Castiel was at the hospital in only a moment, the air around him stirring from his sudden appearance just outside the hospital, in the back reaches of the building. With a swish of his trenchcoat, he had it tossed over his shoulders, hiding his wings before he was running towards the entrance of the tall building.
The scent of disinfectant and sickness washed over his sense, prayers of help slamming into his body from all sides. Normally, he would flinch away, feel his human heart tear with the emotion that the waiters and patients felt, but for now, he could only keep his mind on Dean, and on Dean it would stay.
"Dean Winchester?" Castiel said as soon as he reached the registration desk of the hospital. The nurse sitting behind it looked at him with a bit of annoyance, only for her eyes to soften to see the way he was breathing just a little heavy and clutched to the edge of the desk until his knuckles turned white.
"He is in surgery at the moment, sir. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for the doctor to get finished." She replied, giving him a sympathetic smile before turning back to her computer. Castiel gave a small nod despite her not paying attention as his adam's apple bobbed in his throat, caught and leaving it burning.
Slowly, he walked over to the waiting room, his heart filled with throb after painful throb. Around five more people sat there, a father and his two daughters, one staring at the ceiling and the other asleep, and an elderly couple with their hands entwined. He sat in the very corner of the room, a little cough escaping his throat as tears stung his eyes.
"It'll be okay, sir." A small, young voice said, and when he turned, he saw the older of the daughters staring at him with a small smile, her pudgy little cheeks making her seem a lot younger than she probably was. Castiel let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair and glancing towards the watchful eyes of the father.
"Are you sure?" Castiel replied, forcing himself not to say what he was really thinking. What could this girl possibly know about Dean or himself for that matter? How could she be so certain at a time like this?
"Possibly not, but if we focus on the sad things, nothing good will ever come." The little girl said, puffing out her cheeks thoughtfully as she looked at her father before giving him a small smile. "That's what Mommy always tells me, and that's why I won't cry when I go see her."
"Your mom sounds very smart." Castiel replied, his hands clasping together as he leaned on his knees. He didn't think he could remain upright anyways. He felt light-headed, as if the reality was finally sinking in.
"She is. She's the best." The little girl said, her face lighting up in excitement. "When she gets better, we're going to go to the creek and play with the tiny fish. Mommy told me so."
Her father's expression twisted into one of pain, and he wrapped his arm around the little girl, pulling her closer. "That's enough, Felicia. You need to rest. It'll be a while before you get to see your mother." He said, his ice blue eyes turning to Castiel, an intense sadness burning through the light of Castiel's soul. The angel swallowed, glancing towards the ground, and shivering as he continued to feel the heavy stare of the man.
The man's stare left his back, and minutes slowly stretched into hours as he waited for Dean to get out of surgery. Sam got to the waiting room about thirty minutes after Castiel did, and they sat in silence, waiting for the arriving moment. The elderly couple were called back first, about two hours after Castiel sat down, the father and daughters following only an hour after that.
Thirty minutes later, the doctor came in, slowly removing the mask that covered his face and hanging it around his neck. Both Castiel and Sam stood, exchanging terrified glances as they slowly approached the aging doctor.
"He's sustained serious injuries from the wreck. He will need several weeks of physical therapy, and possibly psychiatric evaluation, but otherwise, he should make a full recovery." The doctor said, a pleased tone in his voice as he looked at the both of them with strained eyes that betrayed his tiredness. In that instant, Castiel felt his sadness and fear rush from his heart, and tears of relief began to fall as he hugged Sam, unable to hide his happiness for Dean's safety.
"I don't expect him to wake up tonight, but you can stay with him until the end of visiting if you wish." The doctor replied, dipping his head to the both of them before walking out. Castiel and Sam smiled, pulling away from the hug and heading down the hallway, where the doctor motioned them in the right direction, giving them the room number before they began on their journey.
"Sir?" He heard a familiar soft voice behind him and turned his head, facing the same little girl from before, Felicia was her name, standing there with an expectant look on her face. Sam paused in his step, watching them carefully as Castiel crouched in front of the girl.
