A/N: If these boys didn't keep stopping to have Hurt/Comfort breaks and meltdowns then they would have got to Louisiana a lot quicker…. and dramatically shortened the story. As it is, I'm sorry for the delay, I just returned from travelling, so hopefully this will get regular once again.

This chapter is scary long! (Thanks Dean and Cas!) So that's my gift for your patience and encouragement you gorgeous people. ;)

Chapter 8

Getting Cas back into the Impala involved only a brief freeze before the angel (Dean refused to think of him any other way, no matter what his brother suggested) steeled himself and nodded to continue.

The Winchesters had paid up front for a night in the motel, so after packing up they slipped the key through the mailbox and headed for the road. Dean was glad to get back to getting miles under his belt; jitters from staying too long eased somewhat by the knowledge that they were at least heading for the hunt. Better late than never, he supposed.

Cas seemed unable to sleep for a bit, paranoid of pain and occasionally gripping the seat with nerves. Forty-five minutes into the drive however, fatigue had won out, and the blessed smoothness of the highway allowed for it. Sam muttered that in four hours they could give him some more medication, now that they had stocked up. Dean planned in his head that if they stopped for half an hour with Cas' first break point, then by the time they hit the second one it would be about right.

The first stop came at a small town called Lindsborg that Dean could say he'd never been to before and honestly never wanted to visit again. The gas was pricey, and Cas, although fine for the drive, needed to get out to go be sick again.

Sam fed the shaking and sweating angel dry crackers and water afterwards whilst Dean paid up and went to use the washroom, glaring at the offending building for a lack of people to direct his anger towards. Sam followed him not long after, and by the time they got back to the car they found Cas was struggling to drag himself away from the bush he'd already thrown up in once.

"Damn Cas." The angel said nothing, breathing heavily and loose eyed. Dean's heart clenched as his friend simply reached out to grab onto his arm weakly when he knelt down. With a huff of sympathetic breath the hunter wrapped his angel in a rare hug, half under the pretence of holding him steady, but there was no denying it really.

There appeared to be no fight left in the angel, for he allowed the contact with none of his usual stiffness, even going so far as to sigh and relax slightly when Dean rubbed a smooth circle onto his back. He didn't want to push it though, so swiftly the elder Winchester nodded to his brother and they carefully carried Cas back to the car.

"You alright for now buddy?" Cas managed a weak nod and pulled the blankets higher with a shiver. Dean helped arrange the material and patted the angel on the shoulder in camaraderie.

"Let me know, okay?" There was something that might have bean an affirmative noise, but the angel was falling asleep to quickly to tell. Sam was standing by looking darkly concerned, but waited until Dean had closed the door before proceeding.

"He's loosing too much water, not to mention that we can't get any food into him."

"I know."

"I'd suggest a drip if that were a good idea for us to attempt in any way." Sam suggested with an almost laugh, shaking his head. Dean grimaced at the idea.

"Yeah, heard you need a degree for that."

"Heard you need a degree for cutting out someone's infected muscle too. Not to mention all of the other crap we put ourselves through." Dean waved off his brother.

"Monsters Sam, monsters put us through that. We don't do it for fun." He said nothing of Cas' injury, and Sam didn't either. "You want me to stop in twenty minutes? Give him some sips of water?" Sam looked thoughtful.

"Might be a good idea, yeah. If we don't give him too much, he can't throw it up right?"

"Hopefully."

And with that single conversation, the most frustrating drive of Dean Winchester's life began.

The tiny baby steps they took across the country were infuriating to the point of frustration. He would never say it, not where Cas could hear him and get the wrong idea, but it was pretty much the worst drive he'd ever had. Sam managed to gain satisfaction from every time he managed to help Castiel swallow down a fifth of a bottle of water without regurgitating it, but Dean couldn't find such minute successes worth celebrating. Once Cas could go for five hours straight without trying to hack up his internal organs then he would celebrate.

Their next long stop came at about 4 in the morning at a pull over just past Derby and near the turnoff for a small town-to-nowhere called Mulvane. Dean had vague memories of some town names around these parts, and knew that they were finally, thankfully, getting close to the boarder of Kansas.

Cas managed not to throw up this time, thankfully. Although that could be because he was too busy being not-quite lucid anymore. When they pulled open the door to his side, he didn't even try to get out, or move except to breathe, a frown coating his increasingly pale face. Dean had been worried about him since their last water stop, where Sam had had to spend a good five minutes back there with him, trying to get him to wake up enough to swallow down water.

