Awareness was slow to return. Gradually, sounds filtered through the comforting haze. He didn't recognize the sounds, had no idea where he was, but if he was honest with himself, he didn't really want to know, it was just so damn comfortable here right now. So, wherever he was was just fine with him, he could enjoy the peace a little longer, hell for as long as he could get away with it he was going to, if only that little niggle at the back of his mind would go away he'd be fine, just fine. Unfortunately his mind wouldn't let him rest completely.
* * * * * * * *
The young intern sighed as he struggled to suture the deep cut on the cheekbone of the young man lying on the bed of the ER department of the hospital he'd decided on for his internship. He enjoyed it mostly although it was nothing like the shows on tv, they were far more glamorous than real life and so far, six months into his internship not one pretty nurse or gorgeous female doctor had thrown themselves at him, he hadn't jumped into bed with just about every woman who came within 50 yards of him, he'd had no dramas in his private life, in reality it was just damn hard work, but damn hard work he loved, mostly that is. His thoughts returned to the young man in front of him, he'd been admitted late the previous night, and was sedated soon after arrival in an attempt to calm him down to enable the medical team to assess his injuries, who was still trying desperately to leave even though every time he attempted to stand his knees buckled leaving whoever was closest to prevent him from kissing the floor and possibly adding a broken nose to his list of injuries. "Sir, you just need to keep still for a little longer, just as long as it takes to stitch the cut on your face and then, I promise, I'll try to find the information you asked for, okay."
"You promise." Sam knew he was being difficult but he didn't care he had to find out how his dad and brother were, he hadn't seen them since the paramedics had arrived at the crash scene and he'd been unable to find out anything, no matter how many times he'd asked, begged them to tell him something, anything would have been better than not knowing.
* * * * * * * *
"Any change."
"No, nothing."
The doctor walked to the bottom of the bed, his eyes trained on the still form of the young man lying motionless within it.
This one was a mystery, no id, no relatives or friends to give any indication as to his identity; he was just abandoned onto the steps of the hospital in the early hours of this morning in an ever increasing pool of blood. The doctor had never seen such injuries in his ten years as chief physician at the hospital of Our Merciful Hope in the small town of Carsvelstraight. Severe head trauma, chest trauma, blood loss, broken ribs, the list was endless. Dr Spencer read through the notes, checked the dials on the numerous machines surrounding his mystery patient and gave a sigh of sad resignation. The young man had a battle of epic proportions ahead of him to even partly recover from his injuries, if he recovered at all. It saddened the him to think of this young man with no-one to miss him, to worry over him, to support him in his fight, especially when he thought of his own two sons, of whom he was extremely proud, both having worked hard to gain the highest grades they could allowing them to attend the university of their choice. His eldest, Marcus, had decided to carry on the family tradition and train to become a doctor whilst his youngest, Harry, had taken a not completely different field to his father, choosing to heal animals as opposed to humans. Dr Jack Spencer wondered if his son became as attached to the animals he worked with as he did with his human patients. With a sigh and a request to be informed of any change Dr Spencer quietly left the room.
* * * * * * * *
The door to his room whooshed open, his hazy gaze took in the uniform of the woman who entered, a nurse, so he was in hospital, well that would explain the multitude of aches and pains assaulting his body every time he tried to move so much as a muscle. The nurse smiled when she saw the dark brown eyes observing her. "Hello, I'm grace, good to see you've decided to join us John. I've been helping to care for you since you were brought in."
What happened?" He managed to croak, damn it, his throat hurt.
"You're in hospital, you were brought in yesterday with your sons. You were involved in a car accident, pretty bad from what I can gather. You took a hard knock to the head, although we've done scans and they show nothing to worry about but you will have a headache for a while. As well as a multitude of cuts and bruises, you have a broken arm and had a gunshot wound to the leg which required surgery which was performed last night and is why you feel a little out of it today. Although it probably doesn't seem that way at the moment you escaped without too much damage to yourself. Right…"
John could no longer hear her words. As soon as he was told about the crash everything came back to him in a torrent of horror. Sam and Dean, his boys, at the mercy of the yellow eyed demon, he himself taunting them whilst possessed unable to break through, unable gain control of his body even though he fought with everything he had. Dean, his eldest son, chest torn to ribbons by his own father's hand, bleeding to death in front of him, begging his father to stop, to not let it kill him. Sammy, his youngest, calling his brothers name pleading for it to stop. Finally he was able to get a hold of himself and break through for just a moment, but that was enough, Sam was able to free himself and reach the colt. He'd begged his son to kill him, shoot him in the heart but Sam hadn't been able to do it and the demon had burst out of him and disappeared through the floor of the cabin.
"Where are my sons? I want to see them."
Grace gave him a small smile and pressed the call button above his bed.
