July 1st, 2014
Rexford, Idaho
A month passed, and the summer months reached its peak in Rexford. Alex and Castiel remained in the town, whose community seemed to welcome their arrival with open hands. At least that's how it felt, the ex-angel had mused, with Greg around.
The kindly old preacher had sought to make their transition into the world of the working and the mundane as easy as possible; not only had he insisted that they remain in his house rent-free until they were able to pay him back, but he had even gone out of his way to get the two ex-celestials jobs around town.
Their living wasn't half bad, Alex thought as she pushed her way in through the front door of Lucky Chin's Chinese Palace, and she glanced up as the bell cried out, announcing her entrance to all inside. Between her gig here and Castiel's — Steve, as the locals knew him — job at the nearby Gas N' Sip, they were doing well.
"Maxine!" A loud, giggly voice came from behind the front counter, and Alex turned to see a tall brunette sitting there, a wide grin on her face and blue eyes sparkling in humor. "It's about time you're back."
"Sorry, Mel." Alex crossed over to her coworker Melanie and dropped her plastic bag onto the counter. "I got those supplies you were asking for. Anything else?"
"Ah! Thank you." Melanie pawed through the cleaning supplies Alex had picked up from the 711 down the street. "You can bring these back to the kitchen. Oh, and garbage needs to go out," she added as Alex nodded. "You work 'till ... when?"
"Six thirty." Alex gathered up the bag, casting a quick look at the clock on the wall. "So, another twenty minutes or so." Movement from the kitchen caught her attention. "Is Tommy working today?" The footfalls on the tile floor sounded heavy enough, but the ex-angel still felt blind and fettered without her celestial senses.
"Yeah. Connor left while you were out." The door behind them swung open with a ding, and Melanie called out, "Welcome to Lucky Chin's! How can I help you?"
Alex took the greeting as her call to leave, and she slipped behind the counter and into the kitchen. The smell of cooking oil hit her full force, and she gave Tom a weak smile as something deep within her chest tightened painfully. Alex drew in three deep breaths, trying to breathe the pain away as she carefully pushed back any semblance of panic. The symptoms had been recurring over the past two or three days, starting with the telltale shortness of breath and pounding heart within her chest. Dr. Chase had warned her about such signs, and Alex was following his advice very carefully; deep breaths in, slow breaths out. Keep her heart rate under control. So far, it had been working, but Alex was worried about the future time when just careful breathing wouldn't be enough.
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the tightness vanished, and Alex gathered up the trash, holding it up high to avoid tripping over the black polyethylene that was stretched thin by the weight of its contents. She wrinkled her nose up against the smell of old grease and half-smoked pot. She would have to talk to Connor again about what exactly belonged in the establishment's trash and what didn't.
She dropped the bag next to the big green dumpster and leaned up to throw back the plastic lid. Then she flung the trash up and into the empty garbage, half-listening to the satisfying thud it made. The vibrations sent the lid crashing back into place, and Alex flinched at the bang.
She gave Tom a small nod on her way back in, and she slid onto the counter. Melanie was still on her stool, and Alex peered around the restaurant for the customer that had entered before she left. "Pick up," Melanie explained as she pulled out her magazine.
"Ah." Alex nodded. The restaurant around her was empty, save for the old couple in the back booth who ate there twice a week. "Looks like we're winding down for the night, then."
Her coworker shrugged. "It's Friday. Everyone's at the county fair." No sooner had she spoken did the bell ring, announcing the arrival of yet another customer. Melanie looked up, and her blue eyes sparkled as she tucked her dark hair behind her ear. "Hot guy ten o'clock," she whispered, and Alex rolled her eyes. There were only two people that would elicit a reaction like that, and Jackson the laundromat guy from down the street never came to Lucky Chin's. She stuck out her hand, and another one clasped it, warner and rougher than hers.
"Hey."Alex turned her head to look back at Castiel, and a small smile tugged at her lips. "Done with work early?"
"There was a scheduling change." Castiel's eyes turned to Melanie. "How are you doing?"
"As good as I can be." Melanie waved off towards the booths. "You guys hungry? Go eat, Maxie," she added to Alex. "You only have fifteen minutes left. Besides, you're looking a little under the weather."
Alex's cheeks flushed, and she mumbled out a half-convincing, "I feel fine," before she led Castiel away. She could feel the ex-seraph's gaze on her, and she kept her head down a she slid into the booth. "How — uh,... how was work?"
