A/N: I recently helped care for a friend with a concussion. He's usually so centered and sure, but he was alone in the emergency room for quite awhile, and he thought we had left him alone. Even though he knew we were on our way, he was still sure he was alone. I kind of channeled that for this chapter. Warning: If you didn't like Sam's friends before…
Last Plane Out
Chapter Two
Alone
Sam had to admit it, when Dean had first left town he'd been relieved. Dean had not mixed well with his friends in Las Vegas. In fact things had gotten fairly rough between the two of them. Dean had been snappish and had started disappearing every night—headed to the strip to gamble. He came in late, woke late and was generally not fun to be around. Lisa and Jason had not taken to Dean from the first and that had added to the tension between he and his brother.
To tell the truth his friends had not liked his brother at all. They had been hard on him from the start. In fact Jason had made it a point of talking down to Dean, explaining things to him like he was stupid. Sam could see Dean resisting the urge to say something rude—or more likely resisting the urge to hit him. And I let them get away with that, I let it happen. I was so caught up in wanting to be the person from Stanford that I let them treat my brother like crap. I wonder if Dean will forgive me for that? I wonder if I'll forgive me for that? After Lisa had made a particularly snotty statement Dean left their apartment and had gotten himself a room downtown. Sam had hardly seen him for three days when Dean had suddenly appeared to tell him about a phone call from a friend of their father's.
"It's a simple salt and burn, I think I can handle it, you could meet me down there in a few days, give you some more time with your friends," Dean said.
"I don't know, Dean. These things can turn out to be more than you're planning on. I don't like the idea of you hunting alone."
"I'm not stupid, Sam. I think know how these things go and I can take care of myself," Dean said, angry.
"I didn't mean…"
"You and your friends," he put a nasty emphasis on the word friends, "can have a couple of more days to talk, make fun of me, make fun of my car some more. Cause you know I like that."
"We weren't making fun of you," Sam said, knowing that his friends actually had been making fun of his brother. At least I don't think I was.
"Made fun of the car. I know it's not some hybrid that has pure oxygen for exhaust and makes coffee in the morning, but it's my car and it means a lot to me."
"Dean…"
"And you know it, Sammy. My car, it's about all I have. So tell them to lay off the car. I never knew it embarrassed you so damn much."
"I like the car, Dean. You know that," Sam said. The conversation was getting a little heated.
"Just not around your friends."
"Dean…"
"What?" He snapped.
"Nothing, maybe you're right. Why don't you head to Texas and I will meet you there in a few days."
"Fine," Dean had pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and handed several bills to him. "Buy a plane ticket and let me know when you'll arrive."
"Dean, where did you get all this money?"
"Contrary to what your friends think of me, I'm not stupid and I do know how to gamble, Sam. Do you think that's enough? Do you need some to cover you until you leave?" And even angry, he still worries about me.
"I can manage."
"Fine, call me with your flight info, ok? I'll check in to let you know where I am—I should be there in three days. When you think you'll leave?"
"How about a week?" He said, Dean looked at him, hurt briefly in his eyes.
"Fine." And Dean had left. No good-bye, nothing, just fine and he was gone. He did call later to say he was staying in Winslow for the night. But that was all.
Another three days with his friends and Sam had started to get disenchanted. He didn't remember them being so shallow while they were all at university. Or maybe I was shallow, too. Lisa and Jason spent a lot of time talking to him about why he should go back to Stanford and finish his degree—finish law school. The idea did have appeal, escaping back into the academic life seemed so safe after the past few years. But that wasn't really who he was anymore—or at least not right now. They seemed to spend most of the rest of the time ragging on his brother. After letting it slide for the first few days—so he could feel like one of them again—he was thoroughly ashamed of himself and was standing up for Dean at every opportunity. Still, they didn't believe him, didn't believe his brother cared about him. And if I tried to explain about everything they would think I was completely crazy.
They had started in on him again one night while they were all out to dinner. "If your brother cared about you, he'd let you go back to school," Jason said.
"He needs me around right now."
"He needs you, but what about you, Sam?" Lisa said, giving him her "big eyes" look.
"I'm fine, Dean and I are fine."
"I don't believe that, honey. What has he ever done for you?"
