Humpty Dumpty

Chapter One

Jody pulled her truck to a stop and turned the key with her trembling fingers shutting down the engine, replacing it's loud mechanical growl with the hesitant murmurs of pain that although he struggled to hold back, Dean could no longer contain.

"Are you sure, Sam?"

Her voice was tight with continuing terror and when she found Sam's face in the dim glow from the dashboard instruments, she saw his matched fear reflected back at her in his wide, dark eyes.

"The hospital's only..."

"No. No hospital, Jody. I...we can deal with this. Alright?"

Sam's interruption was soft but absolute and she nodded, taking a little comfort in his quiet authority.

"Alright, okay...What do we do?"

The hunter took a second, glancing out the passenger window, looking up the path to the door of her house, getting his bearings before turning back to her face.

"It's gonna take both of us to get him inside..."

He paused, glancing down at his brother where he rested, slumped against his own chest, the younger man's arm clasped tightly about the elder's shoulder keeping him from slumping further.

"I don't think he'll be able to walk, not on that leg, so we're gonna take one side each and manage him that way into the house. Okay?"

Jody nodded, less confident in the plan than he was but having nothing else to offer.

"Go open the door and then come back to this side of the truck."

Sam tipped his head toward the passenger door he was squashed against and Jody quickly opened the truck door and sprinted up the porch steps, rummaging in her pocket for her door key as she ran.

Her fingers were clumsy and it took three attempts to hit the keyhole and push the front door wide. She reached in and flicked on the soft lamp on the hall stand and then, turning, hurried back to Sam's side.

The younger hunter had slid from the truck and was standing on the grass border, his back to her as he leaned into the cab, holding his brother in place on the stained leather of the bench seat. She could hear him talking softly to the stricken man, quiet, familiar words of comfort as she stopped at his side and she placed her hand on his arm, silently announcing her return.

He glanced at her and she nodded all was ready before his gaze moved back to his brother. He stepped closer to the open door, sliding his arm along the back of the seat, moving into position to attempt Dean's extraction.

"Dean?"

His voice was gentle yet urgent but the injured hunter failed to respond. Sam raised his other hand, carefully brushing the back of his fingers against Dean's stubbly cheek.

"Come on, bro..."

He crooned.

"We're at Jody's house. Let's get you inside, okay?"

Dean mumbled, but only noises rather than words and Sam's fingers stroked more firmly.

"Open your eyes, Dean."

Jody watched as Sam cupped his brother's chin and raised his head, bringing his eyes to a level with his own.

"Dean!"

"S...mm?"

Sticky eyelashes, gummed with tears and grime fluttered, flashing a glimpse of green and Jody felt her tension drop one point with Dean's attempted consciousness.

"That's it..."

Sam gently shook his brother's chin and Dean encouraging him to wakefulness.

"Come on, open your eyes for me."

Dean groaned and weakly raised his right hand, trying to dislodge Sam's hand from his face.

"Le...go..."

His words were slurred but Jody could hear a slight hint of irritation which she took as a positive thing.

"I will if you open your eyes for me."

Sam bargained and Dean slowly responded, pulling open his eyelids to reveal his dilated, unfocussed gaze.

"There ya go."

Sam smiled and released his brother's chin, dropping his hand to rest against Dean's filthy T-shirt over his brother's heart.

"We...home, S..m?"

Dean's head wobbled to look beyond Sam. He was disorientated, confused and the movement pulled down into his shoulder, jostling his arm. He stopped abruptly, moving his right hand across his bloodied shirt seeking the source of his pain.

"Careful, don't touch!"

Sam caught his wrist, preventing Dean from reaching his damaged arm.

"Your hands are filthy bro, don't wanna get any more muck in the wound. It's gonna be a bitch to clean out anyway."

Dean's eyes moved to his left, taking in his torn shirt and the blood stains and he nodded slightly letting Sam drop his hand back to his lap.

"'K. I g...t busted up, huh?"

Sam smiled and sighed.

"Yup, you sure did."

Dean frowned.

"Sorry...S...Sam"

Dean wide eyes, fuzzy as his focus obviously was, found his brother's and a lifetime of regret shone in the green depths. Jody put her hand to her mouth, feeling her heart catch in her chest.

"It's okay, Dean. Well get you patched up, no problem."

Dean's smile was lop-sided.

"Just like Humpty Dumpty..."

"Yeah, Dean, sure thing. You're always throwing yourself off some wall or other. Just like Humpty Dumpty."

Sam placed his hand to his brother's chest steadying him as Dean's fuzzy gaze wandered to the sheriff.

"Y...u...okay, Jody?"

Dean wobbled on the seat as he moved to look beyond his brother and Sam was forced to hold him firmly back against the seat.

"I'm fine, Dean. We're just fine, aren't we, Sam?"

Jody responded quickly wanting Dean to be still as she moved closer to Sam, stretching up so the injured man could see her, smiling for him to emphasize her point but she noted with surprise a frown on the younger hunter's face.

"Yeah. I'm just fine. Why wouldn't I be? Seeing as you threw yourself in front of it as usual."

Sam's voice had a distinctly sharp tone to it and she watched as Dean's face fell in response.

"You...mad, Sammy?"

Dean attempted to sit a little straighter, but the movement made him flinch and he stopped leaning onto Sam's palm for support. Yet despite it being obvious his brother was in pain, Sam's anger increased rather than diminishing.

"Why d'you always do that, Dean? What makes you think I need you to do that?"

The older man's face was pale and he raised his hand to cover his brother's where it lay against his chest.

"Sa...Sam..."

"You think I like it when you end up like this?"