"It was fine." Castiel sat down across from her. "Although I caught two teenagers attempting to smuggle out two frozen pizzas and a two liter of Coca-Cola under their shirts." A deep frown followed his words, and Alex chuckled at the mental image.
"Sounds like fun. Definitely more exciting than my day. My highlight was running down to the store and buying cleaning supplies." She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. "So what did you do with those hooligans?"
"Nora took care of them." Castiel looked down at his menu, falling silent for several seconds. "What would you like to eat?"
Alex followed his example and pulled her menu close. Truth be told, the pain in her chest had chased away her appetite, but she stalled for a moment by looking through the menu she knew by heart. "Egg rolls," she finally said. "I like egg rolls."
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Castiel's head tilted slightly as he looked up at her, and Alex slowly met his gaze.
"It's okay," she promised. "I've just been feeling a little... a little sick the past few days. I'm fine." She cleared her throat and closed her menu. "What do you want? I'll go tell Mel what we want if you're ready."
Castiel didn't look fully convinced at her answer, but he relented. "I'll have whatever you'll have."
"Let me guess. Egg roll noodle salad." The voice came from over the top of the booth, and Alex startled slightly as Melanie popped into view. "Tommie's already frying it up." The young woman rested her head on her crossed arms and stared down at Castiel. "So, Stevie. You planning on going to the fair this year? Biggest event in town."
"I don't know." Castiel gave a small shake of his head. "We haven't talked about going yet."
"Could be fun, though," Alex quickly added. "Hey, uh, how about you go get us two drinks, huh?" she asked of Melanie, and she gave a quick laugh when her coworker stuck out her tongue. Melanie disappeared, and the ex-angel turned back to her mate. "She's cool."
"She seems cool," Castiel quietly agreed. When Alex didn't respond, his voice grew quiet. "I haven't heard a sound from the angels since they fell. They were screaming so loud, but now ..." The ex-seraph's gaze fell. "I don't know if I simply can no longer hear them, or if something worse has happened."
Alex reached across the table to take his hand. "Maybe they're just like us. Maybe ... maybe they're scared that they're human, and —"
"No." Castiel interrupted with a shake of his head. "They're not human. Metatron stole our grace. The angels fell, but they still retained theirs. They're out there, somewhere, and they're still very dangerous."
Alex only half heard his warning, her mind firmly fastened on his previous sentence. If the angels still had their grace, then they could still hear her prayers. Ezekiel? she quickly prayed. Where are you? Gabriel? Call me, you ass —
"Alex?" Castiel snapped her back to reality, and she blinked in surprise. "Did you hear me?"
"What? Uh — uh, yeah. Angels equal dangerous." Alex gave a quick, curt nod. "Got it." She leaned backs Melanie placed their drinks on the table. "Thanks, Mel."
"Course. Food should be out in a minute or two."
Castiel rose to his feet. "Excuse me. Bathrooms are that way, correct?" He pointed towards the back of the restaurant, and, when Melanie nodded, he walked away.
The moment he was out of sight, the dark-haired woman slid into the booth across from Alex. "Damn, he is cute. You gotta teach me how to snag guys like him."
Alex rolled her eyes, and she snapped her fingers in front of Mel's face to draw her attention away from the door Castiel had disappeared through. "Hey. Eyes on the prize," she joked. "I've got nothing to teach. He fell for me, remember?"
"Yeah, right. No way an Adonis like him falls for a couple of simpletons like us — ow!" Melanie jumped as Alex's foot playfully connected with her shin. "What? A girl can window shop, can't she?"
Alex scoffed in amusement. "Yeah, but just don't let your girlfriend see you looking," she warned.
"Listen, Maxie." Melanie turned to face Alex fully, her green eyes shining. "I might be gay, but I'm not that gay. I know a jewel when I see one. Everything about him is perfect — his hair, his voice, his eyes." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned across the table, her face mere inches from Alex's. "I get shivers just thinking about it."
"Dude! Stop." Alex pushed her head away with a noise of disgust. "Gross! You need help." She glanced over her shoulder to see Castiel approaching, and she kicked her coworker once again. "Go see if the food's ready."
...
The lights were bright; brighter than they had ever been. Alex winced away from them, whining out her protest. Something was wrong. This wasn't her bed. Where was Castiel? And her pillow?
She opened her eyes to see white tiles. The walls were white, the floor was white; everything was white. Hospital. She was in a hospital bed. Alex struggled to sit up, surprised at how heavy her body felt. "C-Cas?" Her throat was parched, and memories flew past like a freight train, each to blurry to make out details. "Cas!"
