Cas is a paramedic with a tragic past. Five years ago he lost a patient on the job and never fully recovered from the emotional trauma it caused. He's become an expert at pushing the feelings aside, but Cas's past comes back to haunt him when he saves his lost patient's brother from a car wreck. When the two men fall for one another, both of them learn how to patch old wounds and find new life with each other.
“You can’t win with the green shell; everyone knows that!”
Castiel twists his lip into a snarl as his grip tightens on the controller, waiting for Anna to slip up. He ignores her words as they race around the infamous Rainbow Road track, the cheery music in the background only fueling his determination. He watches as the pink dress of Princess Peach appears in his line of sight, and then he does what Anna thinks impossible; he lobs the green shell in her direction and it makes contact, causing Anna’s precious Peach to fall to her imminent demise off the road. Castiel whoops as Toad crosses the finish line, thus securing his win.
“That was a lucky shot!” Anna yells into the air, throwing her controller by the wayside. Her mouth pushes down in a pout as she leans back against the couch, a light shade of red coming to her cheeks.
Castiel laughs and lightly punches Anna in the arm. “No, that is called determination, my dear friend.” He watches as Anna crosses her arms and turns away, living up to her reputation as a sore loser nicely. He gets up and ruffles Anna’s hair as he passes, which only deepens the grimace on her face.
“Did someone finally beat Anna?” a familiar voice calls from the stairs.
“Castiel cheated!” Anna accuses from her spot on the couch. “I’m invincible at Mario Kart!”
Michael comes into view with a smile on his face, but Castiel can see it doesn’t reach his eyes. His uniform is covered in blood, smudges of red still visible in his hair and on his face. Castiel doesn’t even need to ask what happened; he can make a good enough guess.
As if Michael can read his mind, he pulls off his soiled shirt and tosses it in the laundry basket. “A fifty year old male was hit by a train down at Westpoint. I tried to save him but…there was too much blood loss. Even the transfusions we gave him in the ambulance couldn’t help.”
Anna’s mood automatically shifts from sarcastic to sympathetic as she approaches Michael’s side. She wordlessly pulls him into a hug and he accepts it, nuzzling into her figure. Losing someone on the job is a reality that they must all accept, but that doesn’t stop the thoughts from running through your head after you lose a patient. What could you have done differently? What if you drove faster? What if that idiot on I-78 pulled over like he was supposed to? Not focusing on the ‘what ifs’ is just another part of their daily lives, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.