It was one long week before Ang got a frantic call from Dean.
"It's Sam Ang. He won't wake up." Dean stated and Ang could hear the anguish in his voice. He was blaming himself again as usual. To reassure him not to feel guilty at this point Ang knew was useless.
"Where is he?" Ang asked.
"Bobby's panic room. Now." Dean stated.
"Now? Where was he?" Ang asked.
"We took him to Sioux Falls General but I didn't like the waiting and the MRI's and I snuck him out of there. Which wasn't easy to say the least." Dean said.
"And now?" Ang asked helpless clear across the country.
"I want to bring him to you, Bobby says not to move him." Dean replied.
"His vitals?" Ang asked knowing that Bobby would know. A second later Bobby was on the phone.
"He's holding his own Ang and I keep telling paranoid here that Sam's gotta heal from the wall insertion at his own pace. But you know Dean." Bobby assured her. She heard the two argue and Dean was back on the line.
"Can Cas bring you here?" Dean asked.
"I don't know how much help I can be Dean but if it makes you feel better I'll call him." Ang offered.
"Has Cas seen him yet?" Ang asked hoping the Angel could do something to calm Dean down if nothing else.
"No. Thought you could do more." Dean offered.
"Perhaps but try Cas. If anyone can give Sam the once over its Cas." Ang said.
"Okay I'm game for anything. I just want him to wake up. Sam." Dean said his voice trailing off as he mentioned his little brothers name.
"Dean!" Ang yelled to get his attention.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Calm down. Call Cas. Find something to do with yourself and keep me posted. And for heaven's sake stop driving Bobby crazy with your paranoia. We are all scared enough about this wall in Sam's head but we need to stay calm. You hearing me Dean?" Ang asked.
"Yeah you sound like Bobby." Dean replied with a sigh.
"Then listen to him." Ang replied.
"Are you coming?" Dean asked.
"You call Cas see what's what and if you still need me there I'll come. Agreed?" Ang stated.
"Okay. I'll call Cas now and let you know." Dean said and hung up. Ang just waited.
An hour later it was Bobby who returned her call.
"Bobby what's the word?" Ang asked.
"He's still out." Bobby said.
"Cas show up?" Ang asked.
"Yeah he was here. Says he's not a human doctor whatever that means and that Sam's soul is intact." Bobby offered.
"Well that's something. All we can do now is wait. Dean said he had him checked out by the doctor and you are confident he's stable he does have a soul it's up to Sam now. How is Dean or should I even ask?" Ang replied.
"Let me put it this way, I thought it best I call you." Bobby said.
"Understood. Find that kid something to do besides sitting around wringing his hands over this." Ang offered.
"Working on that right now. That's about all we can do." Bobby replied.
"Good that'll keep his mind occupied with something other than Sam for awhile. Oh and Bobby I know you guys are really the praying types but take it from me it couldn't hurt." Ang said.
"Been on that one too. We'll keep in touch. See if there is anything you can do from your end and Cas can still bring you here if you want. Your call." Bobby offered.
"I'm working on it from here but so far no luck. Looks like it's up to Sam, Death did his part. Let me see if I can get any more out of Cas then I'll let you know about dropping in." Ang said.
"Sounds good." Bobby said then hung up.
Ang closed her eyes and willed her rebellious Angel to her. A second later the whispering of wings followed Cas appearing in her dining room. He walked into the living room where Ang stood knowing he had been summoned but the frown on his face's vessel annoyed Ang because he never used to question her summons now that he was in the middle of a civil war with Raphael he was not at his best with his superiors; Raphael was not among those.
"Talk to me you saw Sam." Ang said it was not a question.
"I did and there is nothing to do but wait and see if he comes out of it. As I told Dean..." Ang cut him off.
"This is me Castiel not Dean. Explain what you found." Ang said.
"As I was about to say what I told Dean was that his soul felt as if it had been skinned alive. There is nothing else to report." Cas said.
"You saw more than that and you know it. Explain." Ang stated.
"I saw more. From the second his body hit the floor of the cage and Lucifer was extracted from it. I saw Michael being extracted from the other brother's empty vessel and then Lucifer pull Sam's soul out of his body. I never thought that one possible but I saw it. I also saw the rack Lucifer has been using to torture Sam and how he used his past and mostly Dean to torment him. It was different from Dean's time on the rack. It was not only Lucifer that tortured him other demons too." Cas explained as if rattling off a report with his usual toneless voice.
"Will the wall hold?" Ang asked.
"It's a wonder it's holding now. Sam is already having horrible nightmares and yes he is locked inside himself but there is something else." Cas said and paused.
"Go on." Ang urged.
"He's fighting it and calling for...you." Cas said and Ang took a step back wondering what Lucifer told him if anything or if it was just their connection before he fell in the cage that was causing this.
"Is this a part of the nightmare?" Ang asked.
"No, like he's trying to come out of it and there are two parts to him one in the throes of the nightmare the other fighting to get out and calling for your help." Cas explained.
"Where'd you leave Dean?" Ang asked.
"Upstairs with Bobby. Talking about another job." Cas replied.
"Then there's no time to waste. Take me to that panic room." Ang stated and a second later she was standing beside the cot where Sam lay with only a bottle of fluids connected to his left arm for care. She looked out of the opened door of the panic room and heard the voices of Bobby and Dean upstairs. She had to work fast.
