Chapter Text
The fear of dread overwhelms Castiel as he reaches across the bed. It’s empty but still warm. Where did Dean go? He must have just left. He pulls himself up and sighs heaving himself out of bed, as he walks out of his bedroom he hears sizzling and the scent of coffee. A sense of relief washes over him as he spots Dean with a tea towel over his left shoulder, ‘mornin’ sunshine’. Dean turns around with a cheeky grin before he puts some bacon and eggs on a plate. 'You didn’t think I’d leave before making you breakfast, did ya?’ giving Cas a wink.
‘You going to the auto shop today?’ asks Castiel, grabbing the coffee mug on the table.
‘No actually, I’m going to Jo and Charlie’s GRID meetings, we’re discussing newsletters with Cassie,’ responds Dean.
‘I believe the correct term now is HIV/AIDS, Dean. The person contracts human immunodeficiency virus, otherwise known as HIV and if left untreated they will contract AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’, Cas says outrightly.
‘Right, AIDS, sorry’, Dean says apologetically.
Cas tilts his head at Dean, he can’t help but to smile though. The Dean he knew several years ago would have been apprehensive about anything with same-sex related aspects. This Dean…he was more sure of himself. He goes on to eat the breakfast that Dean cooked for him before starting his day of work.
‘So what now? How you opening up your practice?’ questions Dean
Cas shrugs and gestures, ‘Well, I’ve got one patient, so I guess I’ll work from there.’
‘You know, if you want, you could go in on the meeting today. We’ve got people looking after AIDS patients, but we could always have an expert,’ Dean says hopefully.
‘I’ll consider it,’ the other man replies, smiling back.
Castiel looks at the piece of paper with the address on it, the apartment block looks empty, but Cas notices the clematis growing around the building, creating a magic aura about it. He goes inside. Inside it’s quiet and cool, the hallways are painted navy blue and forest green, he comes across Hannah’s apartment door and bangs the door with his elbow, so as not to touch the door. Moments later the door creaks open, and Hannah appears, slightly pale she beckons him to come inside, so he does.
The apartment is neat and in good condition, ‘You’re home is wonderful’, compliments Cas.
‘Thank you’, responds Hannah, ‘I tried tidying up before you came I’ll admit. It’s been a harrowing few weeks if I’m being honest. Would you like a coffee? I mean…maybe not…since you know…’
‘Maybe you should sit down’, he says.
Hannah takes a seat on the couch, ‘look, I can’t help you get better, but what I can do is make sure that you get the care you need as the disease progresses. Can I have a look at you?’, Castiel articulates whilst grabbing a seat and placing it adjacent to Hannah. ‘So when were you last tested?’
‘I tested positive a few weeks ago’.
‘Have you ever taken any drugs with needles or had intercourse without protection?’
‘I’ve always worn protection, but maybe a few times, I have taken smack though…’, she says softly.
‘So first thing you should know…always wear protection, and never, under any circumstances, share needles’, says Cas softly, ‘I’d recommend you stop taking them from now on, it’ll most likely make your sickness worse.
‘Whilst it may uh…seem solicitous for now, I have contacts that can help you, maybe stay with you if you don’t have anyone else to turn to’ Castiel gravely articulates.
He can see Hannah break down, ‘thank you’ she sniffles, he wants to hug or comfort her but he can’t, so he tries in his softest voice ‘It’s the least I can do’.
‘Do you mind if, are you okay if I have a look at you?’, he requests softly.
She nods, in turn he begins to put his gloves on and inspect kaposi sarcoma on her neck, ‘you uh haven’t been trying those pseudo-cures have you?’
Hannah shakes her head, ‘what’s that?’
‘Well, some people, from what I’ve researched, they might eat certain foods, drink urine or even swallow battery acid’, he says checking Hannah’s glands.
‘You experiencing any night sweats and or fever’
‘Yeah’
‘Okay can you please open your mouth?’ Castiel looks inside, and sees the various ulcers in Hannah’s mouth.
