WARNING: No actual spoilers. :)

Author's Note: This is for Tori-Bird627, who wanted a story containing a healthy dose of brotherly fluff. ;) This could technically take place anytime, but I think it would fit best somewhere in season 1 or 2.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

"The doc says it's gonna be a pretty quick fix."

A familiar voice penetrated the fog that was slowly creeping across Sam's brain as the anesthesia he'd been given began to kick in.

Square lights appeared and disappeared within his visual field as the gurney he lay upon rolled down what he vaguely registered was a long hallway. Dean stayed in his line of sight though, so he must have been jogging alongside.

"You hearing me Sammy?"

Sam tried to focus on his brother's face above him, doing his best to match the words he heard to the way the older man's lips moved, but the drugs made it hard to keep his senses synchronized. It reminded him of watching a foreign film with English dubbing; the sound never matched the image.

The throbbing in his arm did nothing to help matters; it was constantly tempting what little remained of his consciousness to dwell on the pain instead. Then again, even as Sam considered his suffering the discomfort rapidly dissipated. With every breath he seemed to empty more and more of any feeling.

Sam's eyelids began to droop, the medication he'd been given at last conquering his central nervous system.

"I'll be there when you wake up."

OoO

Sam wasn't sure exactly when he became aware of himself again.

One minute there was nothingness, the next there was the sound of bustling feet and muffled chatter and steady beeping. The smell of ammonia hit him too, followed by the realization that the inside of his eyelids seemed brighter than before.

With a bit of effort and a couple false starts, Sam managed to force his eyes open. Synthetic lighting assaulted him immediately, making him blink against the onslaught of blurry shapes and colors. But slowly a clearer picture emerged and Sam was able to confirm what he had already suspected; he was lying in a hospital bed. His right arm was completely swathed in white plaster, and the limb was pleasantly numb for the time being. He spotted an IV attached to his left hand and concluded the hospital was keeping him pumped full of the good stuff.

He swept his gaze over his surroundings, scrutinizing the room that was much like all the others he'd seen in hospitals. There was one other bed across from his, neatly made, which told Sam he didn't currently have a roommate. There was a small television mounted on the wall in the far corner of the room showing a local college football game on 'mute'. There was an abstract painting hung on the wall near the door, all deep hues of blues, reds, and yellows blending together.

There was also a chair next to Sam's bed, and it was empty.

For a brief moment Sam wanted to panic, because where was Dean? Had his brother ended up hurt on their recent hunt too? If he was, why wouldn't the staff have placed him in the spare bed in Sam's space? Maybe Dean was still in surgery…?

That thought pushed a memory to the surface of Sam's muggy mind. He recalled Dean trailing beside his gurney while the doctors carted him off to repair the damage to his arm, and before the drugs had completely knocked Sam out, he'd heard his brother say something…

I'll be there when you wake up.

So where was he?

Sam turned toward the entrance to his room expectantly, as if Dean would walk through it just because Sam had remembered that promise. For a second the absurd notion that Dean did seem to have a sense for things like that flitted through Sam's head, but instead of Dean a nurse meandered past the door on her rounds and then a doctor rushed the other direction.

Sam frowned at the door.

The younger man felt a little foolish for being bothered by Dean's absence. He was an adult for goodness sake! He wasn't a little kid anymore… This had to be because he was still a little loopy from the medications, right? He didn't need his big brother there to welcome him back to the waking world every time he hurt himself, right?

Suddenly there came noise from the entranceway and Sam's eyes shot to the source of the sound.

There was Dean, hanging into the room from one hand hooked on the doorframe. Slightly out of breath, the elder Winchester said, "Oh thank God you're really awake! I saw your eyes half-open a few minutes ago and thought you were coming-to, but I was still kinda worried I might be giving Shelly a false alarm. She's leaving at four though, so I went for it anyway. I didn't want you to miss this guy if I could help it."

Sam was totally confused, having been unable to make sense of most everything his brother had just proclaimed, and his bafflement continued as he watched Dean glance impatiently down the hallway like he was expecting someone.

Then Dean's face lit up and he waved his free arm, calling out, "Here! Yeah, he's definitely up!"

Sam's eyebrows knit together and he inquired, "Dean, what's going-"

He was interrupted by the abrupt arrival of a massive Great Dane dressed in a vibrant yellow vest with the words "Therapy Animal" embroidered across the sides. It charged into his room and merrily trotted right up to the left side of his bed, standing tall enough that Sam could easily reach over and pet it with his good arm.

"Sammy, meet Hunter," Dean introduced the dog proudly, finally coming over to stand near the bed as well.

Sam chuckled at the irony of the dog's name as an older woman tottered into the room and greeted, "Hello there! I'm Shelly, and that fella there is Hunter. He volunteers as a morale booster here at the hospital."

"Hey big guy!" the younger Winchester said as he scratched the dog's ears affectionately, eliciting a happy whine and some wet kisses from the animal.

"Shelly was making her rounds with Hunter earlier while you were still sleeping. I asked her how long she'd be here and she told me they'd be leaving at four. Said I could tell one of the nurses to page her if you woke up before then, so that's what I did," Dean explained, still looking pleased with himself for having pulled such a stunt off.

Sam grinned back at him. His brother obviously knew him well enough to have remembered his love for dogs, especially big ones.

All of Sam's discontent at waking alone evaporated in an instant, quickly replaced by deep gratitude. He opened his mouth to express as much, but Dean raised a hand to stop him. In a mock-humble tone the older man declared, "No need to thank me. I was just doing my job as the most awesome big brother ever."

Sam and Shelly both laughed at the comment.

Hunter the Therapy Animal and his human stuck around for another ten minutes, giving Sam plenty of time to enjoy the company of the friendly animal. Yet eventually the clock struck four and Shelly announced they needed to get going.

"It was nice meeting you both," the woman said as she guided the Great Dane away from Sam's bed. "I hope your arm feels better soon Sam! And Dean, I'm so glad you caught us in time."

"Thanks Shelly," Sam responded before gesturing to his still-beaming brother and adding, "But don't inflate his ego anymore. He's already going to gloat about this one for months."

"I'm probably biased, but I think he deserves to," the woman offered with a wink towards Dean before exiting the room, Hunter by her side.

After woman and dog were both out of sight, Dean raised his eyebrows and said, "See? At least someone appreciates how great I am."

Sam rolled his eyes playfully, about to toss back a witty rejoinder, but something stopped him. Maybe it was those darn meds still messing with his system, but he all of a sudden felt strongly compelled to let his brother know just how much his thoughtfulness had actually meant.

So instead of joking, with sincerity Sam asserted, "I appreciate it too. You really are a pretty awesome brother."

"So you're still pretty high, huh?" Dean replied, looking uncomfortable at being legitimately praised and rubbing a hand across the back of his neck awkwardly. Sam let out an indignant huff before Dean continued to ask, "Want me to un-mute the TV for you? Your remote's busted. I have the nurses working on bringing you a new one."

Sam nodded, allowing the moment to pass for his brother's sake.

But he didn't miss the way Dean smiled to himself when he thought Sam wasn't paying attention.

Secondary Author's Note: Thanks for reading! If you have a moment, please do leave feedback. It is always greatly appreciated. ;)