Dean parked the impala and walked around to the front of W&H, checking his phone on the way. He saw a message from Chantelle and rolled his eyes, wonderingagain how the heck she'd got his number.
As he was concentrating he somehow bumped into a kid holding a baby. He quickly turned to apologise... but the street was deserted. Frowning, and knowing a lot of strange crap happened here anyway, he turned to continue on. He didn't feel the sneaky presence in his mind...
And then everything was right again.
He stopped out front of the building and dialled Chantelle's number.
Chantelle
Chantelle practically leapt for the phone as soon as she heard it ringing, and trying not to get her hopes up, she peered at the caller id.
Dean.
She almost squealed, then composed herself and flipped the phone open.
"Hello?"
Dean
"Hey... Chantelle?" he almost couldn't remember her name for a second.
"I think I missed a few calls. What's up?"
Chantelle
"Oh nothing much, just got back from my morning classes. Tru was being bitchy to me, it kinda sucks, but anyway."
Chantelle paused to take a breath.
"How have you been?"
Dean
Dean raised an eyebrow.
"I've been driving non stop the last two days, so I actually need sleep right now."
Chantelle
"Oh," Chantelle said, pausing for a second.
"That sucks. Where are you at the moment?"
Dean
"Somewhere in LA, I'm not entirely sure," Dean shrugged, "I just know how to get here, I don't know where here is exactly."
Chantelle
"Cool."
Chantelle bit her lip.
"Well, I was just... were you headed up this way again?"
Dean
"No I've got business here. Then I think we're heading for South Dakota. So don't count on it," Dean shook his head.
Chantelle
"Oh," Chantelle said, hurt. "Well... ok then. So... are you... um..."
She took a deep breath.
"Seeing anyone?"
Dean
Dean hesitated, frowning.
"No."
Chantelle
Chantelle smiled.
"Oh cool. Well... maybe we could... maybe we could get together sometime?"
Dean
Dean took a deep breath, finally realising his mistake.
"I'm not really the 'see people' type of guy," he tried to reason, "you know I don't really have time for that."
Chantelle
"Oh," Chantelle said, stung.
"Well... um... maybe..."
She sniffed slightly, tears already swimming in her eyes.
"I should go."
Dean
"Yeah I'm kinda busy anyway. Bye."
Dean hung up and turned to walk into W&H.
Chantelle and Angel
Chantelle hung up the phone and collapsed face first into the pillows, sobbing.
~*~*~*~
Angel stepped out of his office to go across to Gunn's when he spotted Dean in the lobby.
Dean
"Hey," Dean raised his chin in greeting, "where are they?"
Angel
"Medical wing," Angel said, pausing in his stride.
"Room 302. Faith's still out of it."
Dean
"'K," Dean nodded, and headed for the stairs.
Angel
Angel watched him go for a second, then continued on to Gunn's office.
Dean & Sam
Dean eventually found the room (after getting lost at least twice), and found his brother by the bed. Upon seeing him, Sam stood.
"Hey," he greeted softly.
"So what the Hell happened?" Dean nodded to the comatose Faith.
"They're saying something got her good while she was patrolling. Something to do with her abdomen," Sam shook his head, "I don't really know. I don't even remember getting here, really."
"Funny, I don't remember you leaving," Dean frowned.
He hesitated then dug in the pocket of his jacket and handed Sam some twizzler sticks.
Sam's eyebrows rose.
"Sugar," Dean nodded, chewing one off himself, "you need sugar."
Faith
"He needs sleep," Faith said groggily. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times to focus.
"And proper food."
Sam
"Faith?" Sam spun, his face almost grief-stricken.
He stepped over to her bed, as Dean nodded to say he'd go fetch someone.
"Hey," Sam took her hand in his, "how you feeling?"
Faith
"Little fuzzy," Faith said, squeezing his hand.
"How are you?"
Sam
"Worried, anxious, nervous wreck, you know the usual," Sam mused.
