“Miss Milton, are you alright?” the woman’s words snapped Cas out of her reverie.

“Yes,” she answered quietly, eyes fixed on some invisible point.

“Well, if that changes you know that you can come see me. After all it is our goal here at Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute to ensure your wellbeing.” The woman paused and continued, “I know it has been hard for you, ever since the accident, but I promised your family I would try and help you get better. You want to get better don’t you?”

Cas looked the woman dead in the eye and lying said, “Of course I do.”

“Good, I have prescribed you some new medication that should help. Now, I have some other patients to see so why don’t you go to the rec room?” the woman suggested.

“Alright, I’ll see you next week,” Cas said as she exited.

The lights buzzed overhead as Cas made her way to her usual table, next to the window facing the garden. She was glad to see Dean already sitting there with a game of checkers set up. He was wearing the standard white scrubs and slip on shoes.

He gave her a smile and asked, “How was the meeting? Did Miss I-only-met-you-a-week-ago-but-I-know-all-about-your-so-called-mental-problems give you any more pills?”

Cas rolled her eyes, “Yeah, some new ‘miracle’ medication.”

“They never help you. There’s almost no point in taking them,” Dean said as he made the first move of the game.

That made Cas think. Did she really need to take them? The pills never altered her condition, and always brought her the worst side effects. Plus, who knows what this new pill could do. If Dean was telling her not to take it then maybe she should listen.
Cas must have been silent for a long time because Dean interrupted her thoughts with a, “Your turn.” She was about to move a piece forward when a nurse walked over to them.
“Good afternoon Miss Novak, I brought you your pills,” the nurse said with a smile. Cas took the two little clear capsules into her hand. They look so harmless, she thought. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dean shaking his head. The nurse looked at her expectantly, as if saying, “You can do it.” Cas raised her palm to her mouth and popped the pills in. “Open,” the nurse requested. Cas complied and once the nurse was satisfied she left to give the next patient their pills.
Cas spit the two pills out into her hand and tucked them into her pocket. They left a bitter taste in her mouth. Dean gave her a smile that took up half his face. “Good job Cas.”
“King me,” Cas beamed. She had successfully managed to beat Dean at checkers multiple times and felt like gloating a bit.
“What’s that, like the fifth time?” Dean groaned.
“Sixth actually. What, you can’t believe I beat you?”
Just then another patient, named Luci, walked up to the table. “Who are you talking to?”
Cas gave her a confused look, “Uh, Dean.” Obviously she thought.
“Oh, ok. Are you playing with, uh Dean?” Luci asked tentatively.
“Yeah, who else would I be playing with?”
“I don’t know…” she trailed off.
“C’mon Dean, let’s go to the garden where no one will bother us,” Cas said abruptly as she started toward the door.
The setting sun turned the courtyard gold, and shone brightly on the window. Birds filled the air with their song that was like angels singing. Cas’ eyes followed the bees that buzzed all around them. Cas broke the silence between them with, “I like to watch the bees.”
Dean sat quietly, and watched Cas’ ever moving eyes. “I like watching you watch the bees.”
Cas gave him a shy smile. “I missed you. I’m glad you’re back now. It’s been so lonely without you.”
“I’m sorry I was gone for so long,” Dean said as sincere as possible.
“It’s alright. It’s better now.” Cas reached for Dean’s hand, and intertwined their fingers. The couple remained there until curfew.
“Good morning, Miss Milton,” the Psychiatrist greeted. “How have you been since our last appointment?”
“Good. Dean has helped with that. He made me laugh the other day; I can’t remember the last time that happened,” Cas answered.
“Dean?” the woman asked looking confused.
“Dean Hyde. He’s a patient here, but I knew him before I was admitted,” Cas explained.
“So you remember Dean, Miss Milton?”
“Of course I remember Dean.” How could I forget him? She thought.
“That’s not what I meant. Do you remember what happened to him? Do you remember the accident?” The Psychiatrist was worried now.
“No, what do you mean? Dean is fine - I talked to him just a few minutes ago,” Cas shifted in her chair nervously.
“Miss Milton, about a year ago you and Dean were in a car accident. You survived, but unfortunately,” she paused, “Dean did not.”
“No, no, no,” Cas shook her head. The memories were coming back in a rush. Driving with Dean. A truck swerving into their lane. The scream of metal against metal. The fire. All of it. “No, no, no.”
“I’m so sorry Miss Milton,” the woman tried to give Cas’ hand a reassuring squeeze but Cas pulled away. The news was a bitter pill to swallow.
“But I just saw him,” Cas said hysterical.
“Miss Milton from what you have told me and your history, it is possible you are having a hallucination of him caused by the trauma from the accident. It could also be something more serious like Schizophrenia.”
“No, no, no, he was real.”
“I’m sorry but he isn’t.”
“He is real!” Cas screamed. “He’s real!”
The Psychiatrist pressed a button on the phone, and two nurses came in the room. One nurse held Cas to try and stop her from moving, while the other gave her a sedative.
“He’s real,” Cas repeated hardly a whisper. She slowly lost consciousness.
Cas’ eyes fluttered open. The daylight shone through the window, and bathed Dean in the white light. It almost looked as if he had a halo. Cas tried to raise her hand to him but found she was strapped to the bed. Great, she thought, this is what her little incident had earned her.
“I’m sorry they gave you the prisoner treatment,” Dean said motioning to her wrists and ankles, “they thought you were having a violent episode.”
“She said you were dead.”
Dean walked over to the bed and said sadly, “Oh but I am, Cas.” Tears streamed down Cas’ face. With a tender hand, Dean wiped them away. “I’m sorry Cas. Just remember that I love you, like the stars love the moon.”
“Please don’t leave me,” Cas pleaded.
“I don’t have a choice anymore, while you were sleeping they gave you some medicine. I’ll be gone soon anyway.” Dean presses a kiss to Cas’ forehead and whispered, “See you then.” Cas squeezed her eyes shut, see you then, she thought.
The next day Cas sat in the garden, now alone. She watched the bees.