Disclaimer: Not mine
Author's Notes: Thanks to Jedisapphire for the beta
Summary: On a hunt Dean goes missing. But not in any way Sam expected. Story includes up through finale. However no Mary Winchester or Toni included in this fiction
Chapter I: You Can't Make This Stuff Up
Dodging pedestrians, the Winchester brothers chased a shape shifter down the busy, main street of Sunset City, Nevada.
Turning left at the cross street, Sam planned to circle around the block while Dean stayed with the creature, hoping to trap it.
But a crowded art show, slowed Sam's pace, preventing him from meeting up with his brother as planned. Instead he found himself half a block behind Dean who was literally on the heels of the shifter.
Pushing himself hard, Sam tried to keep an eye on his big brother while shortening the distance between them. But he knew he wasn't going to get to Dean before he reached the busy intersection he knew lay ahead. But Sam tried anyway putting everything he had into it.
He'd only lost sight of Dean momentarily when he heard the screeching of car brakes, and the sound of metal on metal.
o0o
"Dean!" Sam's voice boomed, as he called out for his big brother. Grabbing his cell he tried to call Dean while moving quickly through the growing crowd of spectators. But the call went straight to voice-mail.
As Sam searched for Dean, he also kept an eye out for the shifter, disguised, as a dark-haired, middle aged banker in a suit.
Which became more difficult with shoppers and diners streaming out of the nearby stores and eateries having heard or witnessed the multiple car accident.
Sam's eyes widened with his first look at the number of cars involved. Scanning over those in his view, most appeared to have minor damage, and with people starting to exit their vehicles, it seemed hopeful there would be few if any serious injuries.
Sam stood in the spot he'd last seen Dean, scouring up and down the multiple lane highway before carefully stepping out into it. He then moved slowly in between the cars and people as he searched down the length of it to where regular traffic was being diverted.
With the sound of sirens approaching and increasingly worried about his brother, Sam never heard the car heading towards the accident scene too fast, unable to make the turn, that hit him.
o0o
All Sam remembered was the pain, being airborne, and thankful afterwards to have landed on something soft, cushioning him from the hard pavement.
Sam tried to get up but couldn't. He felt like a turtle on his back with the uneven pile of whatever he landed on, throwing him off balance.
Sam tried again. This time managing to roll over and off a pile of unmade cardboard boxes and a variety of bedding. Packaged Quilt and sheet sets, blankets and pillows, that had been flung out the back of a large delivery truck, when it was rear-ended and spun around, heavily decorating this section of the highway now with its contents.
Sam managed to stand but he was wobbly and in pain, his hip area and upper legs taking the brunt of the car's impact
"Dean!" he called out, starting to work himself away from the area he was currently at with no sign of his brother.
"Dean," he yelled, with no response.
"Hey buddy, you okay?" A paramedic ran up to him asking. "You took quite a hit!"
"I'm okay. But I don't know if my brother is," Sam said, the concern heard in his voice. " I can't find him and he's not answering his cell."
"Where did you last see him?" An older, soft spoken, man asked joining them.
"The Bagel Place," Sam said, nervously, moving a few steps to point out the corner shop where he'd last seen Dean in front of. "He was there. I think about to cross the street."
"I'll help you look," The older man offered. "I was in the Pizza place when the accident happened."
"You sure you don't want me to take a look at you?" The paramedic offered again. "Otherwise I need to.."
"Go, I'm fine," Sam said. "Thank you!"
"Jack," The older man introduced himself.
"Sam."
"Okay Sam. How do you want to do this?"
"How about we each take a different side of the highway where I last saw my brother. I'll take the upper part and you the lower."
"Sounds good. What's your brother's name?"
"Dean," Sam answered, followed by a description of his brother, which caused an unexpected hitch in Sam's voice.
"Hey," Jack gave Sam's shoulder a pat, after they exchanged cell numbers. "We'll find him."
"Thank you," Sam nodded, trying not to tear up. "I really appreciate you helping me."
o0o
"Dean!" Sam called out repeatedly, asking anyone he could, if they'd seen a man matching his brother's description, but with no luck. Stopping to try Dean's cell again, it went straight to voice mail.
"Dam it. Where are you Dean?" Sam muttered to himself.
He had just left a message for his brother when he got a call from Jack.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"I heard someone call for Sammy. Does your brother call you that?"
"Yes!" Sam said excited. "Where are you at?"
o0o
"Over here," Jack waved to Sam when he spotted him. "It was near this truck that I heard him. It was muffled but definitely a man's voice and definitely the name Sammy. He must be somewhere under all this stuff."
Sam was back at that large bedding spill and fairly close to where he had been hit by the car. The spillage covered a wide area with multiple piles of packaged bedding which left Sam uncertain of exactly where he had landed. But it definitely was around here.
"Dean!" Sam yelled, waiting a minute. Then he heard a faint "Sammy."
"Dean," Sam eyes lit up.
"Sammy I'm here." He yelled.
"keep calling me Dean and I'll find you," Sam said hobbling around the immediate area following his big brother's voice.
"Sammy!"
"Dean," he called out. "Talk to me buddy."
"Sammy!"
Following his brother's voice had led Sam to a more familiar area of that bedding spill.
No, it can't be, Sam thought in horror, then pushed the idea completely out of his head.
o0o
"Just keep calling my name, I'm close," Sam said, following his brother's voice a few more yards to where Dean seemed to be.
Then Sam and Jack tackled the pile of packaged bedding and cardboard, tossing pieces as fast as they could. whittling it down until Sam spotted his brother's arm and with that quickly freed Dean.
"Are you hurt?" Sam asked frantically, helping his brother up, not letting go, wanting to make sure Dean was steady on his feet.
"I don't know," Dean said relieved to be upright. I was fine, even buried under all this crap," Dean said steadying himself, holding on to Sam. "That is until this giant weight fell on me."
Sam closed his eyes in painful realization. Dean was part of what cushioned his fall when he landed.
"I could have dug myself out," Dean explained. "But what ever the hell hit me knocked me out. When I came to my head hurt and I felt dizzy."
Sam felt horrible and consumed by guilt. But he focused on helping his brother.
"Dean you need to get looked at you could have a concussion."
"I'm fine Sam. What we have to worry about is that shifter."
"Come on," Dean motioned to Sam.
"Wait! Where's Jack?" Sam looked around, seeing no sign of him.
"Jack? That old guy with you?"
"Yes. He helped me find you Dean. I wanted to thank him."
"Looks like he took off."
"Hey, looks like you found your brother," The paramedic he'd met earlier appeared.
"Yes. Sam put his arm around Dean's shoulder. Can you take a look at him?"
"Sure thing. Follow me."
"I don't need to be looked at," Dean argued refusing to move, "I'm fine."
"You were knocked unconscious Dean, please, for me!"
"You never play fair do you Sammy?" Dean caved quickly once those puppy dog eyes found his.
"Hey, hold on," Dean stopped Sam in place after they walked a short way. "You're limping. What happened?"
"A car hit me."
"What the hell and you failed to tell me this? Get over here," Dean firmly, but gently guided Sam to the open door of the ambulance. Where he had Sam take a seat. "You look at my brother first."
"Dean you're the one that needs to be seen. I have just bumps and bruises.
"If you get looked at, I will."
"Hey you two," The paramedic interrupted. "I have another married couple here who need attending to. So we are heading to the hospital where all of you will be looked at."
To be continued.