"You've been in a coma for a couple of days."
Faith
"Should I hazard a guess that you haven't slept?"
Faith reached up and touched Sam's cheek.
"You know, you can't run yourself into the ground everytime I get hurt."
Sam
"I got sleep," Sam scorned, but with his eyes shifting shiftily.
Faith
"I mean in a proper bed, not a hospital chair. Or a hospital bed, shifty."
Faith smiled slightly.
"Have you eaten?"
Sam
"Yes," Sam answered honestly this time, "Angel made sure of it. I've eaten at least once a day."
Faith and Hank
"Oh good," Faith breathed.
She looked up as Hank appeared in the doorway.
"How are you feeling, Faith?" he asked.
"I'm alright," Faith replied. "A bit groggy, but no pain."
Sam & Dean
Sam nodded to Dean who appeared behind him.
"That might be the drugs," Sam suggested.
Hank and Faith
Hank approached the bed carefully, and lay his paw on Faith's abdomen.
"Any pain?" he asked.
"Nope," Faith replied.
"Ordinarily, I would recommend you staying a few days, but with your enhanced healing, I can't see any reason why you can't be discharged today," Hank told her. "But you should take it easy for a few days."
Sam
"Can you keep her here, so she doesn't sneak out on patrol?" Sam asked him.
Hank and Faith
Hank looked mildly amused. "You honestly think I could stop her if she really wanted to do something?"
Faith grinned slightly. "Honestly? I'm happy to have a few days off."
Sam
"Then you might as well spend them here," Sam reasoned.
"At least you won't get bored. And you've got the gym to get your strength back."
Faith and Hank
"Actually," Faith said, thinking for a second. "Maybe I'll come back to the Mansion with you, Hank. Do some training with Logan."
Hank cleared his throat. "Are you two on speaking terms now?"
Faith shrugged. "He'll either try to kill me or screw me. I'll find out when I get there."
Sam
Sam looked worried.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked.
"The idea is to get your strength back and take it easy, not train."
Faith and Hank
Faith shrugged. "A Danger Room session might actually be good for me."
"I can set you up a lighter program," Hank suggested. "Something less strenuous."
Sam
"Could you?" Sam aske, knowing he wasn't going to win the relocation argument.
Faith and Hank
"He could, but he won't," Faith said. "Or rather, I won't use it. I'm not an invalid, guys. Plus, you can't die in the Danger Room anyway."
Hank nodded slowly. "She has a point. I can't make her use it."
Sam
"But you can not give her anything above average either," Sam pointed out.
Faith and Hank
"Again, I can select my own programs," Faith said, shaking her head.
"Well," Hank considered. "I imagine Forge could change your access levels."
"I hate you all."
Sam & Dean
"Do it," Sam insisted.
"Want a twizzler?" Dean offered Faith.
Faith and Hank
"I hate you all, except Dean," Faith amended. She nodded and held her hand out for the candy. "You're my favourite Winchester."
Hank nodded at Sam.
Dean
"Of course I am," Dean smiled smugly, handing her two of them.
"See? I'm the only on who cares about the woman's stomach. I won."
Faith
"You used to care a lot more than just my stomach, if I recall correctly," Faith teased.
She bit the top of the twizzler thoughtfully.
Dean & Sam
"Hey, I still care about your bedroom technique if that counts."
"Enough," Sam insisted, "she just got out of a coma, leave her alone."
"Only if she wants me to," Dean said snidely, "and I'm her favorite Winchester. So there."
Faith and Hank
Faith hid her smile by taking another bite out of the twizzler.
"Yes, well," Hank said, cleaning his glasses on the side of his labcoat. "I'll go fix up your discharge papers."
Dean
"Yeah you do that," Dean insisted, "let's get this lady on her feet and kicking ass where she belongs."
Faith and Hank
"Marry me," Faith deadpanned.
Hank had already made his way to the door to avoid overhearing anything that would make him more uncomfortable.