"Yes?" Castiel asked, tipping his head. The little girl pointed towards a door, her eyes wide and full of sadness despite the tough front she was putting up.
"My mommy is having trouble staying awake. Daddy says it's time for her to go to heaven, but I don't want her to leave yet. Can you help her?" The little girl asked, a little tear dribbling along her eye and escaping her lips, sliding along those naturally red cheeks.
"How can I help?" Castiel asked, squinting the eyes at the little girl. She turned her pointing to above his head, and at first, he thought she was pointing at Sam.
"You're an angel, aren't you? I can see your halo." The little girl replied, leaving Castiel in shock. He heard Sam cough behind him, as caught off guard as he was.
"How did you know that?" Castiel asked, frowning.
"One of the nurses was an angel and she told me, but then she left." The little girl said, frowning and glancing at the ground. "She was going to help Mommy when she came into today, but she told me she couldn't 'cause she had to be somewhere very important."
Felicia turned her eyes back to him, reaching out and grabbing his sleeve, a pout coming across her lips. "Daddy is very sad without Mommy. Rose wants her back too. Please, can you help her?" She asked, a look in her eyes that Castiel couldn't deny no matter what. He glanced back at Sam, a confused look coming over his face before he nodded, watching the little girl's eyes light up in hope.
With a squeal, she hugged him before grabbing his hand, dragging him from his crouched position and towards the door she had pointed at beforehand. She opened it quickly, pulling him in where the other two awaited.
A woman laid in the bed in the middle of the room, her skin pale and sunken in, and her eyes barely open. Yet, there was a happiness there, as if the sight of her family alone made the thought of death less terrifying and more like a step towards a new direction. Castiel's heart broke at the sight of her, and he couldn't help but understand the glare in the father's eyes as the girl dragged him in.
"Daddy! I found another angel!" Felicia said, tugging his hand and pulling him closer to the bed. The father began to stand, but the mother reached out with her weak and shaky hand, stopping him in place.
"Ray, you have to trust her." The mother said, her voice worn and thin. Obviously, they've seemed to have this discussion before from the way the father sighed, giving Castiel an accusing look as he sat back down. He could feel the man's skepticism in his head, knowing that the man was not as trusting as his daughter and wife. Nevertheless, Castiel slowly approached, glancing at the wide eyes of the littlest girl who sat beside her mother.
"I'll try my best." Castiel mumbled, chewing on his lip as he reached out with two fingers, the tips glowing blue and spreading along the veins of his hands. The mother closed her eyes as skin touched skin, and the father's skepticism turned to shock as Castiel's grace flooded along his arm like a licking flame, reaching into the mother's soul and body and repairing the tears he found.
The whole process took only a second, but he could tell when he pulled away that it felt like an eternity to the family. The mother was asleep, but the monitor was beeping stronger and more frequent, and her skin had turned to a healthy glow. Castiel backed away, feeling the presence of Sam's soul by the door as Felicia burst into tears, getting pulled into a hug by her father, all the while the man stared at him with thankful eyes.
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Dean's green eyes slowly met Castiel's, then Sam's, a groan leaving his throat as he slowly raised his arm, feeling his head.
"What happened?" Dean asked, looking at the ceiling with a confused daze. Castiel didn't answer, but instead leaned over, kissing Dean gently, but so passionately that their lips glowed with the intensity of the emotion of their love. Castiel shared his memories, his fears, of all that had happened when Sam told him what happened, of the pain he felt sitting in that waiting room for hours upon hours, only to express his joy when he realized that Dean was okay.
And when they pulled away, Dean was crying, but a smile spread across his face as he was hugged by both his angel and his brother.
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Does anyone ship Septiplier? I hella carrier that shit now, and I don't know what to do with my life because I am literal trash at this point. I turned into a puddle of fangirl goo and I don't regret a thing. Anyways, if you do, read The Importance of Coke Bottle on AO3. It is the cutest story I will ever read and I literally screamed on my way home from church when I read it.