My foot was tapping inhumanly fast,
Dean said" What's taking so long?"
Sam said" I don't know. Whatever's going on with Jack is probably complicated."
" Yeah, but, I mean, weird stuff happens to kids all the time. They get coughs, bloody noses." Cas walked out, finally," Is he okay?"
Cas said" I- I did what I could, but I don't-I-I don't know what's wrong with him."
" But you can figure it out, right?" Then we heard a thump, we ran to Jack's room and he was on the ground.
Sam said" Jack!" We ran to him, he was foaming at the mouth, Sam pulled him up. I looked at Cas and Dean, what the hell's going on?!
We got to the hospital,
Dean said" I need a doctor!" Dean and Sam went to the desk, I was with Jack and Cas.
Cas said" K-L-I-N-E."
The nurse said" Date of birth?"
Dean said" Come on. Is that important?"
" What did you say your relationship is to the patient?"
Sam said" May 18th. Date of birth- May 18th."
Dean said" 2000- '99... 2000."
The nurse said" Uh-huh. Family medical history? Let's start with the father."
" He's dead."
" Cause of death?"
Cas said" He was stabbed through the heart, and he exploded." I looked at Cas. No! No!
Dean said" Okay, you know what? We don't have time for this. All right, he's sick. His name is Jack Kline. His father exploded. There, you've got all the basics. Now what does he need to do to see a doctor." Then Jack passed out,
" Jack."
I said" Jack!" They took him back on a bed, we followed him,
Sam said" It's all right, Jack. Hang in there, buddy."
Dean said" Jack, hey, we're right here, buddy."
A doctor said" He's in good hands. Don't worry." They got him to a room,
Sam said" So, there's- there's been... uh, he's been coughing. There's been blood."
A nurse said" Okay, gentlemen, can you at least wait outside, please?"
" It's been going in for a while."
Dean said" What's happened? Is he gonna be okay?"
The nurse said" The doctor will handle it."
" Okay. Jack, we're right here!" They cut open his shirt, I turned my head, then put my face against Dean's chest, his arm wrapped around my waist.
——
It's been forever, finally, the doctor walked up,
Sam said" Hey, hey, hey. Cas. Doctor. So, um... what do we know?"
The doctor said" Well, I can tell you what we don't know."
Dean said" I don't like the sound of that."
" Jack's test results all came back negative."
Sam said" That's great, right?"
" Well, Jack- he's very ill. We're just not sure what we're up against."
Dean said" You just said his tests came back negative."
" Well, those tests, but we have to run more tests."
Sam said" More tests?"
" Yes, until we can figure out what's happening to him."
Dean said" What is happening to him right now?"
The doctor said" Jack... Jack's in total systemic failure. His body's in the process of shutting down." Okay, well we tried the human way, now it's our way.
——
We were back home, I walked with Jack into the map room, where Sammy's trying to get Rowena to help.
Rowena said" Oh, splendid! The sooner the better! From what I know of the father, the world will be better off without the son."
Jack said" You might be right. We're all figuring that out." Rowena looked at him then to Sam," I'm Jack. And I know people have a lot of strong feelings about my father, but I'm- I'm trying hard not to be like him. Sam and Dean, they-they say such nice things about you."
" They do?"
" You saved all of us- from Apocalypse World."
" Well, that's true."
" So, before you go, I-I just wanted to say... thank you." He started coughing,
Sam said" Jack?" He walked to us, helping me keep Jack up," Hey, buddy, you're all right."
Rowena said" Bollocks."
Rowena was checking him, then she walked out,
Dean said" And?"
She said" It's as I suspected. A nephilim, for all its power, is an unnatural presence. Part human, part angel... it-it doesnt quite fit. It's delicate. Its grace us what holds it in balance, and when Jack's grace was taken from him, his being fell into chaos. The-The cells are gobbling each other up."
Cas said" Well, if it's grace he needs, he can have mine."
" No, dear, it won't do. Jack is part archangel. He needs a much stronger force and probably some kind of magic and he needs it quick."
Sam said" How quick?"
" I don't... I don't exactly know, but he's enterin' a critical phase. Sometimes he'll look just fine, but then his body will give way and... it'll be the end of him." I looked down, no, no, no, no, no... okay, I can't loose Jack, I expect to loose Sam, Dean, Cas, we loose each other every other freakin' yea... but not Jack, we've been through too much together, I'm not prepared to loose him too.
I was sitting on the bed, watching Jack pack a bag,
Dean said" Hey, pal. I brought you some carbs. You, uh..." He saw what Jack was doing," You goin' somewhere?"
Jack said" Thought I'd go to Vegas. Maybe Tahiti."
" Okay. Nice." I followed Jack as he started walking," You think this is the best time?"
" Pretty sure it is." Jack looked at him, I sighed,
" Listen, Jack-"
" Since I've been alive, everyone assumed I would be this special person who goes on forever. Only now it looks like forever might be a couple of weeks, so-"
" We don't know that."
" What I do know is I'm done being special. Before my life is over, I want to live it. I-I just want a chance to... get a tan... or see a hockey game... get a parking ticket..." He smiled," Get bored... and when it's all over... die."
" So that's your plan, huh?"
" I don't want to waste time arguing. I know you disagree."