There was no one. Alex tried to get out of bed, but her legs collapsed out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground. She felt a needle rip of her her arm, and she cried out at the pain.
A nurse rushed in at the noise, her eyes wide as she took in the girl on the ground. "Are you okay?" She pulled Alex back up into bed with an amazing display of strength; Alex let her, too tired to do anything. Her chest ached, a dull, deep pain that made her lungs hurt with every breath. The heart monitor next to her was screaming out as it flatlined, and the nurse hurried to turn it off before she retrieved the patches that had ripped off of the girl's sternum.
"Cas?" Alex's voice was coming back, and so was her strength as her body wakened, and she looked towards the door. "Castiel!"
"Sh sh shhh." The nurse's voice was soft and soothing. "Just calm down."
The door opened, revealing Castiel, and Alex's shoulders sagged in relief. "You're awake." The ex-seraph's voice cracked, and Alex stretched out a hand towards him, motioning for him to come in.
"What happened?" Alex shifted sideways as Castiel sat down on the side of the bed. Her eyes flickered down to the plastic bracelet around her wrist. They had been eating at the restaurant - what had happened after that? "I don't ... I don't remember anything." Her heart slammed in her chest as Castiel closed his eyes, and she reached up to cup his face in a soft gesture of comfort.
"I don't know," he murmured. "No one does. You ... I woke up this morning, and ... and you weren't breathing." His voice caught in his throat, and he paused to bring it back under control. "I panicked — I didn't know what to do. Dean had me call 911."
"I'm so sorry." Alex gripped his hand tightly. "I —"
Castiel shook his head. "It doesn't matter. All that's important is that you're okay. I... I thought I had lost you." He squeezed her hand back, and Alex let her head fall back onto the pillow. Her eyes sought out a clock, surprised to find that it was almost six in the evening, and she winced at the sharp inhale of surprise. "You're in pain." The realization was spoken quietly. "I'm so sorry, Alex. This is all my fault."
Alex scoffed, but the noise caught in her dry throat. "This isn't your fault," she rasped out. "Metatron did this to us."
Castiel didn't respond for several seconds, and Alex watched as his shoulders fell. "How are you feeling?" he finally asked.
"Like I was hit by a truck."
"Well, at least she's making jokes."
Alex turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and a mix of anger and relief pulsed through her stomach. "Dean?" Her eyes flitted to the figure standing behind him. "Sam? What are you guys doing here?"
"Cas called us." Sam pushed past his brother to walk over to Alex, worry written deep into his face. "We thought you were dead."
Alex forced a small laugh. "Sorry to disappoint," she half-joked. "It's going to take a bit more than heart problems to take me down." She felt Castiel squeeze her hand, unpleased at her statement, but she paid it little attention. "Sorry to, uh, drag you guys up here for nothing."
"This isn't nothing," Sam protested, and at the same time Dean added, "We're on our way to Oklahoma anyways."
Alex frowned; she knew damn well Oklahoma was in the other direction, but she kept her mouth shut. "Well, thanks for coming," she finally muttered.
She turned her head away as Sam approached, and she squeezed Castiel's hand tightly. "We talked to the doctor," Sam explained. "He called Dr. Chase for consultation, but right now it seems pretty clear you haven't recovered from your fall."
"It's just my heart." Alex toyed with the corner of her sheets, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Everything else is fine. I was fine ... up until a few days ago."
There was a knock on the doorframe, and Alex looked up. A man stood in the doorway, dressed in a white coat and slacks. "Maxine," he greeted. "I heard you were awake." His blue eyes flickered over Sam and Dean. "May I speak to my patient alone? I have some things we need to discuss."
The two Winchesters left with a nod, but Castiel stayed firmly by her side. "Whatever you need to say can be said in front of me," he stated, and Alex quietly added her assent.
The doctor's attention turned onto him. "You're Steve, right? Greg Paske mentioned you were Maxine's partner. I'm Dr. Weyland Mosler."
"What's wrong with her?" Castiel shifted anxiously on the bed next to her, and Alex opened her mouth to calm him down, but a large yawn split her face instead. Pain shot up from her chest at the stretch, and she winced.
Dr. Mosler looked down at her. "I'm sorry if you're in pain. We would normally give you something, but we don't want to risk triggering another relapse."
"What's ... what's wrong with me?" The ex-angel closed her eyes as she let her head fall back against the pillow.