"Let's do this." Ang said.
"Are you sure you should what if Sam wakes before we leave or remembers." Cas said.
"He won't wake up and it will be like a dream to him anyway." Ang said as Cas watched the door to the panic room in case Dean came back down then turned back and watched Ang work.
Ang leaned over Sam's immovable body and whispered in his ear and Cas knew that she was showing him something similar to what he had seen when the gleam of sunlight had caught his eye when Lucifer was beating the crap out of Dean in Sam's body and after a series of flashbacks Sam was able to take control of Lucifer and hold him long enough to jump into the cage.
Ang left the mental link between her and Sam when she finished and brushing the hair from his forehead she looked at his still closed eyes and closed her own seeing all he experienced in the cage in an instant and though she couldn't remove those memories she made sure the wall was up and taking a long breath faced Cas.
"We've done all we can here. Take me back before he wakes or before Dean comes back down." Ang said and they were gone from the panic room a moment later Sam opened his eyes and removed the needle feeding him fluids and stood shakily for a second but after getting his footing he realized where he was and slowly walked up the stairs from the panic room.
Cas left Ang where he had picked her up saying he had a civil war to fight. Ang's words of following proper revelation went unanswered as the Angel vanished before she finished. Now all she had to do was wait and see how long before Sam woke and she got a phone call from Dean saying he was awake. She rested while she waited. Sam was going to be in serious trouble if the wall fell.
Sam emerged from his shower still a bit shaky but otherwise feeling fine after eating and showering. He found Dean in Bobby's kitchen staring out of Bobby's kitchen window with a view of the junk yard where Bobby repaired his cars. This time Sam didn't call out to Dean has he had when he woke up in the panic room about an hour before. Dean sensing Sam was in the room turned to face him.
"Better?" Dean asked as Sam went to the fridge for another beer.
"Yeah. You?" Sam asked.
"Me? Couldn't be better." Dean replied.
"Good. So what's next? Find a job or what?" Sam stated.
"Whoa! Relax will ya. A job will turn up just rest. You've been gone for awhile Sam you need to stand on solid before we jump back to work." Dean said studying his brother. Sam apparently remembered nothing of the last year and a half and that was just fine with Dean.
"Just asking Dean. I'm on solid by the way." Sam said opening his beer. He saw Dean reach for his cell phone.
"Call. She's on speed dial." Dean said handing Sam the phone. For a moment Sam looked puzzled but took the phone and smiled seeing Ang's number logged in on Dean's phone as number one. Sam laughed.
"She still with us?" Sam asked.
"Every step of the way. Call." Dean said. Sam dialed and Dean joined Bobby in the yard.
Ang was just standing up from her rest after checking on Sam when the phone rang.
"Hello." she said without looking at the caller.
"Miss me?" Sam replied and Ang heard the smile in his voice. Something she had not heard in a long, long time.
"Sam. Good to hear from you." Ang said not knowing what Dean had told him and not wanting to give too much away. The less Sam knew the better.
"Dean told me to call so I guess you know what he did." Sam replied.
"What do mean Sam?" Ang asked frowning.
"Death! The Horseman!" Sam stated.
"Yes he told me. It worked let's just be grateful all around. Okay?" Ang said.
"Then you aren't angry that he went to Death?" Sam asked.
"He got you out Sam that's all that matters." Ang said.
"We don't have a job so I'm gonna tell Dean I'm coming home. It is still our home?" Sam asked.
"Of course it's your home and Dean's and Bobby's when he wants a break from South Dakota's part of the country." Ang said hearing the old Sam in his voice.
"Good to know. I will give Dean a choice either drive me in the Impala or I will fly out." Sam said and Ang almost laughed. Whenever he ran from Dean over a fight to her he just left.
"I'm sure Bobby will find a job soon. You know one always comes. Just stick with Dean and see how things go for awhile." Ang said.
"You don't want me to come?" Sam asked.
"No you can come anytime. Sam you just got back. Give it some time. Relax. Spend time with Bobby and Dean. Dean needs his brother right now." Ang offered wondering how Bobby was faring with all this considering the kid tried to murder him to scar his vessel just a couple of days ago.
"I'm done Ang. I want to come home and start fresh." Sam said. Ang sighed.
"You say that now because of all you went through. What do you remember anyway?" Ang asked.
"Just falling in the cage and waking up in the panic room. But before that from the time I left Stanford. I'm done Ang I want out." Sam said.
"Sam you're a Hunter. Just relax and be patient a job will come up." Ang stated.
"Alright. I'll give it time. But I still want to come home and see you. I will talk to Dean see if we can't head your way for a case." Sam offered.
"I'll be here. Just keep in touch. Come when you can." Ang said.
"I'll call soon and let you know where we're headed." Sam offered.
"Sounds good. Take care Sam." Ang said.
"You too. Can't wait to see you." Sam said.
"Me too Sam." Ang said then hung up. She didn't know that Dean and Bobby were wondering the same as she; how will Sam react when he realizes that he was walking around soulless for over a year and what he did and that all of them know about it and are keeping it from them. Ang wondered how long and who would spill the beans to Sam or if Sam would figure it out on his own and how soon. She also wondered if he'd know the truth by the time they made if all the way across country on their jobs to see her. She also wondered how long the wall would hold. She knew that Dean and Bobby wondered the same.
