The whirring washing machines filled the Laundromat with a steady background noise. Lily held Johnny in one arm and pressed her cell phone to her ear with the other when she waited for an open machine.

"We're just outside Chicago," she informed Bobby Singer who was on the other end. Sam had not been the social butterfly since Dean's death the month before. Lily had to call Bobby in secret to let him know. "Look, Bobby, I have to go. A machine opened up," she said.

"Take care, kid," Bobby said in a melancholy tone and their conversation was terminated.

Johnny was being fussy, but she set him down with one of his fire trucks near the machine that had opened up. She grabbed the bag of laundry and began to throw it in. It was a mix of all three of their items. Although Sam's seem to stick out more than theirs. And it was not because of the size…it was the smell of alcohol that they reeked of. Frowning, she filled the machine and hit it on. Sam was busy drinking and trying to find a way to save Dean. She did the best she could to prevent his alcohol consumption…and sometimes she was successful…and the others not so much.

She did not realize how much time as passed. Suddenly she was waiting for the drier to finish…time seemed to fly when you were contemplating how much your life was spinning out of control. She had been pulled out of her thoughts by Johnny's descent into tears. "Oh, baby what's wrong?" she picked him up and bounced him in her arms, "Are you hungry?" she dug into her bag and grabbed the box of animal crackers. But he rejected them and became even fussier. People in the Laundromat began to stare. So she packed up their stuff and headed outside. "Come on, baby," she tried to keep a hold of him. As she attempted to readjust him in her arms, his shirt lifted and revealed a red rash on his chest. "Oh, baby what is that?" she breathed, running her finger across that. Now she knew, with a mother's instinct, that something was really wrong.

She pulled her phone back out and dialed Sam.

Ring. Ring. Ring. 'This is Sam, leave a message.' Beep.

"Sam, it's me," she breathed, "You need to come get us…I think Johnny needs to go to the hospital…something's wrong…call me." She hung up. She only gave Sam five minutes to return her call….and when he didn't she called 911. She did not know how long she could wait.

An ambulance picked them up and took them to the nearest hospital. They ran tests and it took Lily a lot of energy to stay strong. Finally, as she sat with her son on a bed covered in tissue paper, the doctor entered the room. And she did not look like the look on his face. "What is it?" she asked.

The doctor sighed. He began to tell her something in a medical language that she did not speak. Frustrated, tired, and scared out of her mind she demanded, "What does that mean?!"

Not offended by her exclamation, the doctor rephrased, "He needs a heart bypass surgery." He said, "And soon," he continued, "And I'm willing to do it…however this decision is yours. We can put him on some medication…but…his need for the surgery is inevitable."

Lily's eyes brimmed with glistening tears and nodded, "I understand." She said. She subconsciously brought Johnny closer to her, "How soon?"

"As soon as today," she said. He assumed that she was a younger single mother that did not have the money, and was treating her as such…which was not far from the truth.

Lily nodded, "Let's do it."

-

They prepped for surgery and the time seemed to move too fast before they took little Johnny away into the surgery room. Lily pulled out her phone again, and dialed Sam…again.

'This is Sam. Leave a message.' Beep.

"Sam…it's me again. We're at the hospital…and…and," Lily's voice broke and she slid down the wall in tears, "Johnny's in surgery…something is really wrong…please…call me. I can't do this alone," she cried before she hung up the phone and began to cry into her knees.

The surgery would be a few hours and once Lily calmed down she headed to the cafeteria. She got a cup of coffee, her hands shaking wildly. When she took a seat at a table, she pulled out her phone and called Bobby. She told him what was going on, and see if he could get a hold of Sam.

Bobby was being a better father from his place than Sam was to his own child.

After five cups of coffee, a few more tears, and a walk around the hospital, the surgery was done. And finally, Lily was allowed into the room where her sleeping child lay. "Thank-you," she told the doctor. Then she was left alone. "Johnny, please don't do that to mommy again," she stroked his hair. When she looked at the window of the room, when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam standing on the other side of the glass. She did not know whether to smile or ignore him. She kissed the top of her son's head and headed out of the room to Sam.

"Where were you?" Lily asked, looking up at Sam. She could tell he'd had a drink or two, but he was completely coherent.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, "Lily…I'm so sorry…is he okay?"

"He's fine," Lily replied, "Sam…" she crossed her arms over her chest, "We could have lost our son…and you were completely MIA," her jaw clenched.

Sam nodded, "I know…" She could tell that he felt guilt and remorse.

Good.

"I know what you're going through is nearly unfathomable…but you seem to forget I lost my entire family in one foul swoop. You forget that I'm still here. I'm still here for you Sam. And most of all…he's still here…and he needs his father," she kept her tears back.

"I know," Sam nodded. He looked at the ground and then back to her, "I think I've found a way to save Dean," he said.

"How?" Lily asked in near disbelief.

"Ruby," Sam replied. That's where he had been when he was unreachable. Ruby saved his life…and they had a plan.