Jack Kline's Sister

Chapter Nineteen: Ouroboros, Part Two

She held her breath and counted the footsteps until the gorgon walked past her, and sliced his head off. She stared at the blood pooling in the marks of Enochian on the glistening blade. Monica went back to Jack to see he had already gotten up. "Check on Cass," Sam said to the both of them. "I got Dean."

"Cass, can you breathe? Hey, hey, hey," Jack said, nudging him.

"Castiel," Monica said, shaking him harder.

"It's not working," Jack said after they gave Cass the antivenom. "Why isn't it working?!" Before she knew it Jack was pressing his hands to Castiel's temples.

"Jack, no!" She screamed, but it was too late.

Castiel opened his eyes and coughed. "Jack, what are you doing?" "You're okay," Jack said.

Monica let out a sigh of relief.

"Wake up!" Sam yelled from the other side of the room. "Hey! Dean? Guys! Hey. Wake up. Dean."

They went home as quickly as possible and put Dean in sickbay.

"W-Why won't he wake up?" Maggie asked. "Is he --"

"It's a head injury," Sam said firmly.

"I'll get ice," Maggie said and hurried from the room. The other hunters followed.

"Cass, do it," Sam said.

"I still can't heal him. I can't even see what's going on inside his head."

Monica looked at her palms again, feeling a new surge of rage. She should have been able to heal him. Make him just like new.

"I can help," Jack said, stepping closer.

Castiel looked at him. "No. Jack. I appreciate what you did for me, but you cannot afford to burn off any more of your soul."

Jack left the room.

Monica watched him go, then turned and looked at Cass with tears in her eyes. She extended her hand as if to touch Dean, then pulled back. She turned and fled the room.

                                                                                        ✴✴✴

Castiel went to Jack first, following the whole girls-need-space thing.

When it was time to find her, he checked her room. Nothing.

Which meant she was likely in a bookshelf or under another table.

He closed his eyes and tried to feel for her. She still had her grace, so she still gave off energy. It was just faint and hard to follow.

He found her between two bookshelves, head in her knees.

"Castiel, I'm fine," she muttered without even looking at him. She raised her eyes to meet his. "You should be with Dean."

"There is nothing more to be done about Dean."

"This can't be his end. It just can't be. He can't die from--from hitting his head. This is the guy that's saved the world. I mean...he's stronger than this." She raised her head. "Right? Tell me I'm right."

Castiel sighed and kneeled to her level. "Dean's gonna be fine. You're right. He is strong, he will overcome this."

Monica nodded. "But what about when he doesn't? Castiel, where are we going to be in twenty years? Where will you be? You can't really expect you'll all still be together. Alive. I mean, where am I going to go? What am I supposed to do?"