A/N: I do not own "Supernatural".

Thank you for the reviews, follows, favorites. They make me a happy writer. :-)

All mistakes are mine.

All places and incidents are made up. I don't know if there is a Richmond in Minnesota. So, if there is, it's simply a coincidence.

Slowly Sam came to. During his sleep he had curled up on his side now facing Dean, his back was turned to the wall the bed stood against. Somehow it made Sam feel comfortable laying like this.

But the more alert his mind and body became the more the memories seeped in. He felt his breathing was too quick. His body trembled. And he could not do shit about it.

He closed his eyes again. He did not want to draw Dean's attention on him. He tried everything in his might to get himself under control again.

Dean took some sips of the hot dark coffee. It slid down his esophagus and spread in his gut. He cherished that feeling when he saw Sam stirring on the bed. It only had been like twenty minutes since his little brother had succumbed to sleep. Was he already waking up? No, the pain killers should pull him under for longer than that.

Dean walked over to his younger sibling happy he was now looking in his direction. Otherwise Dean would have had to do more gymnastic exercises to lean over his brother to get a look at him.

Gently the older hunter smoothed some of Sam's bangs from his forehead which immediately crinkled. Sam moaned very low and pulled his head away from Dean's loving hand.

"Wow, that headache must be more violent than I thought", Dean angrily huffed before he went back to his chair at the table. There he riffled through some local newspapers which had been left by some guest and browsed through the pages all the while keeping a close eye on Sam.

When Sam felt Dean's hands on his hair and his skin the young man had a hard time controlling himself. It was almost impossible to stay still and he felt a quiet moan escaping and he flinched slightly. Both were completely unintentional.

He tried his very best to keep up his act. He was more than aware of Dean's observation on him and he did not intent to spike his older brother's interest. Let him believe in that damn headache. Wasn't that much of a lie, anyway!

Sam wanted to open his eyes but was afraid that Dean would caught him awake and start some kind of talk that Sam was not ready for. Yet. But he did not want to turn his head towards the dirty white wall either as he was afraid that his mind would stray away to some place he definitely did not want to go to. Ever.

He did not want to keep his eyes shut because he saw the images behind closed lids.

"Pull yourself together", he whispered very low to himself.

"Sammy? You awake? Did you say something?" Dean had heard him anyway. If Sam's eyes had not been closed already, he would have closed them now and sighed. Dean always caught up on him. Damn Dean!

Dean walked over to his brother and watched him very closely. Sam had mumbled incoherently and sighed several times already. But otherwise he had not moved too much.

"Get some rest, Sam. You need it, huh?" Again, Dean walked back to sit down with his coffee and papers.

It was some hours later that Sam awoke. He had not noticed that he had fallen asleep again. Dean had moved from the table to the bed. The TV was almost muted while he watched some old western.

"What the..? What's that?" Sam asked tiredly but at the same time incredulously. Slowly he sat up, suppressing a wince as his sore behind hit the mattress. He hoped he could keep this conversation up to have Dean diverted from his pain and troubled mind.

"What?" Dean replied.

"That?" Sam pointed towards the TV.

"Called TV. Nice invention."

"You're watching cowboy and Indian films?"

"They only got two stations. And the other one showed commercial for curling up your hair with this thing in an infinite hoop. I don't need that." He smiled and smoothed one hand over his short-cut hair. "But maybe for you? Shall I switch channels?" Dean's smile turned into a sneer.

"Nah, thanks. The ladies love my hair like this." Sam forced a smile and shook his hair.

"The ladies, huh?" Dean said, "Where do you get to know any 'ladies'?"

Then he pushed himself up and stiffly walked over to the bathroom. He felt Dean's heedful eyes on him as he shuffled through the room.

"Still trouble with the head or something?"

"Nuh, just lay in a stupid position", answered Sam before he disappeared into the bathroom. He waited a moment until he was sure that Dean's attention was back on the TV or something else. As quiet as possible he turned the key to lock the door but to keep Dean's interest away. The younger brother did not want to get caught red-handed looking over his hurting body and private parts. Dean did not need to know about any of this. Ever!

Sam was just happy that he was able to pretend in front of Dean that all that hurt was his damn head and that he had slept in an uncomfortable position.

He grabbed the painkillers from the med-kit. He poured some pills into his palm - not really caring how many - and washed them down with some water from the faucet.