" Did I say I disagree?"
Dean went to talk to Sam, Cas and Rowena,
I said" Told ya he'd go along with it."
Jack said" You're always right."
" I know I am." I kissed his cheek, he smiled at me, I smiled back.
We walked up to them,
Sam said" Jack, hey. W-What are you, uh-"
Jack said" We're-We're headed out."
Cas said" You're, uh... where?"
Dean said" We're takin' Baby for some exercise."
Sam said" You think that's a good idea?"
" Yeah. Come on." He walked away, Jack smiled at them then followed, I nodded my head, following after them.
——
We got food, Dean tossed Jack the keys,
Dean said" Hey. Why don't you drive?" I looked at Dean, raising my eyebrow,
Jack said" What? Dean, I-I don't drive."
" Now you do." Dean got in, Jack looked at me,
I said" It's all right, I've got you-your back." We got into the car,
Jack said" Okay, um..." He grabbed the shift,
Dean said" Ah, ah, ah. That R is not for race. Put it in park."
" Okay."
" Start it." Jack slightly pushed the key, the engine grind," Oh, boy." Then he pushed the hey, the engine started up." There we go."
" Okay."
" D for drive." He switched the shift, then took a deep breathe, then pulled out of the parking lot.
Jack hit the breaks fast,
Dean said" Okay. All right."
Jack said" Okay, uh..."
" Keep going." He started driving then stopped again, That... you know what?"
" Okay, look. I'm not very good at this."
" No, you're doing just fine. Okay, try using one foot, not two, and, uh, just relax. Take it smooth. Don't overthink it. Here we go." Jack started driving again,
" Okay."
" See? Huh?"
" Yeah."
" Perfect." He swerved a little," Whoa, whoa. Let's keep it in between the lines. There we go. That's..."
" Okay, okay."
" All right." Dean turned on the radio, Jack was getting the hang of it, I smiled." What do you think?"
" It's like I'm you." He looked at Dean, I giggled,
" No, it's not."
" Okay."
" Eyes on the road. Feels good, doesn't she?"
" Yeah." Jack looked at Dean's arm, then copied him,
" Oh, ho, ho. All right." I smiled, watching two of my boys, Jack's happy right now.
" This is the best day ever!" I smiled, watching Jack smile, driving, I still can't believe Dean let him drive his baby.
After a few,
Dean said" You know what? There's nobody around. Why don't you open it up a little bit?" Jack sped," Yeah!"
Jack said" Yeah!"
" Huh?!" I laughed, shaking my head, smiling, idiots.
We were pulled over, eating,
Jack said" I can drive."
Dean said" Yeah, you can."
" No, for real. I'm a driver."
" Yeah, born with the wheel in your hand, right? All right, so what do you want to do next? I know of a bar near here, little low on class, but high on hook-up potential. Personally, I've never missed at this place. Hm?" Oh, gross!
" Actually, I've kind of got an idea."
Dean said" Well, bait and beer. You are a cheap date. This certainly isn't Tahiti." They were fishing, I was sitting on a really big rock, because I don't fish.
Jack said" You once told me you and your father did the exact same thing. It was your happiest memory of him."
" I didn't say that."
" It was how you said it. I could tell. I guess my point is that... if I don't make it... the stuff I'd miss- it wouldn't be things like Tahiti. Or the Taj Mahal. I'd miss more time with you. I'm getting that life isn't all these big, amazing moments. It's time together that matters. Like this." I smiled, looking at Dean,
" Well, who'd have thought hanging out with me would make you sentimental?"
" I've had a good life, Dean."
——
I was sitting on the rails, Cas got something from Ketch's business associate. Gabriel's grace and a spell.
Dean said" This Sergei was legit."
Cas said" I mean, he was definitely odd, but he seemed honest."
Sam said" So, we're still not certain this is gonna work?"
" No, we're not certain, but..."
Rowena said" Gentlemen? Are you ready, Jack?"
Jack said" Yes." Sam grabbed the bottle of grace, and walked to him, i hate this... this could go wrong, or bad.
Sam said" All right. Here you go." He handed Jack the bottle, Jack opened it, Rowena started saying the spell. Jack drank it, and Rowena said the spell, the lights flickered, Jack looked up, his eyes glowed.
" Something." He stood up, I jumped off the rail,
Cas said" Something good?"
" I think so." He smiled," Definite improvement."
Sam said" That's great."
" Yeah." Then he stumbled,
Dean said" Jack? Did you say the words right?"
Rowena said" I did!" I teleported to Jack and caught him as he fell to the ground. I looked at the guys, gulping, no, no, no...
Rowena was watching over Jack, we were at the door,
Dean said" I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have taken him out."
Sam said" It was what he wanted. I mean, we knew he was gonna get worse, regardless."
" Yeah, but it was too risky."
" Yeah, but, Dean, life, all of it, is a risk. Jack knew that."
Cas said" And you made him happy. You did more for him than any of us." Rowena walked to us,
Sam said" So, what can we do?"
Rowena sighed" Watch over him. Stay by his side... as he dies." I looked at them, then pushed past Dean and Cas, running to my room. I breathed heavily, the world spun, I wiped my face clean of tears, but new ones just slid down. I crouched down, trying to balance myself, but I don't know what to do...