Dr. Mosler hesitated. "We still haven't completed all of our tests yet," he finally said. "You came in unresponsive early this morning. Your heartbeat was erratic, and you weren't breathing when the paramedics found you. You've been in and out of consciousness since."
Alex opened her eyes. "Really?"
"Yes." Dr. Mosler exchanged a quick look with Alex. "You don't remember, do you? I've already explained this to you several times. At least this time you're talking," he added when Alex's face fell. "That's a sign of improvement already. What is the last thing you remember?"
Alex looked up at Castiel, and she squinted carefully as she thought. "We ... we were in our bed. I had just come back from work where I ... where I ... work." Her memories started to swim, and she closed her eyes to deepen her concentration. "My heart ... Dr. Chase had said they were signs of — of pericarditis, but I was able to control it."
"You should have seen a doctor when the symptoms began." A deep frown creased Weyland Mosler's face at her blatant irresponsibility, and he pulled up a chair to sit down beside her. "We would have been able to help diagnose and manage your condition. However," he continued, "I've never seen a heart as unresponsive as yours. For some reason, whenever we try and take you off of the machine that you're on, it starts beating erratically. As I said, we're going to have to run a few more tests to figure out exactly what is going on."
Alex's face fell. "I don't think we can't afford them."
A hand came to rest on hers; warmer and softer than Castiel's. "Don't worry about that now. What's important is that we fix you up. We did find one other thing, however." Dr. Mosler straightened up and picked up the clipboard hanging at the end of her bed. "We did an full body MRI while you were out to see what we were up against. It seems as if there's a large amount of scar tissue around your sinoatrial node, which is most likely the cause of your ongoing arrhythmia. We call this sick sinus syndrome." He looked between Castiel and Alex, pausing to give them a moment for it to sink in. "In a case as severe as this, a pacemaker is the best solution."
"We don't have the money for that now," Castiel murmured.
"Well, there are also a few medications that can be prescribed, but I'm afraid that they won't be a long-term solution." Dr. Mosler looked down at Alex; she held his gaze for merely a second before she looked away. "And I'm afraid many of them would pose a serious risk to a fetus, so if the two of you are trying, I wouldn't recommend them." He paused again, but when neither Castiel or Alex spoke, he rose to his feet.
He left the room, and Alex turned her head to look over at Castiel. He had stood up and crossed the room, leaning his head up against the white wall. "Cas," she started. "Castiel."
"I'm going to kill him." Castiel's voice was low, so low that Alex had to strain to hear him. "I'm going to kill him." He turned back to look at Alex, and she flinched in surprise at the darkness in his eyes.
He stormed out of the room, ignoring her pleas to come back. "Cas!" Alex threw her head back against the pillow in frustration, staring at the closed door. "Castiel, please. Come back!" Her chest tightened as the tears began to well up, and she clenched her fists at her side, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing to try and ride out her grief.
The tightness didn't recede, and the heart monitor began to scream as black spots darkened her vision. She heard noises distantly around her, but they were drowned out by the ringing in her ears. Deep down Alex knew something was wrong — terribly wrong — but everything she saw, everything she felt, didn't feel like herself.
The darkness pressed in, and all consciousness vanished from her mind.
...
There were voices in the room with her, low and soft but filled with urgency. They broke though her sleep, drawing her back into the waking world. Alex strained her ears to hear, but she kept her eyes closed, the dark around her too comforting to let go. "Fix her!" she heard Dean whisper fiercely.
Sam answered, but his voice was calm and methodical, lacking his normal passionate tone. "It doesn't work like that, Dean. I'm still healing myself. Healing her would only mean I will have to stay in your brother longer."
Alex snapped open her eyes, and the two Winchester's gaze turned onto her. Dean's green eyes were darkened with anger, and a scowl sat upon his face, but Sam remained expressionless. Completely devoid of emotion. "You're awake," he noted.
"Who are you?"
"This is Zeke. He's an angel." Dean drew in a deep breath, clearly unsure what he wanted to say next. "Pip ... there's a lot you don't know."
Alex scoffed. "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock."
"Remember when you were in the hospital and I couldn't come? Sam ... the trials almost killed him. The doctors said he wasn't going to pull through. The only reason he's walking and talking is because Ezekiel here is riding shotgun."
"Wait — wait, Ezekiel?" The ex-angel sat up, searching Sam's face for any signs of familiarity. "Really? I-It's you? Oh my God. You're alive!"
Ezekiel didn't answer her exclamation; instead, he simply said, "You need to rest. Your heart is still weak after your last episode."
