Return of the Sam 3/?
Chapter 3
My first thought that this was some kind of hospital, maybe a clinic or something like that, turned out to be wrong.
We left the medical area and I got the impression that this was just a small part of a much larger building. So far I hadn't seen a window and the thick walls spoke for themselves. If the whole complex was underground or only this level I couldn't tell but everything screamed military.
We passed storage rooms and sleeping quarters before Sam turned left into a hallway which opened to a larger room.
"Did they film a Bond movie in here?" I asked when I saw a strategy table in the middle and a few antic computers at the side. It looked like a set from an old cold war movie but somehow I doubted this was fake. It was old, yes, but it had a real vibe to it.
"You wish." The teenager mumbled and led the way into another large room while Sam made a little detour to the kitchen to get us some beers. "I'm Kevin, by the way."
"Luis." He probably knew that already but we'd skipped the proper introduction earlier and I didn't know what else to say. He didn't offer a last name and I didn't ask.
I almost did ask where his parents were or if he stayed with the Winchesters by himself but I bit back that question. He was old enough to be on his own and I didn't want to treat him like a kid. He was more on the adult side of his teenage years, if he even was still a teenager it was hard to tell, and I remembered how I felt at that age.
By the time I'd taken in the old library we were standing in, complete with heavy leather chairs and bookshelves made of dark wood, Sam had rejoined us.
"Here." He handed me a beer and we settled in some of the less expensive looking chairs. I still felt like there should be a woman coming around the corner with a steel bun and glasses on a chain around her neck who would give us the librarian look of disapproval for drinking beer in her library. Which of course didn't happen. It was just the three of us, Sam, me and Kevin who I doubted was old enough for a beer but Sam had handed him one without a second thought so I didn't say anything about that either. There were more important things to discuss at the moment.
"Nice place." I gestured around with my beer, giving Sam an opening to start talking.
"Yeah." He made himself more comfortable in his chair. Now that I had time to look at him I noticed how tired he looked. "Yeah, it is."
Kevin rolled his eyes at him before he turned towards me.
"Don't mind him. He and Dean had a rough couple of days." He said, fiddling with his beer as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.
"Figured that much." I said when he failed to explain himself. "Somewhere along the way Dean got shot."
If I'm honest, I didn't mind that part at all. It was the reason they'd brought me there and even if I didn't know much about the where and how, I loved it. It was exiting, like an adventure.
"That idiot didn't bother to mention that he wasn't feeling well." Sam huffed out. "Nearly got himself killed because of that." He took an angry gulp from his bottle, teeth clicking against glass.
"He's going to survive." I assured him. "You got me here in time." I had a meaningful look around. "Which is where exactly?"
"Sorry, man." Sam shook his head. "Less people know where this place is the better."
"Did you capture an old military base?" I was only half-joking.
"Something like that." Sam's mouth twitched into a smile at that thought.
"Okay." I gave in, sensing that he wouldn't tell me more at the moment. Maybe later, I intended to stick around for two days at least after all. "What about the how I got here? Last time I checked Amazon was sold out on teleporters."
Now the teenager chuckled into his beer and threw a glance at Sam, which I translated as a Sucks to be you, before he leaned back in his chair as if he was waiting for something amusing to happen.
"Cas brought you here." Sam answered but then hesitated. "He's an angel."
"An angel?" I repeated. "He doesn't look like an angel." It was a dumb thing to say. Even if angels existed I doubted they were those celestial beings with harps and halos in flowing white dresses. And don't forget the wings. Then I had the picture of that Cas guy in exactly that outfit stuck in my head.
I snickered and blamed it on the double shift, almost no sleep for way too long and everything that came after that.
Sam sighed, he looked more tired than I felt by now. "It's a long story but, yeah, he is an angel."
It took me a second to realize that he wasn't joking.
"You are serious." I said and leaned back in my chair, looking up at the ceiling. I had known about ghosts and shapeshifters and manticores for years and I'd accepted that there were things out there I didn't really want to know about. But angels?
"You're friends with an angel?" Shouldn't angels have better things to do than to hang out with a bunch of humans?
"Like I said, long story. Don't worry, he's harmless."
I let that sink in. Thinking back the guy did come across as not quite right. Not quite human. However, I doubted the harmless part.
"He's taking all this better than I did." Kevin spoke up and raised his bottle at me with a smile.
"You thought I was there to kill you." Sam reminded him and the way he said it, it sounded like a fond memory.
"Well, you didn't." Kevin finished his beer and stood up. "I should get back to work. And you two should go to bed. Seriously, before you keel over."
He had a point there. The adrenalin rush was over and even Sam's revelation of Castiel's nature couldn't spike it enough to overcome the bone-deep tiredness.
We watched Kevin leaving and just sat there for another long moment.