"Hey, buddy, you with me?" Dean tried, voice soft as he knelt down, rubbing at a blanket clad shoulder. Sam hovered worriedly behind him as Cas drew in a few deeper breaths, moving his head in a lolling motion to the side. "Cas?" Shaking the angel's shoulder elicited a whine, but managed to make Cas open his eyes. The haunted pain from yesterday was coating blue irises.

"Come on, you get some medicine now." Together with Sam he helped Cas sit up, and had to hold him firmly in place when his upper body threatened to fold. Dean saw that his limbs were shaking. "Talk to me, you feeling pain? Hot? What's going on?" Cas sucked in breath, looking like it was taking effort, and didn't meet Dean's eyes because he couldn't lift his own head up.

"Hey, hey." Dean shifted swiftly and lifted Cas' floppy head between his hands; feeling hot, sweat stained skin burning him. The shorter man opened glazed eyes again, half-mast, and managed to focus on Dean, frowning miserably and with pain.

"Cas…" Dean frowned, wondering just what state the foggy eyed man was in, his expression hurt and lost. "Do you know where you are right now?" Cas' painfully confused and swimming expression as he looked between Dean's eyes was nearly crushing.

"With you?" Cas asked, voice small and scared. Dean saw Sam's hands clench on the angel's body as he felt his own chest constrict tightly with misery, sympathy and a little bit of panic. He didn't know if there was any point in trying to get the angel to think any harder than that… and those eyes were looking at him for help, for safety and confirmation.

"Yeah. Yeah that's right Cas." Dean ducked forwards until his forehead bumped against Cas', releasing a harsh breath. The angel closed his eyes sleepily and Dean drew back, shaking him a little, gently.

"Alright, medicine." Sam hurriedly grabbed the bottles and slid in awkwardly next to them. Cas seemed to feel the weight next to him, or maybe the warmth, and leaned into it as if it was an invitation, slumping against the solid body in a way Dean was sure he wouldn't dare do consciously.

"Man Cas," Dean leant Castiel's head on Sam's shoulder without meeting any resistance, Sam looked vaguely worried and a little surprised. The older brother busied himself with fixing Cas' two pills together and pushing them into the angel's mouth. Blue eyes opened a little confused, and as Dean tipped the water bottle to his mouth the liquid sloshed everywhere as Cas' throat closed and he jerked back with a noise of discomforted surprise.

"Hey hey," Dean grabbed at him, focusing him, meeting unbalanced confusion in the other's eyes. "You've got this, Cas. Just swallowing, that's all, alright?" Another heavy frown, scared eyes.

"I don't- I'm an, I shouldn't-"

"Shh shh, relax Cas." Dean insisted, Sam halted him with a quick hand motion and manhandled Cas until their eyes met, wide freaked blue to brown.

"Trust me, okay."

"Y-you shouldn't-" Sam tipped Cas' head back and nicked the water from Dean in order to tip it into the angel's mouth with one hand along with the pills. Against Cas' splutter the other hand came up to massage his throat whilst Sam covered his mouth. Dean tensed on tender-hooks at the chocking cough and jerk of the angel's body in resistance… But apparently, worryingly, Cas was no match for Sam's hand, and after a few painfully coaxed gulps the taller Winchester released his hold on the floppy angel to allow him to gasp and prise horrified eyes open to stare at the man.

"Take it easy Castiel." Sam advised, slowly, lowly. Dean could only watch between the two, not understanding what was happening. Unconsciously he reached out until he was holding Cas' forearm. Cas' arm rolled under his hand until he could grip tightly onto the man's arm for dear life, but his eyes were still on Sam.

"W-what did you… where, h-Dean." With the last word Cas turned frantic and fearfully urgent eyes onto Dean's own green ones. He sat back a bit in surprise before leaning forwards and placing what he hoped was a steadying hand onto his friend's knee.

"Cas?"

"You're here…but I, I-" Both brothers, despite Sam's previously collected disposition, jumped and jerked into abortive action when Cas flinched in on himself, curling into a loose ball with his hands over his face. Dean's heart tangled in a nasty pile up with his intestines as he heard the wretched sobs of yesterday coming from his angel again… but different, desperate hopeless and confused. Grief stricken.

"I d-didn't want you back here, I s-saved you!" Cas cried out, heartbroken. Dean shot his brother a confused and freaked out look, disbelieving that Sam's face had closed in saddened understanding with his mouth forming a little 'o'. Dean frowned at him briefly before moving on in favour of wrapping his arms around Cas and clinging on tight.

"You did, you did save me, we're not wherever you think we are dude, we're safe…" He trailed off as Cas actually clutched onto him with a desperate sort of noise, hand reaching up to where there was once a handprint of the angel, one that had faded sometime after… After Dean stopped believing in him. Or after Cas died with the Leviathans… he couldn't remember anymore.

