Hollowing Souls

Death's Door

"Bobby!"

"Alex!"

Sam's voice sounded right next to her ear, and the angel startled to see the hunter at her side. "Alex," he repeated, this time much quieter, but just as urgent. "Is he alive?"

"Is he dead?!" Dean yelled, panic seeping into his voice.

"Just drive, Dean!"

Alex shook of the terror that gripped her bones, pushing her grace against the unconscious hunter. "N-No," she whispered out, her fear melting slightly at the pulse of his heart against her grace. "He's alive. F-For now."

"You got to talk to me, Sam!"

"Dean!" Sam's warm hand came to rest on Alex's shoulder, shocking her back into reality. "Hospital. Now." The car accelerated, and Alex rocked into the youngest Winchester, drawing in a deep breath as she realized she had stopped breathing. The hand tightened its grip. "Hey hey hey. Focus. Do something. Y-You're an angel, right?"

For the briefest second Sam's voice was heavy with fear, and for some reason hearing it helped steady the young angel. "Yeah," she breathed out. "I'm an angel." She tore her gaze from the prostrate Bobby to look into Sam's wide hazel eyes. "I-I don't know what to do." The panic returned, hot and overwhelming. "I-I can barely heal a paper cut, much less his brain. W-What if I screw up? What if I kill him, Sam?"

Sam swallowed, and then his voice was back under control, but Alex could still see the distress that hid behind his eyes. "Do what you can, okay? Just . . . keep him alive. Please."

Alex watched as he crawled back over to Dean, nodding. "I will."

"We're five minutes out." Dean's voice was distant as Alex leaned over Bobby, closing her eyes. She shakily pressed her grace into the hunter's skin, letting it seep into the wound. The car squealed around a corner, jostling Alex, who let out a small squeak as her grace slipped. She felt for the bullet and carefully curled her grace around it. She could feel how firmly stuck it was among the brain, but let out a shaky sigh of relief to find the bullet still in one piece. She wound her grace through his body until only a small piece remained seated in her. There she stopped, not sure what else to do, mind blank with terror.

Alex turned her head when Sam was back at her side, and her eyes drifted past the hunter to rest on the devil, crouched behind him. "Please," she begged, drawing his attention to her. "H-Help me, Luce. Tell me what to do."

Lucifer approached, kneeling at her side. His shoulder brushed against hers, but Alex felt nothing. After a second, however, she felt the devil's grace shift from where it was twisted inside of hers. Then she felt it still, and the archangel shook his head. "There's nothing I can do," he told her quietly. "Not from where I am." His grace curled tightly around hers, and for some reason, the icy chill of his grace against hers melted some of her fear.

Suddenly the van door flew open and Alex looked up, eyes wide to see three people in black. Her wings flared out, ready to protect her unconscious friend until she recognized who they were. Sam pulled her away as the EMTs carefully removed Bobby from the van's floor, leaving Alex to wonder when Dean had actually stopped the car.

Sam's fingers wrapped around Alex's wrist, and he helped her out of the back of the van before running after his brother and the EMTs. Alex followed as she felt her grace slip from the hunter's body, the distance too great for her to hold on.

"Move trauma two to bed seven when it's clean." A blonde nurse joined the three EMTs as they hurried into the hospital. As other doctors joined she explained, "Gunshot wound to the right frontal area, no exit wound found. Breathing spontaneous. Respiratory rate 18 and shallow. RST at 120. BP 90 over 60. GSC 5."