"Are you doing okay?" I asked when we were alone. Apparently Sam did well. He had this place, his brother and Kevin, I wasn't sure about how he fit in, though, and he had Castiel the angel.
"Yeah." Sam's smile was genuine. "Yeah, I do. You?"
"Chicago isn't my place." I answered and I thought that I should call the hospital to let them know I wouldn't come in the next few days. But I didn't have my phone, it still lay on my nightstand at home, and it didn't feel important enough to ask Sam if I could use his.
Sam nodded to that and dropped the topic. "Okay, I'll show you your room."
That sounded good but first I wanted to check on Dean.
I didn't say it but I was glad that Sam wanted to check on him as well because for one on my own I'd get lost for sure in this place and second I didn't want to face Castiel alone. I wasn't sure if I believed the whole angel story but there was definitely something about him.
"This Castiel." I started while I followed Sam through the maze of corridors. "Something I should know? What do I say to him?" How was I supposed to act around an angel? Which still sounded ridiculous.
"Don't worry about him." Was Sam's not helpful advice.
When we entered the room Dean was still sleeping, I doubted he'd moved in the last hour, and Castiel stood next to the bed, facing the door.
I let Sam walk in first and tried to sized Castiel up without him noticing. He looked so normal.
"He's sleeping." Castiel answered our unspoken question when we stepped closer.
"I doubt he'll wake up during the night." I stated, slipping into the familiar role of a doctor. Keep it professional. I checked Dean's pulse and blood pressure, he didn't even stir through that, and lifted the covers to have quick look at the bandage. Spotless white, he wasn't bleeding.
"Everything okay?" Sam asked, gaze fixed on his brother's peaceful face. Sleeping he looked younger.
"He's fine." I reassured him and straightened the covers around Dean. "He just needs to heal now."
I gave him more of the pain medication which would help against a possible infection as well. That should help him over the night.
The Winchesters were really well stocked with drugs and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Not only about how they got it, more about the self-medication. No doctor likes that. On the other hand, they hardly had a choice.
Castiel promised to keep watch at Dean's side and to inform me if anything happened and with that we left. I relaxed when the door behind me closed and I couldn't feel Castiel staring at me anymore. Angel or not, this guy was creepy.
"Is he going to stand there the whole night?" I asked. So far Castiel hadn't even sat down.
"He doesn't need to sleep." Sam answered as if that was a normal thing. Maybe for him it was.
He showed me my room, a simple one but it came with a bed and that was all that mattered to me at the moment.
I didn't have anything with me so I just stripped down to my underwear and collapsed.
When I woke up, I needed a moment to recall where I was but then everything rushed back to me.
I had no idea what time it was, probably still early so I got dressed as quietly as possible and made my way to the kitchen. I could use a coffee.
Everything was quiet but when the rich aroma of the coffee filled the air, Kevin strolled in. He didn't look like he'd slept at all. He just fixed himself a mug, mumbled a thanks and went back to whatever he was doing. Curious I followed him to a corner of the library where he sat down at a desk full with papers and notes. He didn't even seem to notice me. He took a gulp of coffee, rolled his shoulders and picked up some kind of stone with markings on it.
I didn't want to disturb him and left him alone. I didn't know what he was working on or why it was so important that he pulled an all-nighter but there was a lot I didn't know. I made a mental note to ask Sam later.
With nothing else to do I decided to check on Dean. I only got lost once on the way.
Castiel still stood at the end of Dean's bed, from where he had Dean and the door in view.
"Morning." I said because I had to say something when I approached him. He just nodded to that and stepped back to give me room to work on Dean. He had changed position in the last hours which was a good sign, it meant he was sleeping now and was no longer unconscious from the drugs.
"You don't have to be afraid of me." Castiel suddenly said.
"I'm not afraid." Which was only a half-lie. "I'm just …" I turned around slowly, not sure if I wanted to face him. "It's just … are you really an angel?" I bit my lip and waited for his reaction. What if I'd made him angry?
"Yes." Was his simple answer.
I sighed. Nobody around here seemed to be talkative. It was like pulling teeth. And I wasn't even a dentist.
"Why is an angel standing vigil at Dean's bedside?" I dared to ask.
"He's my friend."
I wanted to know the story behind a human and an angel becoming friends but I'd rather ask Sam. Truth be told, I didn't feel comfortable around Castiel.
So I excused myself and left. Deep in thoughts I didn't really pay attention to where I was going and the next time I looked up, I'd no idea where I was. Somehow I'd ended up in a large storage room of some kind.
I made my way through shelves with dusty boxes, having a look here and there. I was in no hurry to find my way back to my room and maybe this way I'd find out a thing or two about this place. Lost in thoughts I jumped in surprise when suddenly a voice with a very British accent spoke up.
"And who might you be?"
Chapter 4
Masterpost