When he lifted his head, he almost shrieked at the reflection in the mirror. If he had not known better he looked like something that Dean and he would hunt down. He had an ashen tone to his skin, his hair just hung down lifelessly, his eyes looked haunted, bloodshot and swollen. He had dark rings underneath them. His body ached and was numb at the same time and he hoped for the medication to kick in soon. Even though he knew all too well that it would not help the pain in his mind. His mind would just keep on twisting, turning, running all events over and over and over again.

When some holler echoed through the motel room Sam violently flinched. He knew it was Dean probably being impatiently waiting on him. But the young Winchester could not help the shaking and trembling in his body. He grabbed the sink to steady himself. He drew in deep breaths, consciously controlling his breathing.

Finally the young man had himself under some sort of control again and he opened the med-kit and laid out its contents next to the sink. Then he pushed down his pants. Carefully he lowered himself on the toilet seat and gently probed himself.

It hurt. More than any pain he had ever felt in his life. More than all pains he had ever experienced in his life combined. But at least his fingers came away only slightly stained crimson red.

Not like the night before. Remembering those moments in the bathroom his breath caught in his throat as well as a big lump. He had come back to the room, his pants and boxers red with blood. He had taken them off, tried to stop the blood still flowing from some wounds he had sustained during... this incident. That had taken some time. Time Sam had been afraid of Dean walking in on him finding him like this. He had put on some other boxers and pants. The old ruined clothes together with all the gauze used to get the blood flow under control he had stuffed into a plastic bag and buried them deep down in his duffel bag. Not that he intended to keep them but he wanted to destroy them completely by burning them. But he could not have done that here and then as Dean might have come back any minute. He would need some time to himself to do that. Without Dean around or about to come back.

He grabbed some gauze to press against the wound. Tears welled up in his eyes as the pain threatened to overwhelm him.

"Oh God, it hurts", he sobbed quietly.

Gradually the pain meds got the job down and got the aches in Sam's body under control. At least it was a bearable level of pain now.

If they could only help his rotating thoughts, his troubled mind.

"Pull yourself together, Sammy!" Sam mumbled angrily through clenched teeth. "Nothing happened. Everything's fine. Nothing to worry 'bout!"

Sam decided a shower might help him to get his mind and body under control and working properly again.

Dean watched his little brother as he retreated into the bathroom of their motel room. He frowned at Sam's limp and stiffness. He looked like death warmed over. Some spirit would be scared to hell by the look of Sam.

"These damn vision things are just getting worse!" he hissed furiously. If he just could take that away from Sam... He would give everything and anything. He hated to see his baby brother in pain.

When the door to the other room closed behind Sam, Dean got up and took out the food Sam had brought with him. Maybe some food would do him good.

"It'll do me good", grinned Dean as he looked into the takeaway bags. His mouth watered at the sight. "Yummy!" Sam just knew what he liked. He definitely raised that kid right.

"Hurry up Sam!" hollered Dean in a good mood. "I'm hungry."

After a few minutes he heard the spray of water in the shower and his face fell. "Oh great, now that boy is takin' a shower. Awesome! With that hair of his it will take like hours before I can eat! And I m starving..." he whined.

For a moment Dean considered his options. Wait for Sammy, watch TV, eat? Then he decided to sit down at the table, keep on watching that western and eat some of the stuff Sam had brought. Just to calm his rumbling-mumbling stomach. And when Sam was done with his beauty program they could eat together.

Content with himself, Dean nodded.

Sam wanted to open the bathroom door but the door did not give way. Scared and angry he turned the knob again and again. He felt panic creeping up his spine. What was wrong with the damn door?

At the rattling sound of the door Dean's head snapped up and he stared at the bathroom door in astonishment. Had Sam locked the door? Why had Sam locked the door?

He was about to get up when the door unlocked and Sam stepped out of the steaming bathroom. He was completely dressed. His hair still wet, but he looked much better than before. His skin was still a little pale but not translucent, the dark rings under his eyes had almost disappeared. Sam still looked a little worn out but otherwise refreshed.

Sam needed to get the conversation going into a direction he decided for. Otherwise, Dean would ask about the door. If he was faster then he might stand a chance that Dean did not questioned him about it.

"Dude, what are you eating?"

Dean grinned broadly. "I'm eating the breakfast you brought." He chewed some more, then he continued, "Well, it's rather lunch or somethin' but still the stuff you left on the table before fallin' asleep."

"Got something left for me?" Sam asked.

"Sure, here." Dean pointed to the food on the table which had been reduced considerably.

"That's it?"

"Uh, yeah. For now. I was hungry." Dean supplied at Sam's look of reproach.