Sam rubbed up and down Cas' back until the smaller body squirmed with a wriggle, trying to escape the touch or some other discomfort whilst not letting go of Dean. The angel's face pressed into the man's collarbone, his tears disappearing almost as abruptly as they'd come in favour of harsh panting. Dean struggled to keep his hold for a moment as the angel sagged and twisted into him at the same time, hands fisting into his jacket over the shoulders with desperate clinging fingers.

"I-I'm hot, I'm so hot, h-f-fires like hell." Cas panted deliriously. Dean flicked eyes up to his brother.

"Sam."

"Right." The taller man hastened to get out and get to the back of the car. They had a cooler in the trunk, small, but able to pack a couple of emergency beers and ice packs.

"Cas, its okay, alright, we're gonna cool you down, just hang in there." He stretched out to receive the first pack from Sam whilst trying to keep a hold on Cas' struggling, twisting form, fingers fisting for comfort in the leather jacket. The angel chocked out another sob between panting, pressing his head heavily into Dean's body.

He pressed the pack against the back of the heated neck and held it until Cas slumped completely and he had to drop everything to catch him.

"Jesus Christ." Sam awkwardly reached over to grab the ice pack and pressed it back to Cas' neck where his pulse was visibly jumping. Dean struggled to stroke his friend's hair back with one hand and dislodge the blankets with the other arm whilst Cas was still trying to grab at him, eyes tightly shut and face distressed.

Somehow Sam managed to get between them enough to unzip Cas' top and check the bandages were still intact before rubbing their second icepack over the angel's heaving chest. Dean fought underneath his brother, feeling stressed by all the limbs in the way and the fact that it made it that much harder to care for Cas, who was breathing like a racehorse and hot like one too. After much limb negotiation Dean managed to get his face above Cas', hands bracketing his friend's flushed cheeks.

"Hey, Cas, buddy look at me." Cas' wild eyes flew open and his own hands fumbled free of Dean's jacket and came to mirror the man's position on the face above him. "We've got you, we've got this…" Cas' water stained, red eyes looked up at him uncomprehendingly, pained, confused, pleading. Dean snuck a look back at Sam but couldn't see. Cas' hands were sweaty and shaking on his cheeks, eyes scared. Dean cursed softly with the realisation that wherever Cas was right now, it wasn't fully with him. He changed tactics. Meeting his friend's eyes he spoke very firmly and carefully, hoping to pass some assurance and sanctuary into the lost orbs beneath him.

"I've got you. I'm here, Cas, and I'm not letting you go." Cas frowned at him, but at least seemed to understand this time.

"D-Dea-ean."

"I'm here, I've got you buddy, wings halo and all. Not gonna let you get burnt. Not gonna let anyone hurt you, or anything. Not gonna let anything hurt my angel." The desperately thankful love in his angel's eyes sold it for Dean. Sold him that he'd done right. Weak shaky fingers stroked his cheek before Cas' hands fell away, face crumpling into almost relieved but thankfully less panicky tears. His hands caught a few times down Dean's arms before dropping to his sides. Dean gulped, but kept his thumbs rubbing soothing circles around Cas' cheeks and temples until the angel started to calm beneath him.

"I've got you buddy. I've got you angel." He murmured to Cas lowly, seeing him relax further at the word 'angel', his breathing evening out into less frightening pants and falling into the grip of a lulling consciousness. The hunter could see his friend's pale lips moving almost soundlessly with every breath out. It took him a while and a second of careful listening to work out that Cas was saying 'Dean, Dean, Dean' repeatedly under his breath.

The whole agony and wonder of their time together crashed into Dean's body, leaving him feeling achy and exhausted, heavy limbed and as if his mind had been bludgeoned.

How the hell had they come to this… And why did it feel like their closest interaction to him? Why did it seem to matter just as much as averting the apocalypse, betrayals and redemptions… What the hell kind of turns had they taken in their lives to end up here, right now, like this?

Two friends clinging to each other in the backseat of his trusty car on the road to nowhere in the middle of the night… Just him his brother and his angel…

Why did he feel so good and mentally weightless even if he was tired like the dead?

His hand brushed over Castiel's sweaty hair as the angel's mouth stopped moving except to pant in sleep. Maybe it was because in this moment, right here, that was all that had mattered, that they were there and reaching for each other and for once maybe managing to grab a hold at the same time.

He'd sure as hell never admit it to Sam, but this ordeal for all three of them might just be turning him into one hell of a sap. But then Sam still got scared of clowns. So he had that on him at least.

