John Doe

Chapter Eight

Castiel's eyes blinked open quickly. The shrill ringtone on his cellphone waking him. He jumped up from the bed, throwing the duvet away from him. Lucifer hissed at the heavy fabric that landed on his head. The phone sounded again and Castiel practically ran across the floor of his room to the dresser where he put his phone. It rang again, vibrating against the wood. No one ever called Cas, unless it was important.

He opened the flip phone - Samandriel and Gabe had both been telling him to upgrade, but he refused promptly each time it was brought up - and pressed it against his ear. "Hello?" He gasped into the mouthpiece.

"Castiel, did I wake you?" A very feminine voice asked. Castiel squinted. He had very little contact with women. It wasn't Anna and the only other woman with his phone number was his Aunt Naomi. His heart jumped into his throat. Oh, God, no. "Castiel?"

"Um, yes. Hi," he said.

"This is Jessica. Sam's girlfriend." She said, her voice even and calm. Castiel felt himself relax, glad it wasn't Naomi.

"Oh, hello Jessica. How are you?" He asked, walking back to his bed. He sat himself down and clicked the lamp light on, glancing at the clock. 7:16. He would have been getting up in 29 minutes, anyway. As long as this was a short exchange he would still have time for a shower. Maybe even a small breakfa--

"Castiel, are you still there?" Jessica interrupted his thoughts. She had probably been talking that whole time.

"Yes," he mumbled slightly flustered still, before clearing his throat, "I'm here, what can I do for you?" His heart gave a second painful lurch. "Is Sam alright?"

"What, Sam? Yeah, Sam's okay." She murmured. Castiel heard a voice on the opposite phone line. There was shifting and crinkling before Sam's voice filled his ears.

"Cas, we can't find Dean." Sam's voice was fast and almost indecipherable. It took Castiel a moment to process the information.

"When did you see him last?" Castiel questioned. He asked the same questions when Amelia, his neighbor whose apartment was across the hall, lost her Yorkie. (He and Amelia tried a relationship before Castiel came out to everyone, she had a strange obsession with calling him by his middle name. Jimmy.)

"Two nights ago. But he left a note yesterday morning saying he'd gone in to work early." Sam lamented nervously.

Castiel nodded, pressing his lips into a firm line. "Okay, is he in a serious relationship? Perhaps he stayed with his partner?"

"We already called his girlfriend, Lisa. She hasn't seen him in a week. Neither has her son Ben." Sam said, Castiel could hear the defeat in his voice. "Cas, could you... could you check around the hospital... m-maybe something happened?" His voice wavered and Castiel felt bad for Sam.

"Of course." Castiel replied, peeking at the clock. 7:42, he was two minutes late. "I need to go now." Cas said.

He heard Sam take an audible deep breath. "I'll stop by after my noon class." Sam agreed.

"Alright." Castiel said. He hung up before Sam did.

He wandered into the bathroom in his apartment and showered. He shaved quickly and silently, hearing Lucifer meowing from the kitchen. He brushed his teeth, and changed into his clothes for work, draping his trench coat across his arm. He went into his kitchen and fed Lucifer, deciding he didn't have time to fix himself anything. He grabbed his satchel and he dove out of the house. He actually said goodbye to his cat, as he put on the coat.

Castiel stood at the locker he'd been assigned, and put his trench coat and satchel away. After retrieving his white "doctor's" coat and John Doe's file, he set off down the hall to check on everyone. He went into Mrs. Hutchinson's room first and found her sleeping soundly - dont worry, she was breathing. He checked on some other patients, before going into John Doe's room.

"Hello," Castiel said to the man softly, placing the file on the table near the sink. "I did some late night reading." Castiel confided, slipping on some gloves. "Dont tell." He hushed. The man made a slight noise as Castiel pressed his fingers against his wrist. Castiel's blue eyes widened and he tilted his head. The pulse was faster than the previous day. Castiel adjusted a notch on an IV bag of clear fluid before saying, "I'll be back momentarily."

Cas walked briskly down the hall and right up to Tessa's workstation. "Can you do an overhead call for Dr. Jody Mills and Dr. Charlie Bradbury?" Castiel asked hurriedly.

"Sure, is everything okay?" Tessa inquired sweetly as she picked up the PA phone. Castiel nodded wordlessly as she pressed a green button and said into the speaker, "Doctors Bradbury and Mills if you're in the building please see workstation 3B. Doctors Bradbury and Mills workstation 3B, thank you. " she repressed the button declaring radio silence and replaced the phone.

"Thank you." Castiel said calmly, as he waited for the doctors to arrive.

Dr. Bradbury arrived first, smiling as always, her red hair tied into a ponytail. "Hey Dr. N," She said. "Something wrong?"

"Not exactly, I just have a few questions. The John Doe has extensive brain and head trauma, why isn't he under your care?"

"He is classified under more than one category." Charlie explained simply, "if it isn't just one category, the patient goes to the General Medicine Wing." She said and checked her glowing pager. "I have to go," she mumbled. "Catch ya later, Castiel!" She said with a wave as she went back the way she'd come.

Jody Mills showed up one minute later. "Hey Cas, what's up?" She asked.

"Is the John Doe under a medically induced coma?" Castiel asked.

"Ye--" she barely finished her sentence before Castiel fired off another question.

"Is he supposed to be coming off of it this soon?" Castiel narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side.

"Yes, its perfectly normal." She assured him.

"Thank you, ma'am." Castiel said turning around to get to John Doe, as quickly as possible.