Dean felt the presence grow a bit stronger as Mika sat on the bed beside him and touched his shoulder.  He couldn’t quite feel her touch, but in a way, he knew she was touching him.  He closed his eyes, just breathing in the presence and turned his head toward his shoulder, “If you’re here.  Just stay for a while?  Please?”

He sniffled and scooted himself back on the bed, leaving his boots on as he laid his head back against his pillows and turned over onto his side.  He stared at the wall, turned toward the side of the bed that she would normally rest against, and he settled, sniffling as he pushed the grief down, with the help of a decent amount of whiskey.

[hr]

After a little bit, Dean was starting to drift in and out of sleep, seemingly for the first time in months.  But at the sound of the bunker door closing, and Sam’s voice calling out through the large and echoing room, Dean sat up and stared at the door.  He gave some thought to whether he wanted to walk out, and face Lexi again, with Mika heavy on his mind.  He shuddered, the pang of guilt that he had managed to avoid earlier in the day creeping back up.

After a few moments of thought, he rolled off the bed, and walked to his door, holding his hand against the doorknob.  He paused, and held it tightly in his hand, as something in the back of his mind told him it was okay.  They needed him.

He pulled the door open and stepped into the hall, walking quickly toward the war room, toward Sam’s voice.  He stepped into the open room, and turned his gaze up the stairs, “Hey!  You guys okay…Holy crap you both look like crap.  What happened?”

Dean rushed over to the stairs and reached his hand out for Sam’s arm as he stepped into the room.  He checked Sam’s demeanor and the way he walked, and after a moment, his shoulders relaxed.  He didn’t seem hurt bad enough to fall over, or for his giant head to be damaged too much, “You okay?  You gonna make it?”

His eyes then fell on Lexi, who looked worse.  He didn’t want to rush to her, and make her uncomfortable, especially after what had happened in the armory.  He stared at her for a moment, trying to assess her injuries without his hands, “What can I do?”