West Coast

Chapter Eleven

Cas drove as slowly as possible, not altogether sure which switches did what. He mostly focused on the accelerator and the brake, and gripped the wheel tightly. He couldn't remember how to change gears, or how to switch on the radio, so all he had to listen to was Hoagie's nervous whining in the passenger seat, and his phone telling him the directions.

'It's all right, boy,' Cas murmured to him, as he rolled to a stop at an intersection. He couldn't move for a while, willing himself to drive past the outer boundary of the village. If the village had scared him, it was nothing compared to the whole wider world, but he had to go.

'Just go,' he muttered to himself. 'You can't stay here, just go.' He took some deep breaths and thought of Dean, then put his foot on the accelerator. 

His heart was racing the whole, painstaking journey but, eventually, he reached his destination: a grungy motel a little way out from the village.

He parked the car in a space just outside the entrance, and let out the breath he had been holding, now that the car was no longer in motion. He sat still, head resting against the wheel, until Hoagie pawed at him.

'All right, let's go,' Cas said to him, undoing his seatbelt and attaching his leash.

He grabbed his bag out of the trunk, and fumbled with his wallet before going inside.

'Can I check in, please?' Cas said to the thoroughly bored boy behind the desk.

The boy looked down at Hoagie. 'No dogs allowed,' he said.

Cas clutched the leash tightly. 'He's a service dog.' He felt bad for lying, but he couldn't be without Hoagie.

The boy looked for a moment as though he might argue, but then just rolled his eyes. 'Whatever.' The boy handed Cas his key and leaned back in his chair without another word.

The room was cramped, with one single bed, a small table with a couple of chairs, and a bathroom with a shower. 

Cas threw his bag down and lay down on the bed. Hoagie jumped up next to him and they both curled up under the covers.

'You're right, we should get some rest,' Cas murmured to Hoagie. 'And we can figure out what to do tomorrow.'

But instead of sleeping, Cas hugged Hoagie and cried into his fur.

His thoughts swirled and his head pounded, but he couldn't stop crying. Hoagie gently licked his face, but settled down with his head in the crook of Cas's neck, and eventually his steady breathing helped Cas calm down, though he still couldn't sleep. 

The next morning, Cas sat at the tiny table with a notepad after feeding Hoagie, trying to come up with a plan. His head was still sore, but he pushed past it, spreading some maps on the floor, and listing the supplies he would need.