"Long story." Answered Sam as Dean hurriedly rushed Aria to the living room couch. Her limp body was gently dropped to the cushions and it only made the family of three worry. A shaky hand swiftly placed itself on her neck as it bled.
Besides the blood, Dean was also trying to feel for a pulse. The girl's lolled head and slow breathing had struck him in the heart and stole the breath from his own lungs. As his hands searched, Bobby and Sam were rummaging through cabinets, trying to find first aid for the girl.
It took a few moments for Dean to finally find a pulse, but when he did, it was barely there. The slow beat underneath his fingers was making his heart beat spike.
"Where the Hell is Cas?" Dean yelled out, needing his friend now more than ever. Sam and Bobby came running behind the father with handfuls of medical supplies.
"I don't know, but he better get his feathery ass down here." Bobby swore as he kneeled next to Aria's side. He quickly unraveled the gauze and held them to his granddaughter's throat. Sam was next to kneel beside the girl.
He started to disinfect her head, which had a very large gash in it. The girl's body was still shivering, and her skin was still a ghostly pale color. Her breaths had turned to choked sounds, like she was struggling to breath.
As Sam was bouncing back and forth from injury to injury, Dean sat back, physically not being able to do anything. His whole world was crashing down on him. He physically could not move. His heart felt overly squeezed, and his breath was failing him. After everything he did to shield her, he failed.
He failed her at three years old. He couldn't even protect her for three years. He couldn't keep an eye on her for five minutes. He couldn't be better than his father. He couldn't stop the trauma that will overcome his daughter when she recovers.
When.
How could he be so sure that she would wake up? That she would survive? Castiel still hasn't come, and her neck could bleed out before she even has a chance. He wondered if this was how Eliza felt. To know that her daughter had run off on her watch, and she can't find her. Only this time, Dean lost Aria, but he found her. He found her, and she wasn't okay.
A choked gasp is what stopped his thoughts. His daughter was gasping for air wildly, and her eyes were wide open in fright and pain. Her small frantic hand jerked out to the side, like she was searching for something. Her fingers curled up and then released, and Dean soon realized that it was his hand she was looking for.
The tears in his eyes released like a broken dam, and a rough sob left his mouth. He instantly rushed to her side by Sam, and clasped onto her hand tightly. Her little fingers gripped onto his knuckles, and her eyes met his. He could see the fear in her eyes, as well as her pain.
She tried to speak, but was interrupted by another gasp for air. Dean clenched his eyes shut, shaking his head slightly before he looked at her again.
When her eyes met his again, his heart felt like it had stopped beating. Time had stopped. She looked to him for help. She looked at him like he was the only one who could stop the pain, who could take everything away.
"Shh, Bee." He whispered, his voice wavering. Tears violently ran down both of their cheeks. "You're gonna be fine, Sweetheart. I'm gonna fix all of this, I promise. When Cas gets here, you won't have to worry about a thing, I swear." Her gasps of air sounded louder, and he couldn't help but doubt his angel friend. Time was running low, and he still wasn't here.
Sam looked over at him with pity, and Dean gave him a look. He didn't need his pity before his child was even dead. She wasn't going to die. He wouldn't allow it.
But, just as those thoughts arrived, they vanished just as soon as Aria's chest stopped rising, and the noises ceased. Her hand went limp in his, and he soon realized he was the only one holding her hand up.
He quickly let go as Sam stopped his work on the scrape on her other hand. Dean pushed her arm in disbelief, and Sam watched with the same feeling.
"No, no, no, no," Dean whispered fearfully, continuing to push at her body. All that happened was the slow recoil of her small body when he shoved her. "Baby." He said sternly, placing his hands on her cheeks. When she didn't respond, he went into panic.
"Bee, wake up!" He shook her face in worry. "Aria!" He screamed, his voice cracking in the process. She still didn't respond, and Dean instantly placed his hands to her chest to begin CPR.
With each push, he got more impatient. He knew her ribs were cracking, which meant he was doing it right. He just wished Castiel would get here now before she was left in this pain when she awoke. Both physically and mentally.
Just when he thought he would never arrive, the flapping of feathers sounded out for the second time today. The angel rushed over to the girl, and without being told to, he placed his fingers against her temple, and everything was healed.
Her body had now relaxed in sleep instead of suffocation. Sam and Bobby removed the bandages that had been placed on her injuries. Dean's body instantly went weak and he went to the ground. All the stress and adrenaline had taken its toll, and seeing his baby alright was what made him relax.
Now, the only concern was the trauma on the girl's mind. He didn't want her to remember what happened. She didn't deserve to live with that fear. He understood it was selfish, and it should be her choice, but she was only three. She didn't deserve to remember that.
"Cas." He croaked from the floor. Castiel sent him a look. "Erase that from her head." Castiel sent him a look of pity. God, Dean was so tired of seeing that look.
And when Castiel placed his fingers on the girl's temple, Dean shut his eyes tight. He knew he was the cause. This was unforgivable.
He has a second chance with her, and now, he won't screw it up.