Alex frowned; she vaguely remembered passing out after Castiel had — Cas. She looked around the room, but there was no sign of her mate. "But you can fix her, right?" Dean insisted.
"I can, yes," Ezekiel said quietly. "But as I said, it will result in my prolonged stay. Slowing my healing will lengthen his as well."
Dean's confidence faltered, and his eyes flickered between Alex and the angel. "Okay. Can we wait until you're juiced back up?"
The angel shook his head. "If her condition progresses as it has been, there is a good chance she will not survive to the end of the week."
Panic ran up her spine, and Alex's eyes widened. "W-What?" The monitor next to her started to beep as her pulse quickened, and she desperately tried to slow it down. "What's wrong with me?"
"Your heart is failing. You lost consciousness two hours ago when it ceased beating. You're lucky the doctors were able to revive you." Ezekiel looked over at Dean. "I would save you, but ultimately, it's Dean's decision."
"Why not Sam's?" Alex's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Shouldn't it be his decision?"
"Sam doesn't know." Dean's answer was blunt.
"If Samuel found out, he could eject me at his will," Ezekiel added gravely. "Our healing is symbiotic. I heal him from his injuries, and his physical form speeds my own recovery from my fall." His eyes flashed, and Alex was taken aback by the darkness in his gaze. "If you tell him, and he ejects me, he will die."
"Oh ... okay, got it." The ex-angel shifted uncomfortably. "Does ... does Castiel know?"
"Castiel cannot know." Once again Ezekiel's eyes flashed, blue lining his irises. "Do you understand?"
"Yeah — yes," she insisted. "I understand."
Ezekiel looked over at Dean; the Winchester gave a small nod, and the angel stepped forward. "Good. Relax." He reached out and placed his large hand on her sternum. Alex did as he said, leaning back against her pillow. She felt warmth push through her chest. It was not pleasant, nor did it feel like an angel's full, normal grace, and she shifted uncomfortably. It spread outwards through her limbs, stretching out like spiderwebs. Then it pulled back and disappeared.
"Thanks." Alex reached up to touch her chest. The tightness had receded, and her breathing was growing easier now. "Listen, I just — I just have to ask. After we fell ..."
"No." Something flashed in the angel's gaze, and he quickly cut her off. "Now isn't the time to speak about that. Remember what I said about Castiel and take it to heart; with his past, the less he knows, the better."
Alex's mouth fell open, and Dean shot him a glare. "Zeke," he snapped. "Not cool. Just — get back inside Sam."
Ezekiel turned to look at the Winchester, but all he said was, "As you wish." His eyes glowed a brilliant blue, and when they faded back into hazel, his shoulders slumped. "— like I had said," Sam suddenly retorted, but he stopped short. "Oh." His gaze flickered over to Alex, and a faint blush spread through his cheeks. "You're awake."
"I just woke up." Alex looked between Dean and Sam before she slumped back down into her pillow. "Sorry, I heard arguing ..."
Sam's face softened. "It's okay. How are you feeling?" He moved over to sit on her bed, and Alex shifted to make room. "You're looking better."
"I'm feeling better." Alex reached out to squeeze his hand, hurt by the look on his face. "I think a little rest is all I need. Where ... where's Castiel?" She glanced towards the door. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, he's fine." Sam's voice was soft and comforting, and Alex turned back to its source. "He just stepped out to get something to eat. He'll be back soon." There was a knock on the door, and Sam rose to his feet.
Dr. Mosler stepped into the room. "You're awake." He gave a small nod towards the two Winchesters. "Sam, Dean." He stopped at the bedside, tucking a pen into his back pocket. "How are you feeling today? You seem well enough to be sitting up."
"I feel fine, actually." Alex gave a small shrug and shifted to sit up even more. "No pain, no tightness." She looked over at the monitor next to her; the beeping was steady and slow. "I'm good."
The doctor gave a small chuckle. "Well, let's run a few more of those tests before we jump to that conclusion, alright? We're going to run another EKG first, and you're scheduled for an electrophysiology study later today if that's okay. We gotta figure out a way to keep you from crashing like this again. Alright, kiddo?"
Alex gave a small laugh at the older gentleman's words; for a second, he had sounded just like Gabriel. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."
"Great. Can I speak to you two gentlemen for a minute? I just have a few questions." Dr. Mosler waved Sam and Dean after him, and Alex watched them go. She shot a small smile in Sam's direction as the younger Winchester paused in the doorway, but once he was gone, her smile darkened into a frown.