"Man I need a drink." Dean voiced instead of any of that. Sam, still poised awkwardly above him, paused for a moment before loosening a little like the tension had been cut from his bones too.

"Seconded."

With difficulty they detangled and gravitated out of the car. Sitting on the curb as the sky lightened from black to navy blue with a hint of dawn lacing the horizon, Dean felt exhausted, but somewhat more okay than he had been since coming back from purgatory. Certainly since Cas had come back.

"So, guess we can add fever delirium to the list of symptoms now. At least that means his body's fighting back." Sam took a swig as he announced this and Dean glanced over a little, leaden limbs barely managing to lift bottle to mouth without a concentrated effort.

"Was that what it was." Dean commented, pulling a thoughtful face. "Makes sense." Sam shrugged.

"I guess so, at least, he seemed to think he was still in hell… rescuing you." Dean didn't look over, favouring the grass rather than the weight of his brother's stare. "Do you actually remember any of it?" Here he glanced over with a squint but raised eyebrow.

"What, hell?"

"Getting out." The older brother fiddled with his bottle for a while finally looking up at the horizon.

"No. Not a damn thing." Sam hummed in acknowledgement, shifting his own bottle before a swig.

"Did you never ask?" Dean scoffed and turned to Sam properly.

"Do you remember Cas back then man? 'Gripped me tight and raised me from perdition' was his way of giving a full description. Besides, doubt it was anything particularly inspiring from my point of view… Ball of light, burning? Rush of air? Who knows? Doubt it was the whole choir and bells thing y'know?" Sam huffed a laugh briefly.

"Yeah. No, probably not." They sat in silence whilst they drank the rest of the beer. After nursing the drinks for a while they clambered back in the car and set off on their way.

=BREAK=

They let Cas sleep in the back, ignoring water stops until reaching the boarder to Oklahoma. Without sound medical advice, the brothers had decided that letting the angel sleep was going to be better for him. Dean was counting down the hours until they reached New Orleans now just because they could get Cas set up in a motel for the duration of the hunt. By the time they stopped just outside a place called Perry, they were about 12 hours out from their destination.

Factoring in Cas breaks and maybe another long break or a sleep break if they didn't manage to take turns whilst the other drove, that was another full day and a half probably.

Never had it taken longer to reach somewhere, but Dean had gotten into the motion now.

They stopped and stretched their legs for a moment before heading on back to Cas. He was still running a fever, and nearly had a panic when Sam went to give him water after Dean coaxed him awake… But what could they do? Sam just had the knack for it now, and if Dean let Cas clutch his hand like a lifeline and talked him through it then they could manage a few sips at a time. He was still having swallowing issues, which didn't help. Sam suspected that he'd forgotten the ability to swallow, going back into 'factory settings' of an angel: don't need to eat or drink; don't need to know how.

Either way, after the first three sessions of one gulp apiece, Cas had evidently gotten either the hang of it or the thirst for it, and took to guzzling down water like a beached fish. Sam controlled how much he drank in order to avoid more throwing up. The whole process meant that until Cas' thirst was satisfied they spent 45 minutes loitering in a lay by.

Sam then took a walk to shake out some stress to the nearest gas station or store to get them some more water. Dean took a nap with Cas. He would swear up and down from here to hell that he didn't spend any of it awkwardly holding the angel's hand in order to feel his pulse beating on, and luckily woke up before Sam arrived back thanks to the crunching of gravel.

Restocked, they continued with Sam driving until Purcell, thankful that Cas didn't wake whilst they were stuck in early commute traffic and airport transport around Oklahoma City.

"Alright Cas. Round two… Or whatever." Dean mumbled as he got out, stretching his arms. Sam rolled his shoulders out and they circled round to the back of the car. Upon opening the door, Cas' eyes struggled to prise open with a few failing attempts. Dean crouched down in front of him, hopefully.

"Hey Cas, how're you doing? Been awake for a while huh?" Cas met his eyes foggily, half lidded but still managing to hone in on Dean in the same way that he'd managed to tune out Sam. Dean felt a bit bad about that, but he understood coping mechanisms as well as the next person, and Sam understood them maybe even better after his year with Lucifer.

"I'mm nuh-" Cas broke off from his soft voice to cough weakly and raggedly. Dean stood and snapped his fingers over the car with a gesture and Sam chucked him a water bottle. Crouching back down the hunter eased Castiel's head up and helped him slurp down some gulps of water messily. Dean cut him off before too long, slowing down to short sips. It was much easier getting Cas to drink when he was awake and semi lucid.