"Dr Andrews will be here in a moment, he'll be able to explain better than I as he was the attending physician when you all arrived."
No sooner had Grace finished speaking than the door to his room burst open to reveal a short, round man wearing a white coat flapping open with a stethoscope hanging loosely around his neck.
"Mr West, good to see you awake, how're you feeling. A little sore I should imagine, that will pass pretty soon. Your arm on the other hand will take around six/seven weeks to properly heal. As for the gunshot wound to your leg I foresee no complications as l…….."
"Are my sons okay" John cut off the doctors' detailed description of his condition. "I want to see them."
Dr Blake Andrews looked at his patient, saw the desperation in his eyes. Sometimes he absolutely loathed this job. He'd spent the last thirty years as a doctor, helping people recover from serious and not so serious illnesses or injuries but one thing he had never been able to come to terms with was the loss of a patient and then having to break the news to the families who had pinned all their hopes on him and his team.
"Mr West, your son Sam is being checked over as we speak to ensure there is nothing we could have missed before we discharge him." He turned to Grace "Would you go and find Sam and if he's alright to be released tell him he can now see his father. "
Grace left the room to do as asked with a heavy heart. She knew what was coming next. As soon as Mr West and his son were reunited they were going to be given the news that nobody ever wants to hear about a loved one.
* * * * * * * *
Grace entered the ER and could hear who she suspected was the young man she had been sent to find. She walked to the cubicle where the anxious voice was coming from and opened the curtain. She saw a young intern removing his surgical gloves and giving the young man in front of him a small smile. "Okay, we're all done here, now why don't you see how you feel standing and then I'll go and see if I can get any information on your father and your brother."
Grace quietly watched the concentration on the young man's face as he placed his feet gingerly to the floor; she watched as he released his hold on the bed, she watched as he tried to take a step only for his legs to seemingly turn to jelly. The intern attending him quickly grabbed hold of the young man's arms and supported his weight before gently lowering him to a seated position on the bed.
"Sam West?" Grace didn't wait for a reply, "How're you doing Sam. I've been sent to find you to let you know your fathers now awake and wanting to see you. Maybe this'll make it a little easier." She disappeared for a moment only to return manoeuvring a wheelchair into the cubicle.
Sam smiled, "Thanks, how's my dad? Is he okay? My brother, Dean, do you have any information on his condition I haven't been able to find anything out? I don't even know where he is, whether he's in surgery, has had surgery, nothing, no one will tell me anything." Sam could feel tears of frustration building.
Grace took in the agitated condition of the young man and her heart nearly broke for him, he was doing everything he could to maintain his composure but was failing miserably with the weight of worry over his family.
"Okay, Mr West, o..."
"Sam, call me Sam."
"Okay Sam, one thing at a time, first let's go and see your father, he's anxious to know you're okay and then we'll work on everything else, okay."
Okay" Sam murmured, "But Dean, he was really bad, I'm worried about him."
Grace placed a hand on Sam's shoulder and began pushing the wheelchair towards the elevator where she pressed the button for the third floor.
To Sam it seemed to take forever for the elevator to arrive and then even longer for it to reach it's destination when in reality it took only seconds before the doors opened and he was wheeled towards the room he knew his father was in. As the door opened Sam could hear his father's gruff voice.
"I want to know about Dean, is he here? Is he gonna be okay? Dammit just give me something, anything."
Although at first glance Sam could see his dad wasn't looking too bad he could hear in his voice he was hurting and it scared him, his dad very rarely allowed himself to lose control, however little;
"Dad."
"Sammy." John looked towards the sound of his son's voice and felt tears burn his eyes as he took in his youngests battered appearance. "Are you okay?
"I'm okay dad, legs are just a little wobbly, be okay. Dad, where's Dean, I can't find him. " His voice was quiet and frightened, almost like that of a small child, eyes glistening with tears of frustration threatening to spill.
Dr Andrews motioned Grace to push Sam's wheelchair closer to the bed and then positioned himself so that he was facing the father and son.
"John, Sam, I wanted to wait until I had you together to give you the details on Dean. He arrived here with severe head trauma, chest trauma,
severe blood loss. We stabilized him as best we could but then had no option other than to take him in to surgery, he was in OR for six hours, we lost him twice but managed to resuscitate him. Dean was then taken to ICU where he was fitted with a breathing tube and monitored closely.
Both Sam and John listened in horror as Dr Andrews continued reciting the seemingly endless list of Dean's injuries. John cleared his throat before he quietly uttered "But."
"But" Dr Andrews continued, despite the best efforts of the team looking after him, Dean's body just couldn't cope with the injuries he sustained, his body went into shock, his heart stopped and we were unable to get it started again. I'm so sorry, Dean passed away earlier this morning."
* * * * * * * *