Why had Ezekiel been such an ass to her? After everything they had been through? Guilt pulsed through her following those thoughts, and Alex winced. After everything he had done for her, she shouldn't doubt him. He was mad; that was all. And rightly so.
...
The sun had set, and the bright ceiling lights cast harsh shadows around the room. Tiredness pressed down upon her, her body worn out from the day's tests. Her inner elbow ached from the electrophysiological — whatever the doctor's called it. It was all fancy words for a big-ass needle.
Castiel sat in one of the chairs next to her, and beside him, Greg Paske. The old pastor had shown up as the sun was setting. And he had brought pie.
"Nora's letting me have tomorrow off as well," Castiel was saying. "She's been very kind."
"The whole town is praying for you," Greg agreed. "But, ah, that reminds me. Nora stopped by the house today and dropped off a casserole. She's a very nice woman indeed." Greg brought a bite of his dessert up to his mouth, chewing carefully.
Alex turned her eyes out the window, letting their conversation once more fall into the background. She knew staying here was pointless, and that knowledge only made her restless. All she wanted to do was go home and curl up in her own bed.
"Maxine? Did you hear me?" Greg's voice had her turning. "I asked if you wanted more pie."
"Uh ... no thanks." Alex looked down at her half-eaten slice. "I'm not very hungry right now." She picked up her fork and slid the pie around her paper plate, but her appetite didn't return. "I'm just tired."
"Of course." Greg rose to his feet. "You're right; you've had a long day, and you need to rest. I should be going anyways. I have a sermon to give tomorrow." He extended a hand towards Castiel, who stood to shake it. "I'll swing by tomorrow to see how you both are doing."
Alex gave him a small nod of goodbye as he stepped out into the hall. "Greg!" She heard Dr. Mosler's greeting from down the hall. "There you are."
"I forgot they knew each other." Castiel's hand enveloped hers, and Alex met his blue gaze, unsurprised to see worry darkening their color.
"Cas ... it's okay." Alex squeezed his fingers tightly in a attempt at comfort. "Whatever ... whatever's going on with me, I'm going to be fine. The doc will make sure of it. So don't worry, alright?"
The ex-seraph tipped his head. "No. You should have seen the way they were acting when you crashed. It's a miracle they were able to bring you back. I was scared, Alex. More terrified than I ever felt in heaven."
"That's because you were an angel," Alex reminded gently. "Your emotions were totally dampened. Hell, I felt more afraid of a spider as a human than I did as —"
"I'm being serious."
"And so am I." Alex drew in a shaky breath. "Cas," she started, and her mate shifted closer, surprised by the sudden weight to her voice. "About what the doctor said, a-about us having kids ..."
"I know. I—" Castiel cut himself off when Dr. Mosler stepped into the room, and he withdrew his hand from hers, tucking his emotions back behind his stoic wall. "Hello."
"Hey. Sorry, was I interrupting something?" The doctor looked between the two of them, but when Alex shook her head, he cleared his throat. "Well, your tests are back, and I thought I should bring over the news right away."
"What's wrong?" Castiel shifted in his chair, leaning forward in anxiety, and guilt reddened Alex's face. He wouldn't be hurting if she had gone back on her word and just told him. But hopefully that would all be over soon.
"What did you find?" she asked forcing herself to meet the doctor's eyes. "Nothing too bad, I hope."
"That's just it. We couldn't find anything." Dr. Mosler pulled up a plastic chair and sat down in front of them, his face a mix between delight and confusion. "Your heart's back to its normal function. The sinoatrial is firing, and your muscles are contracting as they should. That shouldn't be happening, which is why we had you do another MRI afterwards, if you remember."
Alex scoffed; like she could forget. "Yeah, I remember. And?"
"And frankly, I don't know what to say." Dr. Mosler leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees. "Dr. Chase's records showed the initial damage to your heart from your trauma, and the scan we performed when you came in showed further stress and tearing in the muscle made worse by your day-to-day life. But today ..." The doctor shook his head. "It's all gone. Simply vanished."
Castiel frowned. "That's a good thing, right?"
"Heart tissue doesn't heal on its own, Mr. Novak. It's medically impossible for her heart to have fixed itself virtually overnight. Yet, somehow, it has. Structurally, her heart is as sound as yours or mine." Dr. Mosler suddenly stood up. "What's happened ... it isn't possible, but, frankly I've learned not to question miracles. We would like to keep you here overnight as a precaution, but after that I have no reason to prevent you from leaving."