"You doing okay in the car?" Cas nodded in a vague lolling motion, panting softly. Sam came around the car with a watery but cool ice pack and Cas moaned plaintively when Dean pressed it to his forehead. "Do you need us to stop more?" The angel shook his head loosely, working his way a little to lean further into the cool compact. Dean frowned a little.

"Cas?" Weak eyes fought to meet his again. "You sure man? You really don't look good." There was a barely functional nod, exhausted and floppy. Dean didn't like it. The limp compliance was such a polar opposite of Castiel. Even yesterday he'd shown some action even if it had been stress induced.

"You gonna keep hanging in there for me?" Another fatigue-stunted nod. Breathing in deeply through his nose, Dean stood. Sam was next to him, watching but with a face lined with the shadows of tiredness.

"Do we keep going?" Sam asked, clearly getting antsy with exhaustion. Dean sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair swiftly.

"I'm just worried that he wont ask us to stop if he really needs it." Sam nodded jerkily, Dean could see a crank-attack coming a mile off with his brother, and wanted it averted, with a slap on the shoulder he nodded Sam towards the passenger seat. "Go on, take a break, I've got the next leg. I can handle this for now."

Sam looked set to argue for a moment before simply nodding gratefully and rubbing his eyes, heading for the passenger seat. Dean sat back down by Cas, whose eyes slanted open when his shoulder was nudged.

"Hey, you want any more of this?" Dean rattled the water bottle temptingly. Cas looked on vaguely, eyelids drooping, and seemed to breathe out a shrugging answer.

Dean waited for the remaining fifteen minutes till it was time to move on, alternating between walking laps of their lay by and coaxing Cas to take whatever small sips of water he could manage. With time up, he bent down again and straightened Cas' clothes a little, letting him keep the second ice pack on his neck and putting the first back in the cooler.

"You'll let me know if you need a break right? Or if you get too hot or cold?" Another weak, pained nod. "Good. You're doing really good. Not too much further now."

Sam was snoring in the front when they set off. Dean kept an eye on the mirror, to keep tabs on Cas. Rain begun pattering against the windscreen with about as much energy as the younger Winchester was showing. If they weren't already making such terrible time Dean might have spared the energy to feel mulish about it, but as it was he just hoped the weather would be cooler for Cas. The angel managed to sleep for half an hour before beginning to shake and pant, body tossing in weak floppy movements.

"Cas? You okay? Cas." There was no response other than a stunted whine and squirm. Dean swore under his breath and pulled over five minutes down the road at a rest stop.

Sam managed to sleep like the dead as his brother went round to the angel carefully lifted him out of the car and carried his dead whimpering weight behind some trees.

The ground wasn't that wet yet, but once the angel felt the cool rain on his skin he moaned and stopped shifting quite so much. Dean made sure his bandages stayed dry and kept a check on his temperature. Too much time in the rain might cool him too much, but for now it was better than the two cool packs available. Cas drifted off into his own head for a bit, murmuring nonsense almost soundlessly. After twenty minutes, Cas' eyes opened and swam to his. There was no more clarity present, but Dean tried a smile anyway.

"Feeling better now?" He checked Cas' forehead and found him slightly cooler, if clammy. Cas watched him numbly, silently, until his eyes closed again with a huff of breath. "Can you keep going again?... Cas?" He received an incomprehensible noise that sounded just a bit too much like 'Dean' for him to believe it was anything other than recognition.

"Cas?" Yep. There was the same noise from a lax throat and parted, softly panting lips. "Alright." He decided, and once again hefted the angel's smaller body up. Carrying him solo was something of a test, but by now, Dean could tell that Cas was hardly a good weight, and thought the strain had more to do with his own fatigue than the angel's weight.

Cas couldn't even hold himself upright sitting anymore, with the exhaustion and lack of stomach muscles, it was all Dean could do to guide the sick angel into a hardly-controlled collapse over the back seats. The man took a moment to arrange limbs that weren't short enough to comfortably fit within the Impala and dabbed the angel mostly dry with a towel before getting back behind the wheel and heading on out.

All he could do was hope that the angel's fever had broken gently in the rain. Even if he'd gotten really ill, he was too weak to show it.

=BREAK=

Dean missed the next stop due to their earlier one, and regretted it once Cas began shivering in the back and turning to look for him blindly, reach for him.

"D-D-D-De-ea-n," Carefully, he stuck his hand back and managed to grab onto the angel's at the near whispered call.

"Yeah Cas?"

"'M-m cold." His eyes left the mirror where Cas was struggling to curl up again with a frown, eyes heavy and loose. Instead Dean scanned the road ahead.