Taking off his gloves, he gets out a pen and a notepad. ‘Here’s my phone number for now, if you need anything’, he then places one of the papers on the coffee table.
‘Okay’ Cas says, clapping his hands on his knees and walks to the door, however before he leaves he has a thought, ‘I know of a contact, her name is Sister Jo, I’ll talk to her, and she’ll take care of you. She’s good people. I worked with her when I started in Austin. I’ll try to organise your things tonight, he says to Hannah who sits small on the sofa.
Before going back to the bar he sees a phone booth, he may as well. Castiel proceeds to dial Sister Jo’s number. After a few moments the line is picked up. ‘Hello?’ an ethereal voice crackles through.
‘Hey Sister Jo, it’s Castiel’, he says through the phone.
‘Castiel….now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while, what can I do for you?’
‘I uh was wondering if we could talk?, shall we meet Wednesday, 4pm at the roadhouse?’
‘Isn’t that the gay bar downtown? What are you doing there?’, curiosity dripping through the phone.
‘I’m uh, running a hospice for patients with HIV/AIDS I thought you could help?’
‘Hmm, okay, I’ll be there’ she says.
‘Thank you, we’ll talk’ he hangs up the phone.
Walking into the bar, there were more people than Cas had expected, hell the support network was surprising for a condition that had only become globally known for a few years. He always thought HIV/AIDS wasn’t really the best way to label someone with the condition. He’d witnessed women and trans people the likes of Hannah who had been afflicted with it.
Castiel felt a sense of pride blossoming looking on at Dean greeting people. ‘And this is my boyfriend, Cas,’ introduces Dean to a red-haired lady.
‘Whoa, is that who I think it is?’ she exclaims.
Before Cas reacts she hugs him, ‘and you must be Charlie?’ he replies, with a startled expression.
‘In the flesh,’ responds Charlie delightfully.
‘Lovely to finally meet you,’ smiles Cas.
‘Hey, uh Cas, Sammy’s over there, I’m going to go say hi, okay?’ Dean interjects, squeezing Cas’ hand before letting go.
‘So uh what else do you do? Besides being with Dean’ Charlie asks awkwardly.
‘Well uh, I mean…I uh, I’m taking care of someone with HIV/AIDS, if..if that’s what you mean?’ answers Cas awkwardly not really knowing what to say.
‘Oh uh cool, that’s so cool that you’re doing that. You know we have volunteers if you need anyone?
‘Thank you, that’s greatly appreciated’ smiles Cas. He then sees what he thinks is Sister Jo at the bar, ‘it was really lovely meeting you but uh, I’ve got to go’.
Walking toward Sister Jo, he notices that her original brunette hair, now auburn and now down to her waist. Her clothing matches with what the trend seems to be these days, high waisted trousers with flares, a maroon blouse and a white puffy jacket. ‘Sister Jo?’ He approaches her
‘Castiel’, Sister Jo smiles,
‘What brings you here?’, he responds curiously. This felt like a coincidence, then again it felt like it was more than that.
‘Well, I was around the neighbourhood, it turns out this bar has some nice drinks and good food, so I thought why not check it out. Then I realised that this was the place we were going to meet later in the week, so I thought, 'heck why don’t I check it out, and maybe you’ll be around’, she said, beckoning him to take a seat.
Castiel smiles prompting, ‘I uh..I need to ask you a favour, and I’ll pay you the amount you get for your services at the hospital’.
Sister Jo takes a sip from her drink, ‘you know, I still owe you for that time you helped me with…’ she pauses, ‘I can’t say his name…’ Sister Jo says sadly.
‘I told you, you can use the one you made up for him if it makes you feel better’, Castiel gently says.
‘I haven’t thanked you enough…for what you did for me about…Lucifer, so I figure I owe you this one’, she says appreciatively.
‘Any time, let’s just say he’s sleeping with fishes so to speak. He won’t bother you anymore’, returns Castiel crisply.
Sister Jo pouts and sobers up, ‘So…tell me about Hannah’.
‘Hannah, well Hannah is a cousin of a former patient of mine - ‘
‘Wait a former?’, Sister Jo interrupts.