"Dude. That was more than enough to feed like 20 Navy seals."

"I'm as good as 20 Navy seals. So I gotta eat like 20 Navy seals." Dean smirked at Sam who still could not believe his ears nor eyes.

"Your eating habits are. That's true." Sam sat down in a chair trying to hide his discomfort his behind still gave him despite the treatment he had administered in the bathroom.

As happy as he could pretend to be he stuffed some food into his mouth. He was surprised his stomach did not send it all back up.

Sometime during their chewing and munching Dean's cell phone rang.

"Yeah?", he answered with his mouth still full.

"Hey Dean, it's Bobby."

"Bobby, hey. Good to hear from you."

Sam looked at Dean and tried to figure out from the one-sided conversation that he heard what was going on.

"Yeah, good to hear ya, too. Where are you boys?"

"We're in Indiana. Why? What's goin on?"

"I need you boys."

"You in trouble?" Dean asked concerned. Sam looked up.

"No, no. Not me. But I got a hint for a hunt in Minnesota. And I can't go myself."

"Alright. What is it about?"

"It's just some rumor."

Dean rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Don't you roll your eyes on me, boy!" Bobby growled.

Dean looked incredulously. How could Bobby know that he had just done that? Then he sighed. Bobby was Bobby and he just knew. He should have gotten used to that by now.

"You done with that crap of yours? Can we get down to business again?" Bobby's tone got impatient.

"Yes sir!" Dean answered and saluted even though Bobby could not see it. But Dean was not sure if Bobby did not know his actions anyway.

"Oh boy, what am I gonna do with ya?" Bobby sighed knowing full well that Dean had just mock-saluted. Then the older hunter continued, "Rumors say that in Richmond a ghost haunts the old school. They built a new school a few years ago because the old one got too small. They only used some rooms in the old one like the gym and the auditorium and rooms like that. Lately, there were some strange accidents. Nothing fatal but still."

"What means 'strange'?"

"During rehearsals for a play the lights started flickering, some bulbs burst, some girl fell of the stage without any reason. She said she felt pushed. Gladly, only sprained her ankle. Some boy was hit by a falling spotlight. He was knocked unconscious but he also got lucky and only had a mild concussion. Stuff like that."

"Any idea who our lovely-student-kicking-spirit is?"

"Yes. The janitor died in the old school when he cleaned it up."

"How?"

"Heart attack. Wasn't found until five days later."

"Ouch!" Dean hissed. "Five days would make me angry too."

"Oh yeah", Bobby agreed, "Well, they didn't use the old buildings very often anymore."

"Still, it ' five days. We're takin care of this, Bobby."

"I'll send you the coordinates. And the information where to find his grave."

"Thanks Bobby." Dean ended the call and turned to Sam who had stood up during Dean's talk with Bobby and had started getting their stuff together. The younger Winchester brother had a faint idea of what was going on but he was sure Dean would fill him in completely about their new job as soon as possible. Maybe that was not such a bad idea anyway as a hunt might take his mind of... this incident. And he might just forget about it.

"Pack up Sammy. We're going to Minnesota!"

Once they had loaded their bags into the Impala Dean slid behind the wheel waiting for Sam to get into the passenger seat. The older brother observed his little brother closely. He still moved gingerly, Dean noticed. And the careful way Sam seated himself into the car made Dean look his brother over.

"What?" Sam asked unnerved trying to hide his discomfort as much as possible.

"You really okay?"

Sam's mind started spinning. Dean never, never ever asked this frankly. He was more subtle. He cracked jokes which hid his concern. When Dean spoke like this, Sam was failing in his act of normal. "Oh God, no! That just couldn t be! Find some wisecrack answer!" Sam told his despairing mind.
"Yeah", answered Sam and thought to himself, "Great wisecrack!"

"Okay." Dean started his car. "Up to Minnesota! The Land of 1,000 Lakes."

"10,000."

"Huh?" Dean looked surprised from the road ahead at his brother.
It s 10,000 Lakes , answered Sam somehow happy that he could supply that and hopefully could distract Dean's worry over him.

"Yeah, whatever, inch pincher. 1,000 or 10,000? What difference does it make? A lot of damn lakes, right?"

"It makes a difference of 9,000."

"Oh, so you're great with numbers, too, huh? Mister-Know-It-Better", Dean bantered good-naturedly, "You know what? Nobody likes smartasses!"

"At least I really know better", Sam sneered.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read and maybe comment. :-)