"Alright, just a minute angel." Even Cas' new-found favourite word ceased to make Castiel feel better once Dean had to take his hand back in order to pull over and park a few bends down in the same pull over as a setting-up burrito van. The angel reached for where the hand had vanished with small noises of unease, eyes searching until Dean managed to stop and get round to the back.

"Here you go, yeah I know, I know." Cas's hands fumbled with his as Dean checked the angel's clothes were dry before pulling the blanket back over him. The rain had increased somewhat, and the man in the food van was looking at them funny as Dean sat out in the rain, crouched by Cas, and allowed his sick friend to cling weakly to his hand until the shivers exhausted him back to sleep.

Dean just barely escaped the downpour and hurried back inside the car just as the heavens opened. Cas made another distressed noise, tossing a little in his sleep, and Dean reached back and squeezed his shoulder for another five minutes until the shivering had eased off and the angel's movements had stilled.

When Sam grumbled awake Dean started their trek once more, relieved from his angel-care duties by Sam, who reached back instead to try rubbing circles over Cas in a rhythmic, soothing manner, quelling the last remaining stirs of restlessness by the time they passed by Denton, Texas.

=BREAK=

Their drive was relatively silent for about an hour, relative being that Cas didn't start screaming and thrashing. Sam watched Dean have to grit his teeth and attempt to focus on the lunchtime traffic around Dallas whilst the angel in the back seat occasionally made sounds like he was rattling his last breath. By the time they made it out to Mesquite, Dean pulled over first chance he got.

Sam felt slightly better for a short sleep, but his very bones were rattling tight with concern for Cas. And watching him and Dean together was nearly downright heartbreaking. Castiel didn't seem to want anyone but Dean, the older Winchester waving his brother off when Sam suggested taking a turn Cas-calming.

Dean got out and traipsed to the back of the car looking like death warmed up. Sam watched from the back as his brother knelt down and crouched by Cas, lifting a hand to card through his best friend's sweat sticky hair.

Cas managed to breathe in easier and whispered Dean's name with barely any sound, leaning into the touch. Sam could just about hear what Dean said back to his angel, to keep going, to stay with him, because 'I need you, man'… but listening felt like intruding and left him feeling twisting inside with anxiety.

Just what would it do to Dean if Cas were to die here, in their backseat?

Sam took the chance to go on back to Castiel when Dean wandered off to hit the head, running a hand through his hair and over his mouth in a habit of stress. The taller Winchester sat beside Cas and took his pulse, feeling the unhealthy flutter weak and thready as ever. With a sigh Sam turned to look out at the grey clouds.

"You've gotta pull through Cas… You just have to. He can't make it without you, not like he should. Dean needs you, he always will. Hell maybe we both do." When he turned back, Sam was a little startled to see Cas meeting his eyes with an at least barely lucid look in his blue eyes. Other than the scrap of life, Cas looked dead already.

"Sam," The word was breathed out and a little desperate. Sam shifted into gear.

"Hey Cas, what do you need?" A pained frown closed Cas' eyes as he breathed for a moment, attempting to swallow dryly.

"Water." The word was cracked out and breaking with throat exertion. Sam hurried to grab a fresh bottle, but when he tipped it to Cas' lips it merely spilled out, the angel's head dropping to the side weakly.

"Cas, come on, you need to swallow." Sam coaxed. Cas dragged in a small, rough breath slowly before replying, voice barely audible and wrung out beyond belief.

"I can't." Sam watched with muted horror as Cas struggled to even draw breath. Options flashed through his head. Ice cubes would make Cas choke, if he was too weak to swallow would the force-drinking technique even work? Was a drip a good idea in any way shape or form? No, there was no way they could prevent air bubbles. And there was no way Sam was risking Cas on something like that.

"Okay, it's alright. I'm gonna try making you swallow alright, if you start to panic, just try and move or make a noise alright? Otherwise try and stay relaxed." Cas' nod was fractional at best. Sam removed his coat and folded it under the angel's floppy head to get a natural slope. With Cas' head supported he poured in a gulp of water and swiftly gently closed Castiel's mouth, rubbing his throat.

There was a slow half gulp, followed by another until the water was gone.

"Okay?" Sam asked, hand on the angel's shoulder. He received nothing in reply. Deciding that even if Cas was back asleep, he needed to drink, Sam coaxed more swallows out of him until a faint gleam of water glinted under dark eyelashes.

"You're doing good Cas, you're doing really good. So good angel." A harsher breath was the only indication that Cas was still with him, followed by another hitch that sounded suspiciously like 'Dean'. "I'll get him for you."