‘Yeah, I uh, well I quit my homophobic job to run a hospice for patients with AIDs’.
‘Seems like more their loss than yours’, Sister Jo says matter of factly.
Cas smiles sadly, ‘yes, it seems so. Anyhow, Hannah has recently been tested positive for AIDs, and for now will only need to have check ups daily for food, it’ll most likely once her condition worsens you may need to move nearby or even in her apartment to attend to her during the day, to keep her company until her dying day. I should hate for her to be alone in her last hours’.
The woman pauses and smiles, ‘lucky with your help, the money from…that I obtained from Lucifer, I have a house in South River City, she could move in later this week?’
‘Okay sounds good, shall I see you next Wednesday with Hannah? Oh and here is the address’ he hands her the crumpled piece of paper.
‘Swell, anyhow, I have places to go, so I’ll see you until then’, she downs her drink and bids farewell to Cas before leaving the bar.
Dean watches Sam interacting with a short brunette woman. He curiously looks at Sam’s gestures and quickly realises he’s signing to her. They sign for about five minutes, he notices Sam struggling with signing and making mistakes. Sam accidentally tells the woman that he just peed in his pants. Dean laughs quietly to himself as the woman leaves the bar with a weird look on her face. He watches quietly as Sam wipes the bar down.
Moments later he feels a gentle touch on his shoulder, he turns around and it’s Cassie.
‘Dude, why didn’t you tell me that you and Cas were back together?’ she says, punching his arm.
Dean grows red, looks at the floor and smiles coyly. Cassie smiles knowingly in turn.
‘Hey by the way did you meet my colleague, Eileen? She’s a copywriter,’ she says changing the topic whilst grabbing the woman Dean saw earlier, by the arm.
Eileen signs to Dean hello, ‘hi, have you been here before?’ signs Dean back.
‘Wow, you know ASL?’ Eileen smiles impressed.
‘A bit, I taught myself a bit after ‘Nam,’ signs Dean and winks.
‘I come here because I like it more than going to straight bars, plus the bartender is kind of a bit weird but he’s got the spirit,’ she signs laughing.
‘Yeah, I heard when he was young he dressed up as Batman and jumped off a shed. ‘Cause he thought he could fly. Anyone knows though, Batman can’t fly,’ giggles Dean.
‘What a dork,’ Eileen signs.
‘So you know Cassie from work?’ signs Dean changing the topic.
‘Yes, she is a good friend and has helped me settle into work,’ she signs.
‘Well, it’s good to meet you,' signs Dean, ‘I uh better go check on Cas though, make sure he’s fitting in you know,’ he says and signs to both of the women. He gives Cassie a hug and waves back at Eileen, visibly impressed that Sam’s managed to find one of the very few straight regulars at this bar.
He finds Cas waiting at the bar and sidles up beside him. ‘You uh, doing fine?’
‘Yes, although I’m still yet to meet your brother’
‘Well you’re in luck, cause he’s heading our way now,’ says Dean, clapping Cas on the back.
Castiel sees Sam making his way to them both, ‘hey, you must be Cas?’ greeting them both. ‘Can I get you anything?’
‘Just two beers Sammy,’ Dean responds.
‘On the house,’ replies Sam, grabbing two glasses and pouring the beer.
He then proceeds to put them on the table.
‘So Sam, how are you?’ Asks Cas, ‘you know since the AIDS epidemic, we’ve had a rise in HIV/AIDS cases due to drug related issues as well.’
Sam looks at Cas with a peculiar look, ‘Well I guess I’m glad I’m just a number,’ he says with a huff.
‘Yes, but you are a good number, though. Maybe that’ll help with perspective and recovery,’ sympathises Cas.
Sam scoffs, ‘uh thanks Cas, you guys enjoy your beers,’ he says hurriedly clapping his hands lightly into the table and proceeds to serve a lady on the other end of the bar.
Dean looks at Sam perplexed and then looks at Cas lovingly, ‘here’s to us,' he says listing his glass. Cas clinks it in return and they kiss.