A Good Kind of Different [Destiel]

Chapter 20

I sat there in the waiting room.

Dead silent.

Waiting. 

Waiting.

Waiting.

Sam came out and grabbed me, pulling me into an embrace. I felt so... deflated. Sam was crying, I stood there, drained. Emotionless.

He led me to the desk so I could go see him.

"Visitor name?" the desk lady droned.

"Castiel Novak." I said anxiously, twiddling with my feet.

"Relationship with the patient?"

"We're... um... I'm his... boyfriend." The words fumbled in my mouth and it stopped her. She stared at me uncomfortably.

"... I'm sorry, Mr. Novak. Family, only." she finally said.

I hung my head.

Dr. Delmundo (Dean's doctor) had come out, as well. She heard the conversation and stared coldly at the receptionist.

"Are you Castiel?" She asked.

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"He only wants to see you... come right this way."

She led me inside.

Dean was lying down on the hospital bed, covered in tubes and wires.

"Cas..." a smile cracked across his face. One I thought I'd never see again. "Boy, am I glad to see you..."

He coughed.

My heart lifted up.

I sat in the chair beside him. I had no clue what to say.

He started a low, gravely chuckle. It was slow at first. And I was confused as to why he would be laughing at a time like this.

"Why are you-..."

"Hey, Cas, I'm sorry I was late." he was still kind of laughing.

I felt uncomfortable in joining him... and he stopped. Which I felt bad for. I wanted to hear him laugh...

"It-... it's alright. Nothing you could help. I'm sorry... for... what happened." I looked him over. He looked terrible. His lip was split, his eye was purple and swollen shut. He was scratched and bleeding. He was bruised. Beaten. Battered.

"No, no..." He tried to assure me. "I'm alright. Just... who'd of thunk it?"

...

"I... dunno."

He smiled again.

"Castiel... Never forget this:" He cupped my hands in his and looked me in the eye. "Cas... I-"

His face contorted and he started choking, shaking. And it scared me. The machines were going wild in masses of beeping and flashing and I was yelling. The doctors and nurses were pushing through, filing in. They were shoving me out and I was yelling. I cursed at them and my face was wet, again. I gripped onto the doorframe like a grappling hook. I didn't want to go.

They shut me out.