Sam looked up, keeping one hand on Cas, and encouraged Dean back, who looked sharply at him and hurried.

"He's just coming Cas." Sam soothed, attempting a small head massage until Dean plopped down.

"Hey buddy, I'm here." The piteous keen that escaped Cas' throat had Dean grasping for the angel's trembling fingers and bending over him in an awkward sort of blanket hug. "I'm here, I've got you, you're doing good buddy. Doing real good."

Sam could tell it was bad, because they'd both resorted to their 'keep the calm' voices employed for tragic cases and emergencies.

"He's dehydrating." Sam muttered. "Or just weak, I can't tell. I'm not sure what we can do." He stated it matter-of-factly for both their nerves, Dean didn't reply, and Sam politely looked away when his brother placed a kiss to his angel's hairline. This was starting to feel more and more like a deathbed. Dean waited a long time before replying.

"We'll stay here, long as it takes. We'll get him back on… we'll get him back."

"Yeah, okay." Sam answered slowly, quietly, measuring the subtle shake in his unmoving brother's voice, the tense line of his shoulders. "I'll leave you the bottle, he'll drink if you rub his throat, I'll see if I can fine anything else that might help."

"Yeah," Dean coughed a bit, roughly, and sat up long enough to grab the water bottle, "sounds good."

Sam nodded, pointlessly, and went off. His scan of the nearby gas station led to sports drinks, crackers, bananas, yogurt… He got a bit of anything that might help, swallowing down the shakes threatening to creep up on him.

He returned to find at least another couple of gulps of water gone and Dean shushing a coughing Castiel.

"Any better?" Sam asked. At least coughing showed life. Dean glanced at him.

"I don't know man. Hey, shh Cas, shh, easy." It took a minute for him to settle down. Sam was relieved to see no blood at least.

"Let me try? These drinks might help." Dean frowned dubiously but sat back. Sam was leaning forwards as a large white and red van pulled up to the gas and two guys got out to stretch their legs… an ambulance.

The two brothers looked at each other.

"Pretty illegal, Dean." Sam cautioned, though he didn't know why, he certainly didn't care about the illegality of it. Compared to some of the things they got up to, robbing an ambulance was relatively tame… but it felt more wrong somehow.

"Sam, Cas' done more for this place than anyone else on their list today… I doubt they're exactly planning on running into Oprah. Besides, they always carry spares!" Dean hissed back. Sam took a look, and back to his brother's hope-sparked eyes, and nodded.

"Lets do it."

Apparently, a smash and grab on an ambulance is sickeningly easy… That, or he was a more hardened criminal than he thought. Sam piled stuff into a bag as Dean kept look out and idled on the gas. He grabbed everything he could think of and more, making sure to leave a spare of everything for the sake of his conscience, and scrambled out.

He jumped into the car and they drove off without panic till speeding it ten minutes down the freeway, hearts pounding.

They didn't want to wait long with Cas' state, and managed to find a junkyard to hide amongst.

"Not exactly sanitary." Sam groused as they squished into the back together, in the foot wells, and shedded Cas of his jumper. Dean kept a hand on Cas' all the time, even though there was no response now bar the constant drag of breath and a twitch of white fingers.

"Its not like we have a choice here, Sam." Dean pointed out. Sam didn't bother to do more than shrug.

A quick youtube tutorial on the road had shown Sam hopefully all he needed to know… hopefully.

"Okay, left arm."

"You're not going to ask which one his smiting arm is?"

"No, I'm going to do exactly what the video said, and punch you in the face if you distract me again."

"…Point taken."

"Good, now shut up jerk."

"Bitch."

After their steam was blown off, Sam located the vein with Dean's aid, something easier said than done, and carefully inserted the needle. It was so thin Sam had worried about snapping it. IV done, he taped it in place and Hung it carefully on the window hanger, tying it on for good luck. The relief from seeing the drip start taking action was somewhat heady.

"Good. Good." Sam muttered nonsensically.

"Yeah." Dean agreed as they stared at the drip. "Man, if we get pulled over now-"

"Don't." Sam pleaded, holding up a hand. This was just one of many situations he did not want to explain to the cops.

"Yeah, sorry. Thanks Sam." Dean met his brother's eyes briefly before Dean looked away.

"Hey, he's my friend too."

"I know, I know." Dean clapped Sam on the back slightly, and eased out of the car without dislodging the IV. "Right, lets just wait here for half an hour or so, tape the shit out of his arm so the car wont dislodge it, and then get our of here before anyone realises something is missing."

"Plan." Sam seconded, and rose to stretch his legs a bit.