Other than raise me? Other than worry about me? Other than everything? "He's done a lot," Sam said.
"He left you here without a good-bye, champ." Jason said.
"I know, that was my fault, too." Sam said defending Dean. About halfway dinner through he couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, they stopped talking. "Lisa, can I borrow your car? I'll meet you guys back at your place. I need to think."
"Sure, honey, take as long as you need," Lisa said handing over her keys. Sam thought he saw triumph in her eyes. They think I am going to take their advice and not go meet Dean in Texas.
He pulled the car out of the garage and headed out of town. Their words were spinning around in his head. Leave him in Texas, he left you here, doesn't care enough. They bounced around inside his skull. Dean was angry when he left, still sounds angry when he calls. I really screwed it up this time. I drove him away. I made him so uncomfortable that he felt better leaving than staying. What is wrong with me? He slowed down for a red light. I thought he would come back in a day or two and everything would be alright. I didn't expect him to actually go to Texas, never expected that. He left me here. The light turned green and he pulled into the intersection. He never saw the car that came barreling into him. He didn't have time to brace himself or prepare. The last thing he remembered were headlights and the thought—he left me here.
Bright glaring light greeted him when he opened his eyes. "Dean?"
"What's that dear?" A female voice answered.
"Where's Dean?"
"Who's Dean?"
Sam looked over, the woman was wearing scrubs, standing beside him. "My brother. Where's my brother?"
"You came in alone."
"Where's Dean?" He was frantic, where was he? Then—he left me here. "He's not here?"
"No, dear, we can call him for you."
"My phone, his number's on my phone." Sam said.
"You didn't have a phone when they brought you in. Why don't you just tell me his number."
"Sure it's," Sam stopped. He couldn't remember the number. He concentrated. "Eight, no, three, no, five. I can't remember. Why isn't he here?" Dean had promised he'd never leave him alone in a hospital. Never. He left me here. "I made him leave. He left me. Why isn't he here? Why can't I remember?"
"You relax, I bet you'll remember if you can relax."
"Ok, I'll try," he leaned back. His head hurt, his face hurt, his body hurt. Why isn't Dean here? Why did he leave me here alone?
"Hey, champ," someone said. Sam opened his eyes. Lisa and Jason—that was their names—Lisa and Jason.
"Do you know where Dean is?" He thought they might know.
"He left town, remember?" Lisa said.
"Can you call him?" Sam said, they must know how to get a hold of him.
"Don't have his number, you never gave it to us," Jason said. "He probably wouldn't come back anyway. You guys had quite a fight, remember?"
He left me here. "I think so," Sam said. "Why are you here?"
"The police called us when they ran the plates on the car. It's strange, the hospital said your ID is for Sam Richards. Isn't it Winchester?"
"Huh?" Sam said confused. "I don't know. Dean would know."
"Here's not here."
"I know, where is he?" Sam couldn't think why his brother wouldn't be there. He was starting to panic. Dean said he wouldn't leave him alone.
"We'd better go, you need to rest," Lisa said as they left the room.
They left me alone, too. Is Dean mad at me? My head hurts. Where's Dean? He heard a beep on the IV machine and something started making him sleepy. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Continued confusion, loss of memory," a male voice said.
"Sometimes it seems like he's back in childhood somewhere," the nurse said. Sam remembered he voice. He thought they might be talking about him.
"It can happen with this kind of head injury. Does he have family?"
"He's been asking for his brother."
"Why isn't he here?" The doctor said. Why isn't Dean here? He left me.
"He can't remember the number and his only visitors said they had no way to contact him."
"We need to find a way to contact him. He might need surgery, and soon."
"I can't remember the number," Sam said opening his eyes. I can't remember.
"Hey, I have an idea—I saw it on TV," the nurse said, the doctor snorted. She put the phone on the tray in front of Sam and handed him the receiver. "Don't think about it—just dial your brother's number, dear."
"What?"
"Just dial, your fingers might remember."
"Ok, I'll try," Sam concentrated for a second then just punched in eleven numbers. They felt right somehow. He held the received to his ear.
The phone rang once, twice then "Yeah?" Dean's voice.
