City of Angels (and Demons)

Chapter Six

"So, who were those guys anyway?" Amy asked once Mark had closed the front door.

Mark kept an eye outside, watching until they drove away. "They said they were with the FBI, but I don't know," he said then turned away to join Amy on the couch. The box of donuts was on the cushion between them and he helped himself to one. "There was something about them..." He shrugged it off then looked at her. "Do you know Dr. Laurie Bates?"

"She's the head doctor in charge of that experimental surgery thing," Amy said with a nod. "I saw her name on the consent form. Why?"

"Apparently she's being investigated," Mark said. "If those guys were legit."

"Why'd they talk to you?"

"I was the last person she operated on," Mark said. "I told them I never met her."

"They'd have better luck talking to people at the hospital."

Mark nodded then focused on eating his donut, wanting to put the weird encounter behind him. He wanted to think he would never see those two again, but he had seen them two days in a row now. He knew he would be seeing more of them.

If so, we'll take care of them.

"Mark?"

That voice still ringing in his mind, Mark pulled himself out of his daze and looked at Amy. "What?"

"Are you okay?" she asked. In her tone and in her eyes, he knew she was feeling guilty about not coming over last night. "Was last night really that rough?"

"First night back home since the accident," Mark said, realizing he was close to blaming it on his hospital stay. "I'll be okay."

"I can stay tonight, if you want."

Mark nearly started to talk her out of it again, but stopped himself. Ever since he got home, he had been pushing people away bit by bit. He couldn't push away the people he needed. "I'd like that," he said.

Amy gave him a smile then leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. It was clearly something she had wanted to hear. Which made him think about apologizing for pushing her away. But, he knew what she would say, so he didn't mention it. She would only blame it on his stay in the hospital, after all.

They don't want to see it.

They don't want to think something's different.

It'll be too late when they do.

Mark tried to push the thoughts and the laugh that followed away, but failed.

That was when he blacked out.

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Sam and Dean got themselves into the morgue easily. The word of an FBI agent could carry far at times. The bodies of the five patients hadn't yet been released to the families due to the fact that cause of death wasn't determined. Sam hoped the answer would be obvious so they could at least save Patrick.

At least for now they didn't have to worry about Fischbach dropping dead.

"What'd you find out about that spell on the lock?" Dean asked as they started looking over the first body.

"It was just a protection spell in a Korean dialect," Sam said. Since he didn't think that held any significance, he didn't think they would find anything similar on the bodies. "Fischbach's half Korean. Maybe that has something to do with it."

"Dammit," Dean muttered, just as annoyed that there wasn't something more there. "What about the lock itself? You said it was a lock you've never seen before."

"Maybe it was a lock Bates made."

"Or it was a lock she was given."

Sam stopped what he was doing and looked at Dean. "What if that operating room is just an operating room?" he asked. "We've found no connection other than the fact that patients went in and some form of Darkiplier came out."

"Maybe it's where they kept him locked up."

"Like Lucifer's cage?"

Dean didn't seem to like that idea. "If so," he said. "It better not be as hard to get him back in."

Sam knew neither of them wanted to go back, but he had to ask: "Should we give another crack at the door?"

Dean didn't say anything for a moment then gestured to the bodies. "Keep working here," he said. "I'll go check it out."

Sam nodded then want back to work as Dean left.