Dear Addiction

Chapter thirty two

Beeping.

Soft, slow, steady, beeping.

That was the first thing Dean could hear when he came to, a breath parting his lips, eyes still shut. He could hear a shuffling from his right, then once again nothing but the beeping. His whole body ached. His mind spinning even with his eyes closed, skin it's usual boiling temperature.

He hadn't died, though as he laid there in pain, part of him wished he had.

"Shit," Dean mumbled. He raised a hand to his face, rubbing it across his eyes, as they fluttered open, the bright lights burning.

It was another moment before his eyes adjusted to the light, his gaze landing first on the person to his left, Cas.

Dean felt his breath hitch, eyes staying on the other, heart hammering in his chest. He stared for another moment, as if Cas would disappear the moment he looked away. He then tilted his head to the right, where Lee stood, and then down to Ellie, who lay pressed to his side, face buried into his chest, one arm around his stomach.

His right arm was wrapped around her. The skin a raw red, some places covered in bandages though most were left for Dean to see. He remembered his skin being itchy, he remembered it at times being all he could think about, though he'd never remembered actually scratching, never mind enough to cause bleeding.

He let his gaze linger for another second before he looked to Lee. "where's Sam?" Dean finally whispered, the rest of the hospital room was empty, other than another unoccupied bed a few feet away, and the few machines that surrounded him.

"In the hall," Lee replied. "He was having a hard time getting John to come in."

Dean nodded. He looked at Lee for another moment before hesitantly turning to Cas, eyes meeting the other's, "Jack?"

"With Logan's mother."

Dean nodded again, finally looking back down to Ellie. The room once again sat in silence, only broken by the beeping of the heart monitor. Then a shuffling came from his right, followed by Cas's voice. "I'm going to tell Sam you've woken."

Dean didn't reply, continuing to stare at his niece.

"Ellie," Dean whispered. He raised a hand as the young girl looked up with her blood shot eyes, using it to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. She had the same look that Sam often held, exhausted, though unlike her dad she didn't hold the tears back, instead letting them stain her cheeks. "How about you go with Cas to find your dad."

"No," she sobbed.

She wrapped her arms around Dean's neck, burying her face into his shoulder.

For a moment Dean didn't argue. Instead wrapping his arms around her shaking body, resting his chin against the top of her head. It felt good to have her in his arms. Innocent. As if the night before had never happened. As if everything was perfect.

He let his eyes flutter shut, holding her tight for another moment before finally pulling away. "I promise you can come right back," Dean said. He spoke in a soft tone, though even if he wanted to he wasn't sure he could speak much louder. "I just need to talk to Lee."

Ellie raised her head, looking up with wide brown eyes. "Pinky promise?"

He lifted his pinky finger, locking his finger with hers, "Pinky promise."

Without another argument Ellie got off the hospital bed. Giving Dean one last look before she went to Cas, and followed him out of the hospital room.

When Dean was sure she was gone, he finally looked to Lee. His friend still stood to his right, looking back with a worried gaze.

"What happened last night?" Dean whispered.