It Can't Wait

Chapter 7

A soft knock on the door that woke Dean up. Well, he had been awake for a while just staring at the ceiling, thinking.

"Come in," he answered.

Cas came in looking worried. "Dean," he said. "What time do you think we'll go back to the hospital?"

Dean sat up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Whenever you want, Cas," Dean said, smiling. 

"Could we leave now? I mean if that's okay with you," Cas asked quietly.

"Yeah, we can. Just let me get dressed."

Dean got dressed: his usual dark jeans, band tshirt and leather jacket. When they got downstairs, he slipped on his boots. As they got in the car and headed towards the hospital, Dean noticed Cas was wringing his hands.

"Hey, Cas," he said. "Don't worry man, everything will be fine."\

"But, Dean," Cas said, looking up. "How do you know that? Your brother isn't going to die. You don't have anything to worry about. I have everything to worry about. Gabe..." he paused. "Gabe is all I have. He's the only thing that has kept me sane."

"Cas, man," Dean began. "I just want you to be happy and I'll do whatever it takes."

They arrived at the hospital as soon as visiting hours started. Dean had gone to go get himself and Cas some coffee when and scared looking Cas came running through the door.

"Dean!" Cas shouted. "He's gone. Gabe is gone. He's not in his room!"

"Cas, he's probably in another room. Let me go ask the receptionist," Dean replied setting the coffee down on a table and walking over to the desk. "Excuse me, but could you tell me where Gabriel Novak's room is at?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "Yes,  but only family allowed."

"Oh, that's alright, I was askig for his brother, he's very worried," Dea  said with a smile. "Cas, come on. She'll show us where he is."

Castiel hurried over to Dean. Forgetting about the coffee, they followed the nurse to his room.

They walked into the ICU. Why the hell are we in here? Dean thought. Then, oh shit. I know why we're in here.

When Cas looked at the sign on the door, he let in a sharp intake of breath. "Dean," he whispered.

"Shhh," Dean quieted him and they walked on.

When the nurse opened the doors to a room off the main hallway, they heard sharp cries coming from the bed. The burse told them to wait at the door and she went to talk to what Dean assumed was Gabriel.

"He says he wants to see his brother and Samwich," the nurse said as she cane out from behind the curtain. "Castiel, you can go back there and I'll go find Sam." She turned to Dean. "You just wait here."

"Cas," Dean started but Cas held up a hand.

"Don't even start Dean," he said. "I'll ask if you can come back too. I'm sure he'll say yes."

Oh. Thank God. Dean thought. And to think, I thought Cas didn't care about me.

There were muffled voices coming from the bed. Dean could only hear bits and pieces. "... Gabe, please," and "no, he can't..."

Cas shuffled out from behind the curtain with a somber look on his face.

"Hey, Dean, um, he said no," Cas stated sadly. "He only wants to see Sam."

Dean wasn't surprised actually. "Did he say why?" He asked.

Cas shook his head while looking down. "He said 'what has he ever done for me? I'm not willing to see him until I see Samwich. Even then I might say no.'" He paused, then,"I'm sorry Dean. He must be on some medication."

Dean was clearly hurt. But it wasn't like he knew Gabe all that well, but he thought it was okay 'cause he was Sam's brother. "It's okay," Dean said. "I'll just wait in the hall."

Dean left the room, sat down against the wall and put his head in his hands. The nurse came walking up to the door with Sam in tow; he looked like he was in pain. Dean stood up was soon as he saw him. 

"Sammy!" he exclamed. "You doin' okay?"

Sam smiled and moved to give Dean a hug. "Yeah, man, I'm good," he said. "These pain meds are awesome!"

Dean laughed and Sam started laughing with him.

"Wait, Dean," Sam said. "Why aren't you in there with Gabe? Or Cas at least?"

This made Dean fall silent. "He, um, didn't want to see me... quite yet." The last part didn't sound too believable.

Sam took the hint and pat Dean on the back. "Hey, man, it's alright."

"Yeah, I guess so, he'll come around sometime," Dean said sliding back down the wall. Sam walked into the room and before the door shut all the way, Dean caught a glimpse of Gabe sitting up to give Sam a hug.

He's probably delirious, Dean thought. Why wouldn't Gabriel want to see Dean? The younger boys had seemed so excited to see Dean and Cas as friends, and Gabe never seemed opposed to it, maybe a little grossed out.

Dean couldn't let it get to him. He stood up and walked out to the lobby. There, he saw lots of sick people, people with the sick people, and lots of doctors and nurses. Just like on Dr. Sexy, MD, Dean thought. He continued on through the lobby, out the door, and to his beloved car.

Dean sat down in the driver's seat and reminisced about yesterday's events. Just a little while ago, he had been sitting in this very seat when he kissed Cas for the first time. Well, it sure wasn't the first time in his head, but the first time in real life. 

His phone buzzed. It was a text from Sam.

Hey, Dean, you better come back in here. Now.

That got Dean a little worried.

Be right there, he replied back. Dean hopped out of the car, but he had to turn back becuase he forgot his keys. After he had his keys and locked the Impala, he finally headed inside. He rushed past all the murmuring doctors and nurses to Gabriel's room, only to find Sam consoling a crying Cas who was kneeling against the door.

"Sam," Dean whispered. "What happened? Is Gabe okay?"

"No," Sam whispered back. "Cas and Gabe were just talking and Gabe started coughing and he passed out. The beeping slowed down a lot, and I think it may have flat lined after we left. Doctors came rushing in and ushered us out. Dean, I'm scared."

"You seem to be taking this really well, Sammy," Dean inquired. 

"I'm just trying to stay strong for Cas. Why don't you go comfort your boyfriend," Sam said.

"He is - " Dean stopped. "We're not dating. And now is not the time to bring it up anyways."

Dean walked over to Cas' shaking mass and put his arms around him. 

"Dean, he's gone,'' Cas said quietly. "What am I going to do?"

"Cas," Dean began. "There's nothing we can do right now."

Dean and Cas just stayed like that for a while: hunched over on the floor of St. Mary's Hospital, Dean with his arms around a silently crying Cas. Cas passed out sometime around noon, and Dean carried him to the car and went back inside. 

As soon as he walked in the doorway, he was greeted by a doctor wearing a grim expression. "Sir,'' he said. "I saw you in the hallway outside Gabriel Novak's room before..." he trailed off. "You wouldn't happen to know of any family other than his brother, would you?"

Dean thought for a moment before answering. "Um, he has a father but..."

"But what, Mr. Winchester? We need to notify any other family of the death."

"I'll let him know," Dean said, and walked off to drive Cas home.