Carrie woke up to electronic beeping. Her eyes were crusty, and she was lying in an uncomfortable bed. When her vision cleared, she realized where she was; a hospital. She had different color wires going out of her, and she was sore; especially her head and neck. She slowly felt the left side of her neck, and realized that there was padding and gauze wrapped around it. Memories came flooding back, and she sat up.
"Don't move to fast." She looked to where the voice came from. Sam sat on the patterned chair.
"Sam?" It hurt her throat to talk, and it sounded like a frog.
"Shh. Don't talk. I'll get the doctor." He stood up, and started to walk away. Carrie stopped him, and grabbed his hand.
"No, Sam…" She coughed. "Vamp… Vampires… attacked me."
"I know." Sam nodded.
"What?" Her eyes fluttered closed.
"Go back to sleep. I'm bringing you home, and I'll wake you up then." Sam caressed her face as she nodded. She drifted back to sleep.
The next time she woke up, it was Dean that sat next to her. "Morning sleepyhead!" He smiled, handing her a cup of coffee. She was lying on her couch, and she took the coffee, sipping the cup. Her throat didn't hurt as much, so she tried to speak.
"Thanks." Her voice was scratchy, and Dean chuckled at it. "It's not funny." She groaned. She picked up the bottle of Percocet on the table and swallowed two. A fire burned in the fireplace.
"Hey, we've been staying here for a few days, while you've been recovering. We've also turned on the vacancy sign. Hope you don't mind." Dean shrugs.
"Mi casa es su casa." Carrie sighs. Dean smiles, and fills up her coffee cup. "So, I bet Sam told you about my theory."
"Vampires? Yeah, he did. You were right, you know." Dean scoffed.
"What?" Her eyebrows crinkled. She crossed her legs under her.
"Vampires; they're real. We didn't want to get you involved in this, but when you were attacked, we didn't really have a choice. So, Sam and I, we hunt things; vampires, werewolves, the whole shebang. You probably don't believe any of this, and you're probably going to run away screaming." He took a breath, and waited for the blow. He expected her to say, "You're crazy…" or "Get out of my house," but she sat there.
Instead, she smiled, "I believe you." She reached up, and touched the gauze on her neck. "A vampire attacked me… I think you have me convinced." She placed her hand on Dean's. "Where's Sam?"
"He went to go get breakfast. He's getting you pancakes; everyone likes pancakes." He shrugged.
"Yeah, I do." She stood up, and walked to the kitchen. On the floor, there was a blood stain, similar to the on in Gabrielle's room. She stared at it for a few seconds, then limped over to the fridge. "Want something to drink?" She called to Dean.
"Yeah, I'll take water." He called back. She walked back into the kitchen, and tossed the water bottle towards Dean. "Thanks," He smiled.
"I'm going to go turn off the vacancy sign." She smiled, and Dean nodded. When she got back, they sat on the sofa, and flipped the television on. Carrie flipped through the channels and stopped at her favorite show about doctors.
"I've got some bad experience with this show," Dean grunted.
"You watch Doctor Sexy MD?" She asked.
"Well… I was in Doctor Sexy MD. I have met Dr. Sexy himself." He shrugged. She burst out laughing.
"Seriously?" She didn't stop laughing. Dean nodded. "Tell me more about your job."
They talked for a while about Dean's most favorite jobs. Dean realized that Carrie was one of the people you could talk to for hours. She would listen. He told her about hell, and about how he erased himself from Lisa and Ben's memories. He could really tell her anything, even when he didn't know her that well. Carrie told him about her family, and how they died. Dean wished that their conversation would never end. But Sam came back, and held a box and the bag from the restaurant.
"What's in the box?" Dean asked. Carrie turned, and smiled at Sam. He was surprised that she was awake, considering she was half dead when he had left her.
"Hey! You're awake!" Sam exclaimed, ignoring Dean's question.
"Yeah! I am. What's in the box?" She repeated for Dean.
"Come see for yourself." He winked at Dean. Slowly, Carrie got up from her spot on the sofa next to Dean, and walked toward the box that now sat on the floor. She knelt down, and pulled the open the box.
"Oh. My. God. No way!" Her eyes widened, and she pulled something out. Dean twisted his neck, trying to see what she held. She turned around, revealing a furry puppy. "Awh! Sam, she is just so cute!" she scratched the brown fur on the puppy's chin.
"She's for you." He smiled. She gasped, and looked up at him. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she hugged him. She turned into the kitchen, and poured the puppy a bowl of water. "What do you want to name her?" Sam asked, following her.
"I get to name her?" She asked, shocked. Sam nodded. His smiled mimicked hers. He liked making her happy. "She's going to grow up to be an awesome hunter, just like Dean and Sam, so she has to have a tough name. Something feminine, but it has to have an edge to it. How about… Harley?" She bit her bottom lip, and looked up at the boys.