In half an hour they secured the bag and Cas, who already seemed to be breathing a bit less raggedly, and set off.

=BREAK=

Dean stopped every half hour to check on Cas. Gradually the brothers noticed his breathing improving, colour returning from grey-translucent to pale but not deathly. As they reached near Shreveport, Louisiana in the early afternoon, they stopped for a longer break.

Having driven perfectly within the law, they hadn't made great time, and both Winchesters had been running on empty before they could reach a food joint.

Car parked, they grabbed take out and returned to Cas-guarding. The angel hadn't moved or woken since Mesquite, but Dean was riding the fragile hope that he was finally getting some decent sleep rather than slipping away. Sam went to check on the IV when he'd finished.

"There isn't any bruising yet, and the drip should last for another few hours. Should we stop somewhere for a while or do you want to head on?" Dean looked at his watch.

"We're what, five hours away now? I vote for pushing on. Longer we stay somewhere the more likely cops will spot the IV. And whilst Cas is sleeping…" Because the car still wasn't good for him, and his colour may have improved, but only to the point of when they'd been in Lindsborg. And it was even worrying that he hadn't woken up. But if they could get him down to New Orleans, set up in a motel, then by the time he'd come off the drip he'd be in relative comfort, at least.

"Hmm, good point." Sam stretched with a wide yawn. Dean was tempted to suggest they both catch some Z's here, but they could get caught too easily. They waited half an hour, and Dean let Sam sleep for the next stretch.

The post-work rush hour slowed their travel slightly, and Dean had half a mind to pull over and just let it pass, sunset creeping into the window adding to his fatigue, when there was the softest cough from the back.

"Dean," The hunter slowed down and turned around to see Cas, weak eyes were gazing at him vaguely from under half-mast lids. Dean's chest skyrocketed a bit in relief and dual concern that something was wrong again.

"Hey Cas. How're you doing?" He asked, voice a bit urgent yet attempting quiet and calm. Blue eyes fluttered with a steadying breath.

"C-can we p-pulover s-still?" Cas slurred with a fading voice.

"Yeah, of course we can." Dean replied instantly, and scanned for somewhere. There was a park coming up. "Five minutes, okay?" A stunted nod.

"Okay," Cas murmured. Sam roused when the car slowed down, and begun stretching as Dean got out and round to Castiel's head.

"Hey," Dean began, squatting down and meeting thoroughly sick and exhausted eyes. "What do you need buddy?" Cas's eyes drooped.

"J-jus' wan' some-air, th-the door-"

"Yeah, sure thing Cas." Dean replied, unhooking the IV carefully and taping it to the seat back before opening the door wide, Sam surreptitiously opened the door on the other side and a nice breeze started through.

Cas closed his eyes as the wind washed over him, ruffling his hair, and inhaled a shaky deeper breath.

Dean took a moment to lift and flick the blanket, airing it of stale air. Cas' eyes fluttered open to watch him with weak question.

"Trust me, it'll feel better." Cas' eyes swam off towards the sky. Dean and Sam watched as the angel stared unseeingly at the clouds, eyes slipping closed and breathing softening back into sleep. Together the brothers shared a glance.

Even with the IV, Cas was still too tired; he hadn't even tried to move.

They waited for another half hour before climbing back in the car. Sam took over and Dean tried to sleep, but couldn't. He kept hearing Cas become restless. The angel didn't move much, a simple shift of millimeters and hitch of breath; unable and unwilling to expend any energy he didn't have to.

They paused a couple of times for pit stops and Cas-checks, each time Dean went back there he found his friend slumped head to the side and barely able to peel his eyes open for longer than it took the green-eyed man to say 'nearly there Cas, you're doing good.'

At least, for the first time this trip, that was true.

Sam pulled over in the evening just outside of the town of Donaldsonville where they were headed, and removed Cas' IV. Dean ran a hand over Cas' hair and cheek, soothing him a little when he shifted at the change and stop, an aborted and cramped stretch almost like a cat.

"Ssh, welcome to New Orleans Cas." Dean murmured, attempting to coax Cas into a more awake state. "Just gonna stop by a motel now, then that's it, ten minutes and we're done. That's all buddy." Cas' eyes blurred over a bit.

"'Kay." He slurred, breathed out, eyes closing.

"Nearly over now, I swear." Dean squeezed Cas' shoulder solidly for a moment, and stood back up to drive the last way. Sam clambered in and they shared a look before setting off, both keen to reach a hotel, get Cas settled in and get a decent nights sleep before tackling cannibal grannies.

=Thanks for reading! Hope this chapter was ok, see you next time…=