Alex looked over at Castiel and nodded. "Okay. That's probably for the best." She watched the doctor leave, and once he was out of earshot, she let out a deep breath through her nose. "Uh ... wow, I guess."
Castiel turned his head, and Alex blushed, ready for a series of difficult questions. But they never came. "Perhaps my father has done something good for me after all," he murmured, and leaned over to kiss her. "I should tell Dean and Sam."
Alex pulled away to look over at the clock on the wall; the two brothers had been on the road for several hours by now. "They'll be glad to hear it," she agreed quietly. "It's getting late anyways. I should get some sleep."
"Of course." Castiel's fingers ran across her temple, gently tucking hair behind her ear. "I should be going. I'll be back first thing in the morning." He leaned down to kiss her one more time, and Alex reached up, curling her fingers around the back of his neck to keep him close a moment longer. Castiel pressed a kiss onto her forehead. "Good night, le enay."
...
Moonlight filtered through the closed blinds, casting dappled shadows throughout the room. The room, though silent upon first glance, was filled with sounds of life; the air conditioner thrummed through the ceiling, barely audible over the monitor's steady, quiet beep. Machine's hummed, and yet despite the noise, the room's occupant was asleep. She didn't hear the groans of the building all around her, too deep in the throes of slumber. That was until a scream cut through the night.
Alex bolted up, grey eyes stretching wide as she was jarred into wakefulness by a sudden, warm rush of adrenaline. "What the hell?" The words left her mouth in a hoarse whisper as her head whipped back and forth, searching for the terrored cry's origin.
The hospital had fallen back into silence. "Hello?" Alex threw back the covers, head tipping. Wasn't someone going to check on that? She had heard more commotion for less. She reached over and turned off the monitor with a flick of the switch and tore the patches off of her skin, tossing them onto her bed.
On silent feet, she crossed the room and cracked open the door. The lights were on, but the hall was silent; no nurses in sight. The scream came again, loud and insistent and full of terror.
Once again, there was no response, and Alex stepped out into the light. That wasn't right. Where was anyone?
Her hunting instincts took fast hold, and she started down the hallway. Where could that have come from? She kept her body low, feet light. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as adrenaline coursed through her veins, but she forced it down as she rounded the corner.
She could hear whimpering, pleading. Coming from the room at the end of the hall. "Please," the woman begged, "Don't do this."
Alex paused beside the door and peered in. At first, she couldn't make sense of what she saw, unsure what was shadow and what was real. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she made out a figure standing over the bed. "Shh," it cooed. "Shh, it's okay."
Alex straightened up, recognizing the figure easily. It was the nurse who was on duty. She had stopped in on Alex several times since she had arrived. What was her name? "Rachel." Alex stepped into the doorway. "Is everything okay?"
The nurse turned suddenly, and her amber eyes flashed black. "You shouldn't be out of bed." The demon clicked her tongue chastisingly, and the patient in the bed fell silent with a whimper. "It's past your curfew."
"What are you doing here?" Alex lifted her chin in pure spite as the demon stepped forward. "Huh? You've already got my soul. What else do you want?"
The demon scoffed. "I forgot. Does everything in the world revolve around you? Or am I not allowed to grab a snack?" She turned back to the patient, whose mouth fell open in a silent cry of fear.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus -"
The demon spun around with a screech, her black eyes flashing in anger. "What did you say?"
"O-omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica." Alex's voice grew stronger as the exorcism flowed from her tongue, slow at first, but growing faster as she found her rhythm from years of practice.
The demon convulsed and snarled, its mouth agape at an inhuman angle, and Alex shifted back a step, but her voice didn't falter. "Ergo, draco maledicte. Ecclesiam tuam secure tibia facias liberate servire, the regimes audi nos!"
She watched as the demon threw back its head in agony, and black, burning smoke filled the room, swirling through air. The ex-angel screwed up her eyes against the fiery heat as it blew past her out the door, and it was gone.
All was silent.
Alex straightened up, reaching up to run her hands through her hair. "Shit." Her eyes traversed the mess, running from the crumpled, unconscious nurse to the thin, wide-eyed patient frozen in her bed. Alex's mouth hung open, searching for the words, but nothing came.
The silence was broken by a clap. And then another. A slow clap, quiet and steady, and Alex spun around to glare into the darkened corner of the room. The figure was barely visible, clad in black indistinguishable from shadows, but the gleaming eyes gave him away.
Alex squared her jaw. "You're a little late. I already sent your bitch back to hell."
"I've noticed, thank you." Crowley stepped into the moonlight, and his gaze flickered down to the unconscious nurse. "Wish you would have done it earlier — could have saved me a trip."