"That sounds like a great name. But, she's not going to be a hunter…" Dean cocked his head to the side.
"Well, I mean… if I didn't have this place… maybe we both would. Wouldn't that be fun? You guys, me, and Harley?" She giggled.
"You don't want this life," Dean scoffed, and Sam shrugged in half agreement.
"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad! Living on the road, strictly on burgers and fries… It sounds awesome!" She ran her hands through her messy hair. Dean rolled his eyes.
"Well, you do have this place. It's your responsibility." Sam averted his eyes.
After their argument, Carrie and Dean wolfed down their pancakes, while Sam picked at his. "Damn it!" Carrie blurted randomly.
"What?" Dean and Sam asked in unison.
"I had to pick up some stuff from the store for the hotel. I was supposed to do it today." She rubbed her forehead.
"We'll do it for you." Sam volunteered.
"Really? Oh, that would be so great. I'm feeling pretty tired, so thank you!"
"Of course." Dean stood up, and walked Carrie into her room. She lay down in her bed, and Dean pulled the blankets over her.
"Thanks, again!" She smiled and closed her eyes.
Sam climbed in the car, and Dean followed. "What are we going to do about her?" Sam asked, turning down the radio.
"I don't know." Dean sighed. He turned the radio back up, and started singing along to Metallica.
"She really wants to come with us…."
"Yeah, I know. " Dean replied. He glanced down at the list of supplies that Carrie told them to buy, along with the envelope of cash.
"Dude, I have no idea how the hell to do this." Dean grunted, picking up and dropping items on the shelf.
"Well, I think she needs this," Sam picked up a box of tissues, checking the list.
"Alright, throw it in." Dean nodded. He threw in toilet paper and some food.
"Dean, no. Carrie wanted this brand." Sam held up different packaged hot dogs.
"What's the difference?" They argued about the things on the list, until they had crossed out everything.
When they got back, some woman was holding Harley. "Um excuse me, that's my dog." Sam pointed. The woman handed him Harley, and he turned back to the hotel. "Dean…" Dean was on the ground, tying his shoes. When he looked up, his eyes widened. The hotel was on fire, and from what he could tell, Carrie wasn't out.
"Sam, I gotta go get her." Dean said. Sam tried to pull him back, but he ran back in the building. Dean burst through the door, and a cloud of smoke greeted him. He heard coughing and shrieking, and ran through the smoke, and into Carrie's bedroom.
"Dean! Help!" She shrieked when she saw him through the cloud of smoke. He tried to find a way through the flames.
"I'm coming, don't move." He called over. He ran into the kitchen and grabbed the fire extinguisher. When he got back, Carrie was passed out on the bed. He sprayed it on the fire which put it out long enough for Dean to pick up Carrie, and run back out. Trying to get out of the hotel, the door collapses, and he swears. He looked for another route, but his lungs were giving out. He knew that every minute that he waited; Carrie was in more and more danger.
Dean looked for another way out, but all he could find was a hole in the wall behind the couch. "Alright, Car, let's jump over the couch." He could feel his arm pop. He gripped Carrie with the other arm, and leaped over the tan sofa. As soon as he got over it, it burst into flames.
"Sam!" He called when his brother came into view. Sam ran over to him, and took Carrie out of his arms. Dean collapsed to the ground, and a coughing fit started. Sam knelt next to Carrie, as he softly lay her on the ground.
"Carrie, wake up. Please wake up." He put his ear close to her mouth for signs of breathing. Nothing. "Damn it, Carrie." He breathed into her mouth, starting the CPR he learned a few years back. He pushed on her chest.
She burst out in rhythmic coughing. "Sam?" She asked. Sam sighed in relief.
"Carrie, thank God you're okay." Sam rested her head against his lap.
"My… my hotel…" She leaned back on her arms, and looked up at the flaming hotel. The fire engines pulled up to the hotel in minutes, and Sam picked up Carrie again. She would be okay.
"Dean, we got to get out of here." Sam stated, starting to run across the block. Dean followed, holding his arm.
They got to their car, and helped Carrie in the back seat. They climbed in. Carrie sat in the back, holding Harley in her lap.
"Guys, I don't have a home anymore." She sighed, tears leaking down her face.
"I know. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad of an idea to come with us now." Dean shrugged. The pain from his shoulder felt like he had been shot.
"Well, you don't have anywhere else to go, so why not?" Sam agreed. Carrie smiled from the back seat.
They drove for a few hours, and Carrie was asleep in the backseat when Sam started to talk.
"I like her, you know." He sighed.
"Yeah, Sammy, me too." Dean grunted. They drove on silently for the rest of the trip, having no idea where to go.
