Babysitting - A Dean Winchester Love Story

Chapter 19

The darkness had deceased as Cora's eyes gradually opened, revealing Castiel staring out of the hospital window, with his back turned to the bed.

"Cas..." Cora croaked, causing her to immediately be met by his crystal blue eyes.  His eyes were somewhat glazed, and his concerning look was more prominent than usual.  He stepped closer to Cora which subsequently informed her that something was wrong.  
As she went to question him, Cas interrupted her: "It's Dean.  There was an incident involving some demons."

"What the hell do you mean?  Where is he?  Castiel, don't you dare ignore me."  Cora's voice faded slightly as her words were replaced with a violent cough.  The angel just observed what was unfolding before him: the denial, the anger, the pure devastation as she began to comprehend what may have happened, just from Castiel's ambiguous information.  He only perceived her behaviour as she seemingly forgot his presence.  Cora spied her phone on the bed-side table.  Cas stared as the frantic woman repeatedly called Dean's phone with little success, "Why isn't he answering?" Her voice was getting louder now as she begged for answers from Castiel; still receiving none, she began her attempt at safely removing the IV from her arm.  This caused the angel to restrain her: "Castiel, get your hands off me!"  Tears began to form as the stress started to accumulate; she felt her sense of control and certainty begin to slip away from her grasp.

"Cora, stay in bed."  Before she could question him, Cas continued, "I didn't want to tell you when you were in this state but -"

"But what?"

"But you have left me with no other choice."  Cas swallowed as if to reinforce his regret, "Dean is dead." Cora's frame slumped drastically as she received this news; the man she was starting to love - the first man to ever show her true affection - was dead, and it wasn't for anything special, just a standard case of demons.  She limply lifted her head as she questioned Cas about Sam, "He is with Bobby.  He couldn't come back here, regardless of your condition."  After hearing this somewhat insulting, yet reasonable, answer, Cora began to grossly sob.  Her breathing was erratic which caused her heart rate to rapidly increase, so much so that her heart monitor (to which she was still attached) began to beep exuberantly.

"Ma'am, you need to calm down."  The nurse had rushed in as she heard the heart monitor go haywire.   She attempted to restrain Cora, and asked politely for the man in the trench-coat to leave.

"No.  He's taking me home."

"Ma'am, I would recommend you talking to a doctor before -"

"I don't want to.  Just let me leave."  As Cora was about to beg, she remembered something that was usually an inconvenience for most residents of the United States but right now would beneficial to her need to leave: "I don't have any health insurance."
The nurse swiftly left the room and came back with the discharge forms.  She did not utter a single word to the former patient, yet had a cold and un-welcoming look smothering her face, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it.

After the nurse left with the forms, Cas informed Cora about what had happened in the case - this included the location.  "So they were in Chicago?"  Cas silently nodded.   "Well I know where I'm going then."  Cas' face held nothing but confusion although his strong stance duplicated its normalality.  As his eyebrows furrowed further creating prominent lines in the middle-aged vessel's forehead, Cora went on to explain how a hunter's body was usually burned in the same place that they had died - it would be highly unlikely for Dean's wishes to vary from tradition.  "I need to be near him...even if it is just his memory.  The last place he was living will hold the most of his soul."
Cora's philosophy shocked Cas as he viewed her as not containing much depth to her personality.  Yes, he knew about her family and how she had to grow up, yet he did not expect her to be anything other than a ruthless hunter who had no comprehension for compassion and affection.

It had been days since Cora had left the hospital.  In her bereaved state, she had still managed to successfully steal a car and make her way to Chicago.  However as the days passed, she had no idea of the truth.