Chapter two

One Hundred Days Earlier

The Moon Light Motel

Grangeville Kentucky

Disclaimer: Re chapter one

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews and the support hope you enjoy this second chapter :0)

S—D

Sam stared at the phone, almost daring it to ring with his glare, Bobby snored softly on the couch, his baseball cap hid his eyes but the snores were a giveaway.

When the ringing started, Sam sat and stared even harder unsure if he really heard it or was imagining it.

'Answer the damned phone Sammy.' A gruff voice still heavy with sleep broke his daze; grinning sheepishly, Sam picked the phone up and grunted out a hello.

'This is Detective Jones,' the abruptness of the tone made Sam sit up as his heart felt as though it was going to explode.

'Detective have you any?'

'Can you get to the Memorial Hospital right now?'

'Why?'

'We've found your brother.'

'Oh God.'

'He's alive but … just get here alright.' The call ended but Sam sat holding the phone to his ear as he tried to process the news.

'Sam?' Bobby now fully awake sat up and stared at him, 'what is it?'

'They found him Bobby, they've found Dean.'

'And?'

'He's in the Memorial Hospital.' Sam blinked and looked up at the man he considered family more than friend, 'he's alive.'

'So what yer doin' just sittin' there ya eedjit?' Bobby got up, shook his keys, and looked down at Sam, 'yer comin' or what?'

'Huh?' Sam blinked and looked utterly lost, 'yeah sure.'

'Sam he's gonna be alright.'

'Yeah, yeah I know Bobby I know, it's just…'

'What Sam?'

'If he's alright then why didn't he call me?' Sam asked as he got up and slipped out of the door, leaving Bobby standing there staring at his back.

S—D

Present Day

Sam and Dean's apartment

E 23rd Street

Sioux Falls South Dakota

Dean watched Bobby pack his bag with wide-eyed curiosity, 'whatcha doin'?'

'You and Sam are gonna come and stay at my place for a little while.'

'Why?'

'Just thought that you would like a break from this ol' place and keep me company for a while, work on some cars with me.'

'Really?'

'Yep.'

'What bout Sammy?'

'He can come too.'

'Does he? He don't like cars?'

'Nope like you,' Bobby smiled and went to sit next to Dean on the bed, 'you love workin' on cars with me.'

'I do huh?'

'Yep, you worked on the impala all of the time.'

'Sammy says I can drive again one day.'

'That's right, you know that yer gonna get better don't ya Dean.'

'Sammy says that, an' and the d-doctors says that.' Dean pushed the words out angrily, 'but, but I – I dumb!' Suddenly he started to thump the side of his head with his fist, 'too dumb.'

'Dean, hey Dean.' Bobby moved quickly to grab Dean's fist and hold him still, 'dang it all Dean calm down.'

'Dean dumb.'

'No you aint, yer just got hurt.'

'How?' Dean demanded his green eyes dark with emotion that Bobby couldn't read, 'how did Dean hurt?'

'What has Sam told you?'

'Acc-ident.' Dean slowly put the word together, 'hurt Dean's head.'

'Yeah that's right kiddo.'

'No, not right Bo-Bobby.'

'Dean?'

'Man hurt Dean.'

'What man Dean?' Bobby asked, but glanced up when a movement caught his eye and saw Sam standing in the doorway listening intently; perhaps Dean was starting to remember.

S—D

One Hundred and Two Days Earlier

Memorial Hospital

Grangeville Kentucky

Sam thundered through the doors and skidded to a halt at the reception desk of the emergency department but before he could speak to the receptionist, Detective Jones appeared and indicated for him to follow.

With Bobby in tow Sam followed the annoying man, anger vibrated from every cell and every pore of the younger Winchester's being. 'Where are we going Detective?'

'We have Dean in protective custody in the ICU.' The officer answered dryly and pushed through another set of doors without another word. 'Sam this is Doctor Thomas Gardiner he is the neurologist in charge of Dean's case.'

'Neurologist?' Sam blinked at the man in a white lab coat holding a clipboard, suddenly the room started to swim around him and the floor started to come up to meet him. He could hear voices in the background but a loud buzzing drowned them out and tiny black dots floated in front of his eyes.

'Sam?' Bobby managed to grab Sam as the younger man's knees buckled and he started to collapse bonelessly to the ground. 'Whoa Sam it's okay son.' He guided the limp form to a chair and pushed Sam's head between his knees.

'Is he alright?' Detective Jones asked with barely concealed boredom.

'Young man do you know where you are?' the doctor asked as he crouched in front of Sam and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

'Mem-Memorial Hospital?' Sam whispered and swallowed heavily.

'Here sip slowly.' Doctor Gardiner gave Sam a glass of water the nurse had fetched and watched as the colour slowly came back to the young man's face, 'better?'

'Thanks sorry I dunno why…'

'He's Sam, and he's just plumb exhausted and aint been eating or drinking,' Bobby grumbled, 'not since Dean disappeared.'