Without Sam realizing it, his hand pressed tighter, pushing Dean back against the leather of the seat. Jody watched in horror as Dean pulled weakly at the restraining hand, his face twisted in pain.

"Sam...please...hurting..."

Dean gasped, and struggled but Sam didn't release his grip.

"Enough!"

Jody wrapped her hand about Sam's upper arm and squeezed, pulling hard at him, forcing him to ease his hold.

"Sam, I don't know what this is about but now's not the time. We need to get him inside, he's in pain and you're making it worse."

Sam looked down into the sheriff's eyes and she was relieved to see his irritation dissipate as quickly as it had flared to life. He nodded and looked back at his brother, his face gentle again, regret in his voice.

"You're right. Dean, I'm sorry. We need to get you out of here and into the house. Okay?"

Dean's face relaxed a little, though his breathing was still patchy and shallow. He nodded to show he understood.

"Sam?"

His voice was hesitant, tired.

"What?"

"I don't think...I...cn...walk..."

Sam followed his brother's gaze down to his left leg. His jean's leg was ripped wide open where the cougar had sliced through the denim and into his thigh with it razor sharp claws. The makeshift dressing Jody had cobbled together with an old towel she found the trunk of her truck was sodden with blood despite Dean's belt acting as a make-shift tourniquet around his thigh.

"I know, bro but you don't have to. Jody and I'll be either side of ya and you can lean on us."

Dean frowned, looking at the sheriff.

"I'm too heavy..."

She smiled reassuringly, squeezing his arm powerfully to demonstrate her point.

"And I'm stronger than I look, so no arguing."

Dean huffed, unconvinced but defeated as he knew he had no alternative.

"You ready?"

Sam leaned into the cab, encircling his brother with his long arms and Dean nodded, bracing himself for what he knew was going to be a painful transition. Sam tightened his arms, leaning slowly backwards, slowly shifting Dean to the edge of the seat. Jody watched the delicate procedure, feeling helpless as the hunter gasped repeatedly in pain.

Standing Dean down onto the ground was the worst bit, and as his feet touched the ground, supported as he was in Sam's embrace, Dean's hiccuping breaths were testament to his misery. Jody looked at Sam as he stood, feet braced widely, allowing Dean to sway on his one good leg trying to find some balance.

"What do I do?"

Sam tilted his head indicating Dean's left hand side.

"You take his left side. I don't think he can really lift that arm so just get up close to him and put your arm round his waist and grab his jeans. I'll take the bulk of his weight, but you need to steady him for me. Okay?"

Jody nodded, moving into position.

"Dean?"

The older man's opened his eyes, wearily. Pain was etched on his pale face but he looked reasonably coherently.

"Gonna have to jostle ya a bit so Jody can grab a hold. I need you to put your arm over my shoulders, okay?"

Dean nodded, recognizing the grip Sam was proposing and Jody realized this was far from the first time one or other of them had needed to do this.

"Can you hold onto your bad arm with your right hand? Try and keep it as steady as you can? It'll hurt less that way."

Sam felt Dean's had brush against his belly as he snaked across to cradle his injured limb.

"Okay, here we go."

Sam moved swiftly, releasing Dean just long enough to reposition him and Jody pressed in, taking up her indicated role. It was a remarkably smooth transition and she was about to congratulate Sam until she felt Dean go slack against her. She craned her neck, staggering under the extra burden, looking at the injured man to see his eyes fluttering closed.

"Sam, I can't hold him."

"Dean!"

Sam tightened his grip, pulling hard, easing the floppy man off Jody.

"Hey, man. Come on, wake up for me."

Sam tugged harder, unhappily but purposefully shifting Dean onto his injured leg. The pressure woke the neuropraxic nerves in Dean's thigh, lighting them on fire and he opened his eyes, crying out in pain as he lurched onto his other leg.

"Ooowhh!"

Jody struggled but hung onto the waistband of his jeans and after a moment or two both Dean's breathing and swaying settled and they progressed very slowly toward the porch steps, where they paused for breath.

666

If she had thought the walk up the path difficult, the three steps to the open door of Jody's house were near impossible. By the time they got to the first, Dean could no longer move his injured leg at all and though he was as careful as he could be, when Sam pulled him up the step Dean's leg dragged and jarred on the wood sending waves of pain lancing through him. Frighteningly though, the older man was almost silent, too exhausted to even cry out, but the twitches he made under her hands told the sheriff he was still feeling every bump and knock. It was awful to watch and worse to know she was helping to inflict pain. She glanced at Sam and saw in the tight set of his mouth that he was enjoying this no more than her.

"Should...w...we stop?"

She was out of breath, her arms trembling from trying to keep Dean upright and she was sure Sam must be feeling the strain worse than her as he had the bulk of his brother's weight on him.

"No...won't help him...to stop here. We just gotta...get him inside..."

Sam puffed out, his eyes betraying his distress.

"There's no easy way. Just gotta...do it."

She nodded and they dug in and yanked and tugged their charge up the remaining steps to the porch, where they paused to regroup.

"Show m... where to...put him."

Sam gasped, looking round his slumped brother at her and nodded into the house. Jody frowned, not understanding what he wanted her to do.

"You let go, let me take him from here. I'll pick him up and carry him. You just show me where to lay him."

Jody raised her eyebrows.

"You sure you can lift him?"

Sam nodded.

"It's not the first time, Jody and I'm stronger than I look too."

Her eyes smiled at his joke and in sympathy, realizing hurt and pain was commonplace to these men, her friends.

"Okay, letting go!"

She carefully relaxed her grip and watched as Sam tensed and as Dean started to crumple toward the floor, he bent and scooped his brother into his arms and staggered after her.

chapter ends

Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading.