Thanks for the reviews; I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I usually try to post two chapters a day since I have so many of these stories finished and want to get rid of them, but I'm going on vacation today till next Wednesday. I won't be near a computer so I won't be able to post the next chapter till either next Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Have a good weekend.

Brothers

Chapter two

"Your brother was in a store that two men came in to rob. Apparently they were going to shoot the clerk and your brother tried to stop it." The officer explained.

Dean blinked back tears that threatened to run down his face. This couldn't be happening.

"How did you know to call me?"

"When your brother got to the hospital he kept asking for a Dean. We couldn't get anything else out of him; he just kept repeating your name. So we looked in his cell phone for a Dean and we found you."

"Then he was talking when he came in, so that's a good sign isn't it?" Dean looked at the doctor hopefully.

"He was incoherent, just mumbling, but he kept repeating your name. That happens with a lot of head injuries."

"What are his chances?" Dean could barely get the question out.

"It's hard to say. If he gets through the operation without any complications I'd say fifty-fifty."

The officer walked over and stood in front of Dean who wiped angrily at his tears embarrassed to have shown his emotions. Right now all he wanted was to get his hands on the man who had hurt his brother.

"We have tape of the shooting from the security camera. I know it will be hard but we'd like you to look at it. We're assuming this was just a random shooting and that your brother didn't know these guys, but we'd like you to take a look at the tape and see if you recognized either of them."

"The jerks weren't caught, they're still out there?"

"Yeah, they both got away. Look…there's nothing you can do here; your brother is in good hands. I'd like you to go to the station with me and look at the tape."

"I can't leave my brother…"

"There's nothing you can do for him right now. The only way you can help him is if you check out the tape and see if you recognize them, it might help us catch the bastards that did this to your brother."

"Let's make it quick, I need to be here when my brother comes out of surgery." Dean knew if he stayed in the waiting room he would drive himself nuts worrying about Sam and that wouldn't catch the jerks that had done this to him.

Police station

Dean was led into a small room and the officer got the tape ready.

"This is going to be hard." He warned Dean in order to prepare him for what he was about to see. "You're going to see your brother get shot, but I need you to take a good look at the robbers and let me know if you recognize either of them."

Dean could only nod as he tried to brace himself for what he was about to see. The officer then turned on the tape. Dean watched as Sam walked into the convenience store. He then walked over and poured two large cups of coffee and picked up a pack of chocolate doughnuts. Dean swallowed hard, he knew Sam preferred the plain doughnuts but instead he had picked up the chocolate ones that Dean preferred. He then watched as Sam paid and started heading for the door. Two men then entered and pushed him back into the store. Sam and the other customers all raised their hands as one of the gunmen kept his gun on them while the other went over to the counter and confronted the clerk. He could see the clerk reach under the counter and the gunman turn and point his gun at her head, then he watched Sam run over and stop the man from shooting the clerk. Dean watched in horror as Sam's head snapped back as a bullet from the other robber hit him and he fell to the floor. Dean blinked back tears as he watched a growing pool of blood surround his brother's head. The robber Sam had attacked then stood up as the man who had shot Sam walked over to the counter and pointed the gun at Sam's chest. It looked like he was about to shoot him again but the gun apparently jammed. The man then turned around and looked directly at the camera. The officer pressed a button on the VCR and froze the picture.

"Do you recognize either of them?"

Dean tried to swallow the hate and rage he felt for the men as he studied the picture. He didn't recognize either man but he would remember their faces as long as he lived. He was determined that if the cops didn't find them he would and he would make them pay for what they had done to his brother.

"No…I don't know either of them."

The officer then turned off the tape.

"I'm sorry you had to see your brother being injured but I appreciate that you came down here to view the tape. Do you think there is any possibility your brother might have known either of the men?"

"No, I doubt it. We were just passing through town and he hadn't gone anywhere without me except this morning for coffee."

"Okay, then I'll put the shooting down as robbery related and not attempted murder."

Dean looked at the officer.

"Look, I really have to get back to the hospital; I need to be with my brother."

"I understand, let's go."

The hospital

When Dean wasn't pacing the hall he sat in the waiting room staring at the floor. Yesterday he and Sam had a stupid argument about their dad and they had not spoken to each other for most of the night. He knew they were both tired and that today either he or Sam would apologize to the other and the argument would be forgotten, but now… now what if Sam died and he never got to say he was sorry. He knew he had started the argument; once more defending their dad even though he knew what Sam was saying was true. That their dad had always expected them to do whatever he said without questioning him. That was one of the reasons Sam had finally rebelled and left and even though Dean had stayed with their dad he had always envied Sam for having the guts to leave. Yeah, Sam had been right and he knew it, but he had been pigheaded and had started an argument with him. Now Sam was fighting for his life and he would give anything to tell him that he was sorry. His thoughts were interrupted as the doctor entered the waiting room, his gown covered in his brother's blood.

"How's my brother?" Dean asked standing up.

TBC