There was nothing there. It didn't make any sense. There had to be a body attached to that gruesome arm. Yet where was it?

Sam leant on the edge of the mattress as he levered himself up from the floor, kicking the severed arm across the floor as he did so. Dean's body had relaxed again and he now lay, unconscious, with the claw horrifically, still fully embedded. Sam tentatively gripped one of the claws, giving a very gentle tug. It didn't move and he decided to leave it alone until he could figure out what he was dealing with. A pang of guilt assaulted him as he remembered Dean's warning. And yet, what else could he have done?

Dean's shallow, rapid breathing and pale complexion worried him. When he looked closer he could see Dean's eyes were moving constantly beneath his closed eyelids. Was he dreaming?

Sam called Bobby.

"What's the problem Sam?"

"Bobby, I'm sorry to call you this late, b.."

"Sam, tell me what the problem is. In fact, no, I guess this is about Dean, right?"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh come on Sam, whenever one of you two calls me it's always about the other one. You boys are forever steppin' in crap. Beats me how you both got this far. Now what is it this time?"

Sam ignored the sarcasm.

"Bobby, can your cell accept photos?"

"No Sam, I still rely on smoke signals and carrier pigeons to communicate."

When Sam didn't respond Bobby relented. "Okay, Sam, send me a picture, though why you can't just tell me what's going on…"

"Bobby, I'll send you a picture and then maybe you can tell me what to do, because right now, I am stuck for answers."

Bobby didn't miss the tremor in Sam's voice.

"Okay son, I'm waiting."

Sam took a picture of the claw and another of the severed arm and sent them both to Bobby. Moments later his cell rang.

"Where's the rest of it Sam?"

"I don't know."

"Whaddya mean you don't know?"

"Bobby, the arm came out from under the bed, I cut it off but there was nothing under the bed or anywhere. I don't know where it is or what it is and Dean has that thing stuck in him, and…."

"Okay Sammy, we'll figure it out. I'm coming to you. Where are you?"

Sam gave him their location. It would be a good 3 hours or more before Bobby could get there.

He went back to his brother's bedside. Dean was covered in a light sheen of sweat. There was no blood and nothing for Sam to bind or wrap or cauterise. Dean was lying, fully clothed, on top of the bedclothes. So Sam settled for laying a sheet from his bed over his brother's prone form. He wasn't sure if that was for Dean's benefit or his own. Yanking the axe out of the mattress, he leant it against the wall next to him. Then he settled in to keep watch over Dean while he waited for Bobby. He grabbed the laptop too, but after a few tries at searches on "disembodied arms" and "bodyless claws" and a few other varieties, he ran out of ideas and discarded the laptop on his bed. After a while he fell asleep.

Dean dreamed.

He was four years old. Everything was great! Well, apart from the fact that Jenny in kindergarten was bugging him. Kept trying to kiss him! Ewww!! Other than that, he had a new brother. He wasn't sure about it at first. His mom got tired and then she got real big and then she went away. And when she came back, she had this strange noisy thing in her arms. And it smelt! And it was ugly – like, really ugly. Kinda had a weird shaped head and red and blotchy and wow, noisy! But the worst thing was the smell! Double Ewww! But Mom and Dad said it was my baby brother – whatever one of those is. Anyway, seems I have to help look after it. 'Cos if I do, I get extra candy and they seem really pleased with me and I get to watch cartoons. Mom and Dad are weird!

"Aw! Bed? Already? C'mon! Just a few more minutes – please?"

"Whoa! Wheeee! Ha ha ha. Whoa!"

John scooped up his son and flew him up and around and up and down. Dean squirmed but held on tight as his dad whirled him around the room. This was so much fun, apart from being a bit scary. Specially when the ceiling came up so fast and… and whoa, stomach lurching up now..

"John!"

John stopped whirling his son around the room. Lowering Dean quickly to the floor, and giving his son a furtive wink, he looked at his wife.

"Aw, come on, it was just a bit of fun before bedtime."

"John, you know how excited he gets!" Mary was tired, but the two beaming faces staring back at her made her forget about playing the angry mom.

She took Dean's tiny hand in hers and leading her pyjama clad son up the stairs, she cast a glance back at John and smiled.

"I'll be up soon sweetheart! Just going to check the news and I'll be right up." He locked all the doors and turned off the lights and then dropped down onto the sofa and flicked the TV on.

Sam jolted awake. Dean was groaning and writhing in his sleep. The claw in his abdomen seemed to be closing and tightening even more. Dean convulsed. Every muscle in his body tensed and tears slid down his face. Sam watched in amazement, as the claw retracted and shrivelled.

As gently as he could, he pulled the lower part of Dean's shirt away and looked for the wound. Before his eyes, the hole in Dean's body healed itself.

"What the fuck?"