel's bag on the passenger seat caught his eye. Putting the bottle down, he grabbed the bag and began to look inside.

Castiel's books and revision notes. His pencil case full of stationary: he was definitely a perfectionist. Searching the bag, he came across a leather book. Carefully pulling it out, he realised it was Castiel's journal. I shouldn't read it, he thought, it's his privacy. "Don't be a dick", he told himself as he put it bag inside the bag. Although the curiosity was eating him alone, he promised to respect Castiel's privacy.

He sat in his car for a while, drinking away his sorrow, before walking back to Castiel's room. He had a new bottle of whiskey with him to help him sleep because he was not going to leave Castiel alone. When he entered the room, Sam turned to look at him with worry. Standing up, he walked towards his big brother.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

Dean nodded his head. "Yeah", he lied. "Just got my medicine", he explained, holding up the bottle.

"Dean", Sam sighed. "I know this is difficult, he's my friend too, but you can't just drink away your problems".

"I'll take the chair", he replied, ignoring Sam. "I'll let you take the couch". Sam didn't move. "Go on! You should sleep". Quietly, Sam walked to the small couch and lay down to sleep. Dean slumped in the chair and continued to drink until he passed out - the usual.

<3

Castiel woke up and heard a regular beeping noise. Opening his eyes, he realised he was in the hospital. His entire body ached with pain whenever he tried to move. He could see Sam sleeping on the couch across the room. Painfully, he turned his head to look everywhere else. What surprised him was that Dean was sleeping in the chair next to his bed.

He looked peaceful, like the morning after their one-night stand. Scanning Dean, Castiel noticed the empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. He got drunk again, he thought with a sigh. After the conversation with Dean about drinking, Castiel was finally able to understand why Dean drinks so much. It's usually because he can't sleep, but sometimes it's because he wants to forgot the pain he's feeling. Why did he get drunk this time?, Castiel wondered.

Castiel lay in bed while he watched Dean stir in his sleep. It looked like he was having a nightmare. Perhaps it was the dream he told Castiel about? Castiel didn't dare wake him up because he was an angry sleeper. Although it was tempting because he was restless, unable to sleep, Castiel knew better. Dean has always struggled to sleep, so Castiel wants him to get as many hours as he can.

Suddenly, Dean's eyes shot open as he sat up panting. Gradually, he recognised his surroundings and sighed. Rubbing a hand over his face, he tried to steady his breathing. Slowly, he looked at Castiel. Dean smiled at him when they made eye contact. Castiel was staring at him with a concerned look. "Morning", Dean greeted him with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Castiel wanted to ask Dean what his nightmare was about, but he knew Dean better than that - he would push away his problems and focus on the well-being of everyone around him. Castiel didn't begin to ask how Dean was mentally. "Like my body has been dragged across the world", he admitted. Dean reached for his bottle next to him.

"Would you like to try some of my medicine?" He asked.

Castiel smiled and shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm sure the morphine would be just fine".

Dean shrugged his shoulders and took a mouthful of the whiskey left in the bottle. Castiel wanted to smack the bottle away from Dean's perfect lips, but he understand why Dean drank, and he was in too much pain to move. Putting the bottle on the floor, Dean turned his attention back to Castiel. "Do you remember who attacked you?" He asked him.

Castiel thought back to the attack and remembered everything: the fight, the attacker, the pain. But he also remembered watching Dean at the bar the other night. He knew what Dean was capable of, and he didn't want Dean to do anything stupid. "Not really", he lied. "It's all a bit fuzzy, but it may come back to me eventually". Dean nodded and leaned back in the chair.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company, until a doctor entered the room. "Good morning, Castiel", the doctor greeted. "I'm glad to see you awake. You were badly hurt, and you lost quite a lot of blood from the stab wound. The police will be here later to ask you a few questions about the attack, if that's alright with you?"

"Yeah, that's perfectly fine", he replied.

"Okay. I'll be back later to check up on you. I'll let you eat first", the doctor said before leaving the room. Not long after, a nurse came into his room to give him his breakfast. Dean didn't eat, although Castiel offered him food. He just watched Castiel silently and waited for Sam to wake up.

The three of them were talking for hours until the police entered the room, hoping to find the person who attacked Castiel. Sam and Dean didn't leave the room while Castiel was questioned. Dean was listening to everything Castiel was saying, eager to know who did this to him.

"Do you remember what the attacker looked like?" The police asked.

Anxiously, Castiel looked over at Dean for a split second before looking at his hands. Slowly, he nodded his head. "Yes. I remember who attacked me". He didn't need to look to know that Dean was staring at him in disbelief. "I had a previous encounter with them the night before. We had a small disagreement while we were out drinking".

"So, the attacker already met you?"

Castiel swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking. "Yes. Friday night, I went out for drinks to take a break from all my school work. While I was out, I had stumbled and accidentally touched his rear. He didn't like that at all. I tried to apologise, but he was furious and was about to hit me. Until Dean", he looked at Dean for a second, "protected me".

"The attacker is a male?"

"Yes".

The police wrote that down in their notes. "And he had already tried to attack you the previous night?"

"Yes".

"Friday night at the bar", the police began. "He got angry because you touched his bottom. Did he seem homophobic towards you?"

"Definitely".

"I know this is a personal question, but", they paused. "Do you associate yourself as part of the LGBTQA community?"

"Yes, I'm gay".

"Do you believe the attack was a hate crime?" The police questioned.

Castiel hesitated. "Yes".