Chapter Text
In all his years of hunting, Dean had been chased by ghouls, ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, demons, and just about everything in between, making a speedy getaway by car.
He had never driven faster than now,
“Just hang in there, babe,” he all but yelled to the semi-unconscious form next to him, “We’re almost there, just hold on a little longer!” Cas had worsened five minutes after entering the Impala, growing worse still by the minute.
“Dean—I—I don’t—“ Cas leaned forward as he broke off in a hacking cough, and Dean was horrified to find blood covering the front of the other man’s white t-shirt. Castiel slumped back in his seat, eyes closed, moaning quietly.
One hand on the wheel, the other reached over to shake the man next to him. “Don’t you give up on me now, you got that?! Just stay with me for a little more, Cas, please!”
“C-can’t—“ More coughing, more blood. Dean’s foot ground into the gas pedal already pressed close to the floor, terror seizing him fast and loathe to let go. They were still three miles from the nearest hospital; three damn miles too many. He silently cursed himself for choosing to live so far outside town. Cas was potentially dying, and they lived too far away from the hospital to get him any real help. Typical Dean move, fucking everything up with good intentions.
“Two more miles, babe, just two more and you’ll be okay!”
Cas did nothing but whimper in response, shivering violently next to him in his seat. Sirens blared in the distance, and Dean became distantly aware of the fact that he was breaking the speed limit beyond comprehension, but damn it if he was going to pull over now. There was only one mile between them and help.
Red and blue lights flashed behind them, the loud wailing grew closer, and Dean pressed harder on the pedal, letting up only slightly to yank to car into a screeching turn into the hospital entrance lot. The brakes squealed and the tires no doubt left skid marks as they came to an abrupt halt in front of the ER. Dean fumbled with the seat belt buckle and flung himself out of the driver’s side, scrabbling around the car and jerking open Cas’ door. His fingers shook as he tried in vain to unbuckle the belt holding his sick boyfriend captive in the Impala. Finally, the buckle clicked, and Dean non-too-gently shoved his arms under Cas and hoisted him up bridal style. He didn’t remember running into the ER entrance, or the staff taking Cas from him, or the doctors asking what was wrong with him. All he remembered was the rancid, guilt-ridden feeling in his stomach as they wheeled his boyfriend away.
*****
“Mr. Bonham?”
His head snapped up, legs starting to move towards the doctor even as he stood up from the waiting room chair from hell. Cas had been in the ER for three hours—three hours of sterilized, hard plastic torment, filled with guilt and worry and feeling more than a bit nauseas himself. Dean hated hospitals almost as much as he hated demons, and the fact that his boyfriend was currently in an unknown room possibly dying of some rare and deadly disease did not make matters any better.
He all but ran over to the doctor, preparing himself for the worst. “I’m here. How is he, is he okay? When can I see him, what’s—“
The doctor held up his hand, cutting off the unintelligible babble of words spewing from his mouth. “Mr. Novak is resting now. He’s been moved to the recovery ward,” he said with a slight smile, “High level pneumonia. He’s lucky you came when you did; another day or so and it might have progressed beyond our capacity to treat.”
“So he’s okay?” Dean choked out, hardly daring to believe his luck that they made it, there were no dangerous side effects or long term damage or injury to the body that required a cross-roads deal.
“Mr. Novak will be fine, given a few days of treatment and rest. His case is odd, though; I’ve never seen a case of pneumonia hit so fast or so dangerously. It’s almost as if his immune system was barely functional, like the first time a newborn catches a cold.”
“Yeah, well, he’s a pretty odd guy,” Dean chuckled halfheartedly, “Thanks for all your help, Doc. “
Dean gently turned the knob and poked his head into Cas’ room., heart aching as his eyes landed on his boyfriend hooked up to various machines and beeping…things. The former angel appeared to be asleep, until Dean padded closer to the bed and Cas looked up, bleary eyed and paled faced but alive. The knot in Dean’s chest loosened somewhat, replaced by giddy relief and affection.
“Hey, you,” he whispered, grinning like an idiot, “How ya feeling?”
Cas managed a small, weak smile as Dean gingerly perched on the edge of the bed. “Better. Somewhat. I’ve been through worse.”
“Can’t argue with you there. Doc says it was your lowered immune system that nearly did you in—your body is still getting used to being human and getting human germs it just didn’t know what to do with itself,” Dean murmured, reaching out a hand to brush across his boyfriend’s cheek. Cas brought the hand not tethered to an IV up, curling his fingers loosely around Dean’s. The hunter was suddenly overcome with love for the beautiful, wonderful fallen angel that was his boyfriend—love, and overwhelming guilt.
“God, I’m so sorry I let this happen, Cas,” he mumbled, choking back tears, “I should have gotten help sooner, I should have—“
Castiel gripped his hand tighter, shushing him. “You should have done nothing more than what you did. You couldn’t have known how ill I was. All you could do was be there, and you did. Stop blaming yourself for this.” And with that, the angel-turned-human pulled his boyfriend forward with an unknown strength and wrapped his arms around him. Dean held him tight, trying desperately to calm down, control his breathing.
“You almost died,” he whispered against Cas’ chest.
Cas tightened his arms. “I have died before, Dean. And so have you. Multiple times.”
Dean nodded, burying his nose into the crook of Castiel’s neck, breathing in his scent, reminding himself that he was alive, Cas was alive, they were both safe. They stayed like that for god knows how long, dozing off at some point in the positions the nurse checking up on Cas would eventually find them in.