'Perhaps we should get Sam seen to as …'

'No, no please just tell me where's Dean.' Sam protested as he pushed himself up to standing and swallowed down on his nausea. 'Where's my brother?'

'Right through here but I need to speak to you first Sam.' The doctor pushed Sam back to his seat and sat down next to him. 'Dean was brought in to us two nights ago.'

'Two nights?' Sam looked up and glared at the detective, 'he's been here for two nights?'

'When he came in he was in a bad way Sam, he had no identification, and was wearing only jeans, no shirt or shoes.' The doctor took a deep breath and continued, 'we held little hope of his survival to begin with, he – he had been shot in the head.'

'Shot?' Sam frowned and tried to keep up with what the doctor was telling him but all he could hear was his own voice teasing Dean for eating too much chilli.

'Sam?' Bobby asked as he watched the younger man try to hold onto his fragile grip on reality. 'You okay boy?'

'Huh? Yeah, yeah you said that Dean was shot?' Sam scrubbed at his eyes with a fist and then stared up at the doctor.

'I wish I had better news for you son, the shooter used a hollow point bullet, it fragmented on impact and imbedded in various parts of Dean's brain.'

'Hollow point? Dum-dum bullets? They used dum-dums?' Sam cried out and jumped from his chair moving faster than anyone could acknowledge he had the police officer pinned against the wall. 'They shot him with dum-dums and he was here for two days before you bothered to call me?'

'Sam, Sam let the police officer go.' Bobby spoke in a quiet stead voice as he placed a hand on Sam's rigid arm. 'Come on kiddo, let's go see Dean.'

'Two days Bobby…'

'I know but there's nothing we can do now.' Bobby managed to pry Sam's hands from the cowering man's jacket and guided him back towards the doors, 'he's through here?'

'Before you go in … I'm sorry Sam but your brother appears to have sustained brain damage, now over time he may regain … he's not going to be the same person you knew before.'

'Where ... is … my … brother?' Sam ground out; he could feel the tension rise once again and needed to let it out. Spinning he slammed his fist into the wall, the impact cracked the plaster and left blood splatters.

'Sam damn it,' Bobby growled and grabbed at Sam's rapidly swelling and bleeding hand, 'what the?'

'Why Dean Bobby?' Sam cried out, 'dum-dums Bobby, they shot him with freakin' dum-dums.'

S—D

Present Day

Sam and Dean's apartment

E 23rd Street

Sioux Falls South Dakota

'Man took Dean way from Sammy,' Dean twisted his fingers in the hem of his t-shirt as he started to speak, 'he-he … Dean waited for Sammy an', and this man came in and…' Dean's voice trailed off, as he started to keen and rock himself, 'want Sammy, Deanie wants his Sammy.'

'I'm right here Deanie, I'm right here.' Sam hurried to his brother's side and gathered him into his arms, 'sh it's alright now I've got ya.'

'Bobby?' Sam's eyes glistened with tears, 'think we're ready to come and stay with ya for a while.'

'Good.' Bobby nodded, not trusting himself to say anything, his own emotions surged inside and he wanted to do something to avenge the boys, his boys. 'Let's get you two organised.'

'Deanie, do you want to have a nap while we pack the cars?' Sam asked as he slowly extricated himself from Dean's arms.

Dean nodded and curled up on his side facing the wall; Sam could feel the shudders running through his older brother as he tenderly covered him with a blanket and ran his fingers through the short-cropped hair.

After they finished packing the cars, Sam made a coffee for himself and Bobby and they sat quietly talking in the kitchen enjoying the jolt of caffeine before they started their drive back to Bobby's house. 'So Sam how did it go?' Bobby finally broke the companionable silence.

'Looks pretty straightforward, I've been given temporary guardianship for Dean, especially in terms of medical and financial issues. They want dad to contact the courts to find out what he wants to do as he is legally Dean's next of kin.'

'Sam that's not likely to happen.'

'I know I basically told them that we haven't seen dad for a couple of years and had no way of finding him. It will be reviewed in six months time, after they consult Dean's doctors and therapists and get a prognosis on his long term condition.' Sam spoke tonelessly devoid of any obvious emotion.

'Sammy are you? Are you alright honestly?' Bobby put his coffee down and took a good look at the younger man, 'you know that you're not alone in this.'

'I know thanks for that Bobby.'

'Sammy?' Dean's whispered voice started both of the men and they stared at the sleepy looking older Winchester brother standing in the doorway holding a battered teddy bear in one large hand. 'Sammy … Deanie scared.'

'What's the matter Deanie?'

'Bad man scares Deanie.'

'Where's the bad man Dean?' Bobby asked as he glanced over at Sam.

'In the window, Deanie don' like it.'

'You two stay put, I'm just gonna make sure that he's gone.' Bobby got up and pulled his gun out as he went outside.

'Want a coffee Deanie?' Sam asked worried at the paleness of Dean's face, since the shooting and his release from hospital, Dean had been prone to infections and debilitating migraine headaches, Sam hated to see Dean look so pale and tired.

'Please, Sammy … Bo-Bobby okkies?'