Alex narrowed her eyes as a noise of confusion slipped past her lips. "What? I — I thought she was here for me."
"Oh, she was." Crowley's dark eyes turned back onto her. "I've got rugrats all over the place to keep an eye on you. Don't worry," he added when the ex-angel frowned. "They're strictly observing — I like to know when one of my investments is dying. Unfortunately, this one," he added with a disdainful glance down at the unconscious woman, "got impatient with her bloodlust."
Alex scoffed. "What did you expect from a demon?" She narrowed her eyes, other matters more pressing than the misconduct of a spy. "But what the hell? I thought you said you healed me."
"I fixed your leg." The demon snapped his fingers, and Alex's skin began to tingle; when she looked down, words were scrawled into her pale flesh, the black letters glowing silver in the moonlight. "Section fourteen, sub-clause C. Your left arm."
Alex turned her forearm, searching for what he was talking about, but the contract was in high Latin, a language she hadn't had to translate in years; without her angelic abilities, making any sense of the scribbles would take time. "Okay, so?" she just snapped. "You could have at least fixed up the rest of me, you asshole."
"I could have," the demon agreed. "But I didn't. That wasn't part of our deal. In fact, nothing about your health was. I threw all that in because — why? Because I was feeling sentimental." Crowley's face twisted in anger. "So how about a little bit of gratitude?"
Alex ignored him. "You told me I get two years! So maybe you can understand why I'm a little pissed that I almost kicked it after a month!" Two steps carried her across the room and into the demon's face. "You want me to go quietly, then I get those two years, understand?"
"Or what?" Crowley's eyes crinkled in cold amusement as he towered over her. "Need I remind you, you don't hold the straws, kitten. If you try and weasel out of it, if you tell those sodden mongrels in plaid, you break the deal, and Castiel dies." He watched as Alex took a step back. "Forgot about that part, did we?"
Alex didn't respond, not willing to admit that she had. She had meant the stipulation to keep Crowley's mouth shut, but hadn't thought about how it worked the other way too. It would be no problem for Castiel — he was easily kept in the dark — but the Winchesters ... one way or another, they would find out. "How much would it cost to change that?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She watched as Crowley scoffed, and she added, "This would save your ass as well. Forget that clause, you let me live two years, and then you get my soul. And if I break the deal, you get my soul immediately. But you leave Castiel's life out of it."
"And?"
"And what, you bastard?"
"What do I get from it?" Crowley countered. Before Alex could respond, he sauntered forward. "Tell you what. I'll let you keep the two years, on one condition. If I need something done, you do it for me. No ifs, ands, or buts. No questions asked."
Alex's eyes flashed. "I'm not killing anyone, if that's what you're asking. Murder's not on the list."
The King of Hell scoffed again, and Alex lifted her chin in indignant frustration. "Any of my demons can kill a man. I doubt such a task wouldn't be worth my trip. I'm sure I'll think of something. At the very least," he added, his eyes glinting smugly, "knowing I have you under my finger will be amusement enough."
Anger pulsed through her, hot and heavy, and Alex clenched her fist to stifle it. "Fine," she got out through gritted teeth. "But I get my two years, and not a day less. Which means if I die, you send my soul right back into my body, you understand?"
Crowley clicked his tongue. "That's not how this works —"
"Then make it work!" Alex snapped, her anger spilling forth. "I'll run your fool's errands, but you can't let me die." She watched the demon think, and she huffed in impatience. Then she drew in a deep breath to calm her voice. "It's only fair, don't you think?" she added, trying a different tactic. "You'd get more use out of me that way."
The words stung her tongue as they left her mouth, but she refused to shy away at their sound. It paid off, however, when Crowley relented. "Well, I certainly can't argue with that," he agreed, and Alex narrowed her eyes — was that amusement in his voice? She didn't get a chance to ask, because the demon snapped his fingers, and her skin began to vibrate.
Alex watched as as the words on her arms shifted, swimming around as the contract was altered, until they once again settled in place. The tingling faded, but it left behind a warm burn that penetrated down to her bones.
"Happy?" As the demon spoke, the words faded, sinking back down beneath her skin. A cloud passed over the moon, and the room passed into darkness.
"Yeah, I'm good." Alex pushed back the ball of ice that sat within her stomach, and she turned to go. "Oh, and Crowley?" She paused at the door, glancing back at the shadow-concealed demon. "Call off your watch dogs, okay? Next one I see, I won't let them off so easy."