"Hey, Dean, how's our John Doe doing?" Ashley, the regular nurse asked as she swept into the room, put the fresh flowers from Dean into a vase, and started to change the sheets on the biker's bed.

"I think we're making really great progress. When I told him about how I almost got my arm caught in an engine yesterday, I think he breathed a little quicker." Dean moved to help Ashley as she laughed, pulling away the starched white cloth. He still winced at the bruises on his body, but they were fading now.

She piled the bedclothes on the floor and smiled a thank you. She bustled over to the dresser where she'd set the fresh sheets down and started to remake the bed. "You're so sweet, you know that?" Ashley sat on the side of the bed, careful of the man.

Dean settled back into his chair, giving a soft chuckle. "Only around here, out in the real world I'm pretty rough." He flashed a smirk and a wink at Ashley.

She rolled her eyes, and continued, "No, really. I've never seen anyone put in so much effort for someone they barely know."

Dean looked at the man on the bed, machines breathing for him and nothing but the rise and fall of his chest to signify his will to live. The black hair that has hardly been washed, though thankfully there was no blood anymore. The pale skin, the casts, the gauze, the scrapes, the fading bruises… "I wish I could do more for him, but this is it. One-sided conversations, company he didn't ask for, and flowers."

Ashley shrugged. "Well, everyone needs someone. And, I'm sure he's glad that he's got you." She put her hand on his shoulder as she passed, and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Dean. Don't stay too late."

Dean smiled and responded, "Well, you could see me tonight…"

"I told you, I'm gay. I'm sure with all the other girls my age you've got power like no other, but seriously, Dean. I have a girlfriend."

"You can bring her, too! It'll be a party! I promise I'm fun."

She rolled her eyes with much exaggeration and left the room with the dirty bedclothes.

"Hey, bud, did you see that?" Dean leaned in close to the broken man. "I'm pretty sure I almost convinced her. Maybe if I throw you in the mix, like a fourway, she'd be more down. I mean, unless you don't do the whole group thing. I get that… I guess. Sammy says he's never done that. He's always done the one at a time thing. But, sometimes that's so boring. Especially when she's dating him. God, I bet they probably just read erotic books-no, wait, it's historical books and that's the closest thing they've gotten to sex.

"Me? I think I've tried everything. I tried the steady thing once… twice… it's not really for me. It's kind of a lot of work. And usually not worth it. Someone always ends up hurt. And usually it's me."

He took a deep breath and knotted his fingers together. "The first girl… I loved her, man. I did. Her name was Cassy and she was beautiful and smart and she broke something in me in just the right way. She and I, we clicked. She pushed me. She forced me to realize that the world wasn't just about me. Wasn't just about Sam. That there was a lot of fucked up shit out there, and it's not worth the effort to focus it all on one thing. And she made me better. She made me whole. For the first time since mom…

"Yeah, but then I fucked it all up… I fucked everything up."

He screwed his mouth up, feeling the pain of the past rolling through his veins. He ran his tongue over his teeth, and leaned back in his chair again.

A while later he nodded softly. "But the past is the past, right? You can't change it even if you wanted to." He took a forced deep breath. "Anyways, all relationships are screwed, right? I mean, you probably know that best of all of us… no one but the guy who hit you has shown up to keep you company."

Dean glanced over at the comatose man, watching his ragged, blank face for a reaction, an answer, a comment… anything. It reminded him of his ex who would shut down when they were mad. They would isolate and pretend like they didn't care. They'd bring out the cold shoulder like a blizzard in canada, and Dean would be thrust wayside.

"Yo, man, I didn't mean that. I'm sure you've got family. It's just… no one knows who you are. No one could contact them."Dean reached out and patted the back of the man's hand. "Plus, I mean, I'm really not that bad. I definitely know how to have a good time, anyways. And I'm probably the funniest, sexiest man you've ever met."He pulled his hand away and wore a smoulder that sent every girl swooning.

Then he stopped moving. He swore he'd seen a finger twitch when he'd moved his hand away.

"Wait, buddy, do that again. Move. C'mon, I know you just did that. Don't make me call the nurse over nothing." His finger was already on the call button, his eyes intent on the now still hand. "Dude, don't bullshit me. I know you moved."

"What's wrong?" A male nurse ran into the room, hair slicked back and scrubs ironed. He looked pointedly between Dean and John Doe.

"He moved," Dean pointed at the man's hand.

The nurse sighed heavily. "Let go of the call button." He walked over to the heart rate monitor, moving Dean further away from the call button and the biker. "When?"

"Like… four seconds ago. I don't know. He moved! His finger moved!" Dean was pointing frantically, his mouth agape.

The nurse ran a hand over his face. He was probably doing something important.

Dean walked over to the other side of the bed and kneeled next to it. "Look, man, I ask you not to die every day when I leave, if you could go the extra mile and… live, that'd be astounding. The extra mile is a lot, I know.

"But, you're rising up, you're getting back on your feet, you've done your time, you took your chances, you went the distance and now you're back on your feet, just a man and your will to live-"

"Eye of the tiger, right?"

Dean paused in his inspirational quoting and looked at the nurse. "Yeah… I watched Rocky with my bud here last week."

"Wow, I haven't watched Rocky in forever." The nurse sneaked a glance at Dean, who was still staring incredulously at the man. He looked Dean up and down, quickly, then returned his attention to the monitor with a cough and newfound concentration. "Well his heart rate went up about a minute ago. Did you do something?"

"I was apologizing… telling him how funny I was…"

The nurse looked at Dean with raised eyebrows. "Really? That's all? Did you shake him or anything?"

"I touched his hand, but it was only a second…"

"His hand? The same one that moved?"

"Yeah."

"You probably just imagined it." The nurse pushed a few more buttons and it resumed its beeping, blinking screen that it'd had before.

Dean shook his head. "No, he moved." He looked at his hands, willing the nurse to be wrong. Hoping that he hadn't imagined it.

"Well, maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. He's not dead, but he's also not awake. So, I don't know what you want to do. You've been here every day right? For like two weeks, yeah?" Dean nodded. He walked over to the side of the bed Dean crouched next to."Maybe you're just antsy. I get it." He put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "I mean, he's like your brother or something right?"

Dean shrugged, "I don't even know who he is. But, I'm the reason he's in here. So, I felt like I needed to keep him company."

"Oh." The nurse pulled his hand back and walked to the door. "Visiting hours are over in five minutes, just so you know."

"Yeah. I know."

Dean spent the next five minutes staring at the comatose man, trying to will him to wake up. He studied the crevices and smooth surfaces of his face. Memorized the scrapes, bruises and burns he'd acquired after the crash. He traced the curve of his cheeks and lips with his eyes, and wished that they'd move, form words, start conversation. He wished that the man knew he wasn't alone. That Dean was there for him, even when his family wasn't.

"Dean…" There was a soft knock on the door as Ashley walked in. "Hey, visiting hours are over and Beck is throwing a fit about you. He's mad about something and he's making you the target. I think he and his girlfriend are fighting. But, sorry. You can come back tomorrow."

"You know I'll be here."

Ashley sent a soft smile towards him and stepped out of the room.

Dean walked to his chair and grabbed his jacket. "Well, buddy… go that extra mile, I know you can. I'll see you tomorrow."