'Yeah dude he'll be fine.' Sam managed a small smile and went to make his brother a coffee.

'Sammy?' Dean looked up and for a brief moment Sam saw the old Dean in his eyes before they clouded and suddenly his brother looked small and lost again.

'Yeah Deanie?' Sam smiled softly he had to remind himself that this was the Dean, the only Dean he was going to have for a long, long time. 'What's wrong dude?'

'I 'member stuff but … but ahh all mixed up.' Dean pushed the words out, 'man took Deanie way from Sammy for a long time?'

'For a while yeah he did, we still don't know who it was.' Sam knew it was too late to go back to the accident excuse, the truth wanting to rear its ugly head, for Dean it was too ugly.

'Man had funny eyes.' Dean continued as he stared at the cup of cooling coffee in front of him, 'he said lots of bad things.'

'Dean hey it's okay we don't have to talk bout this now.'

'Sammy?' Dean blinked and looked up, a look of weariness on his face, 'tired Sammy, so tired.'

'I know bud, how about you go to the bathroom and get teddy and we'll get going.' Sam picked up the untouched coffees and poured them down the sink.

'Okkies Sammy.' Dean murmured and slid off his seat, 'hey Sammy, don't worry it's gonna be okay.'

Sam turned and stared at his brother's disappearing back a look of shock on his face, 'Sammy what's wrong?'

'Damn it all to hell Bobby.' Sam cried out as he crushed the cup in his hand, tiny pieces of ceramics embedded themselves in his palm, slicing through the skin like dozens of minute knives.

'Danged blasted eedjit what the hell do ya think yer doing?' Bobby grabbed Sam's hand and forced it under the cold water, flushing away most of the debris, 'you determined to finish this hand off or what?'

'He sounds so much like his old self at times Bobby …' Sam once again spoke in a toneless, emotionless voice, 'how can I?'

'Suck it up Sam.' Bobby ordered, 'we're gonna get through this, so go git your brother, I've done patching yer hand again.'

'Thanks Bobby.' Sam smiled then a warm dimpled smile, 'for you know.'

'Yeah, yeah now git going.' Bobby grinned and started to pick up the last fragments of the destroyed cup.

'Deanie?' Sam called out not wanting to startle his brother, 'hey Deanie ready to go?'

S—D

One hundred days earlier

Memorial Hospital

Grangeville Kentucky

Sam stepped into the room and froze; he stared at the slight figure lying in the bed and was sure that it wasn't Dean. That Dean would burst into the room and call prank, it was all a mistake; the pathetic figure lying on the bed so small and frail with white bandages swathed around the head and tubes running from his nose, mouth, chest and another one snaked out from beneath the sheets from his groin.

Another bandage wrapped firmly around the torso, covered the desecration of his abdominal muscles and flesh. 'No.' Sam declared and turned to Bobby, 'tell me it's not him, that they made a mistake.'

'Sam I – I …'

'It can't be him Bobby, it can't be.'

'Sam boy I wish I could wave some sort of wand and change all of this but I can't. Go sit with yer brother boy, I'll be right here with ya.'

Sam moved with jerky, sluggish movements as though he was a marionette with some invisible force pulling his strings. He reached out a hesitant hand and brushed his fingertips over Dean's cheek bone, 'I am so sorry Deanie.' Sam whispered using his childhood name for his older brother, 'I am so sorry.'

Dean's eyes flickered open for a nano-second and he moved his head closer to Sam's touch, suddenly his eyes snapped open and his body became rigid as a seizure rocked his already abused body. As alarms screeched, and white clothed people flooded into the room Sam found himself pushed back against the wall. Distraught he watched as they tried to stabilise his brother all the while thinking that Dean was already brain damaged, what else could happen to him?

S—D

Present Day

Sam and Dean's apartment

E 23rd Street

Sioux Falls South Dakota

'Hey dude whatcha doin?' Sam asked when he found his brother standing in front of the bathroom mirror, 'Dean?'

'Hey Sammy.' Dean smiled at his brother in the mirror, 'shh don't tell him that we talk okkies, don't want Sammy to worries.'

'Okkies Dean I won't tell.' Sam replied, curious to see where this was leading and at the same time hating himself for playing with his brother's already fragile mental state.

'I – I know Sammy gets so sad.' Dean said to the reflection, 'I – I hear him crying sometimes.'

'Oh God Dean I didn't know.' Sam cried silently as he fought to control his rampant emotions, 'it's okay to cry sometimes Dean.'

'Sammy tolds me that.' Dean nodded his head in agreement, 'Sammy's so smart.'

'He think that you're smart too Dean.'

'Nah, I used to be kind of smart, but Sammy is really, really, really, super smart.'

'Is he?' Sam smirked slightly, at times, his brother sounded so much like Sam did when he was a child, and the way he worshipped his brother.

'I think Sam'll be looking for you soon.'

'You won't leave me?' Dean asked staring at the reflection of his younger brother intently.

'Never Dean.' Sam said as he backed out of the bathroom and waited for his big brother to join him.

TBC