"Dean! I remembered the number!" He looked at the doctor, "It's the right number."
"Sam? What's wrong?" Dean said. He's there on the phone, he's there.
Sam handed the phone to the doctor and he spoke with Dean. A couple of minutes later the doctor handed the phone back "He wants to talk to you."
"Dean?" Sam said.
"Sammy, I'm on my way. I'll be there before you know it."
"I don't like hospitals Dean," he said. I don't want to be alone here.
"I'm coming, I'll be there Sam."
"Promise, Dean?"
"I promise, Sammy." His brother said. Sam leaned back in the bed. Dean was coming. He promised. Dean never broke a promise.
"Hi, Sam," Lisa said as she and Jason came in a few minutes later.
"Dean's coming," Sam said.
"What?" Jason said, surprised.
"I called him, he said he was coming."
"He's in Texas," Lisa said. "That's days away Sam. Didn't you say he doesn't fly?"
Sam frowned, he couldn't remember. Why was Dean in Texas? He left me here. That was a long way away. "No, he doesn't like airplanes."
"Then how can he get here, champ?"
"He said he would," Sam said. "He said he would. He promised." He promised. He was getting agitated.
"I wouldn't count on it, he was pretty mad when he left," Lisa said.
"He's my brother, he said he would be here," Sam was shouting. The nurse came in. Sam had started to cry, "He said he would come, he promised. Why did he leave me here?" He left me here, I made him leave.
The nurse looked at Lisa and Jason. "You need to leave. You can't come in and upset him like this." She walked them out the door and came back in. "It's ok, dear. I'm going to give you something to help you calm down." Sam watched as she stuck a needle in the IV. He started feeling sleepy. What if I fall asleep and can't wake up? He picked up the phone and tried dialing again.
"Hello?" His brother's voice on the other end of the line.
"Dean?" Hearing that voice calmed him down faster than the shot the nurse had given him. Dean was talking to him. Maybe he's not made at me anymore. His brother promised he'd be there, promised a gift. He always brings me gifts when I'm in the hospital. Dean said he needed to get off the phone, but he would call right back. Sam was getting sleepier. He held onto the phone. It had become a lifeline. The phone rang, it was Dean. He said he's on the way, said he would be here. He promised. It's ok, he promised. Sam fell asleep holding onto the phone.
Pain pulled Sam from his sleep. Something was wrong. He pressed the call button. The nurse came in took one look at him and went back out. When she came in again the doctor was with her. They checked his eyes and poked at him. The doctor was shaking his head.
"We are going to send you down for more tests," he said to Sam.
"Doctor?" The nurse said.
"Better plan on prepping him for surgery."
Sam picked up the phone and dialed. Dean's phone rang and rang, then went to voicemail. He tried again, same thing. He's left me alone. He left me here alone. He said he was coming. Texas is a long way from here. They said he wouldn't come. Why didn't he answer his phone? When the phone started ringing it took Sam several seconds to answer it. "Hello?"
"Sam, how are you doing?" It was Dean. He called. It's ok, he's there. Dean said something about being there before Sam was taken for surgery.
"Aren't you in Texas?" He asked, lucid for a brief instant. That was what? About 20 hours away?
"I'll be there, ok?" He sounded so sure, but how could he drive that fast? Sam was confused. He wasn't sure how Dean was going to pull that off.
They took him for the tests and then brought him back to his room. Dean wasn't there—shouldn't he be there? He left me here. I made him leave. He left me here. They said he wouldn't come. I made him leave.
"Why isn't Dean here?"
"He hasn't gotten here, yet, but he will be here, I'm sure," the nurse said.
"I made him leave. He won't come back. They said he wouldn't come," He left me here. I made him leave.
"You need to calm down," Sam saw the needle headed towards the IV. "I'm going to give you something, it will help until we take you downstairs."
Sam closed his eyes. I'm alone. I made him leave. He left me here.
Someone put a hand on his shoulder, "Sam?"
He opened his eyes, he thought it looked like Dean. "Dean? Is that you?"
"Who else is this good looking?"
He's here, I'm not alone. He's here, he didn't leave me alone. Dean walked with him as far as the elevators. Sam saw him standing there as the doors closed.
To Be Continued