A/N: Thank you so much for the support and response for this story. It means so much to me. You, my readers, are why I keep creating my stories for your entertainment. This story will focus mainly on the brothers and the after effects of what happened to Sam and how it effects both of them. I haven't written the ending yet because I wanted to see if you, the readers, thought it was worth reading. Reviews are always welcome because they give me insight for my story. Enough from me... Enjoy the read. NC


Chapter 2

Dean was coming out of a diner when his cell began to ring. He paused long enough to pull it from his jacket and answer it.

"H'llo." he grunted as he dug his keys from his jeans.

"Dean?" a gruff, male voice asked.

"Hey Bobby, what's going on?" Dean asked knowing he didn't usually call him unless there was trouble or he needed help on a hunt.

"Where are you son?" Bobby asked slowly an underlying tone to his voice that Dean hadn't heard before.

"Just north of Springfield, Illinois, why what's going on?" Dean asked frowning as he listened to him talk. Something was wrong and it was like Bobby was having a hard time telling him about it.

"You need to get to Tulsa, Oklahoma as fast as you can."

"Bobby what is it?" Dean asked an edge of fear in his voice as a chill went up his spine.

"Sam's been hurt...Bad, real bad. He was air lifted to the Trauma Center there. I just got the message a couple hours ago since I was finishing up a hunt and had my cell off. I'm a couple hours away. I'm heading that way now and you need to do the same."

"Hurt? Whadda ya mean hurt? Hell, he's not even hunting anymore you know that." he said in frustration not understand how he could be hurt unless it was an accident of some kind.

"I'll meet you there...And Dean, son, sounds like we better hurry." Bobby cautioned him with that undertone of meaning behind his words.

Dean didn't move for a moment as he slowly lowered his cell and tried to make sense of what Bobby had told him. He was confused as to how Sam would be hurt unless something came after him. Without further thought on the matter, Dean hurried to the Impala and got behind the wheel. He headed out to the main road and toward the interstate knowing that was the quickest way to get to Tulsa. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and clenched his jaw until it ached fearing the worse.

spn

The Trauma Center loomed ahead of Dean as he looked for signs for the entrance and visitor parking. It was already getting dark and the first lot had plenty of spaces to choose from. He parked as close to the entrance as he could and got out heading for the bright lights of the large facility. Dean paused when he stepped into the building to let his eyes adjust to the lighting. He looked around for the information desk and stopped at it near the elevators off to the right.

"Hello, may I help you?" an elderly woman asked when he halted in front of the desk looking lost.

"I'm looking for my brother; he was brought here within the past twenty-four hours I guess. He was airlifted here."

"Name please?"

"Sam Winchester." Dean told her not knowing if that was the name he was using or not.

Before she could pull it up on the computer and answer him, one of the elevator doors opened and Bobby walked out catching sight of him.

"Dean." he called walking toward him.

"Never mind." Dean said and hurried to meet Bobby. "Bobby what's going on? Where's Sam?"

"He's in ICU on the fourth floor." Bobby replied. "Son, I ain't gonna lie to you. You just need to prepare yourself, he's in bad shape...Worse than I thought he'd be...He's still unconscious..." he warned his voice trailing off because he couldn't put into words Sam's condition.

"What happened to him? Was he in an accident?" he questioned the older hunter and father figure.

"From what the doctors told me, he was badly beaten and left for dead. They brought him here from Garber because of the seriousness of his injuries."

"Beaten? By who? Damn Bobby that kid doesn't have a mean bone in him." Dean spat madly trying to figure out who would dare do that to his brother. He stepped onto the elevator with Bobby as his anger began to build.

"I tried to call the police there, but no one could tell me anything. They did give me the name of the person who found Sam and called them. She was a waitress at the bar where Sam worked, her name is Mandy."

"Has he woken up at all?"

"I don't think so. They'll only let you stay a few minutes Dean. Just remember what I said." he cautioned. Bobby hit a buzzer by a set of double doors and waited for a nurse to let them in. "We're here to see Sam Campbell, this is his brother. He just got here."

"Alright but you can't stay long and visiting hours will be up in fifteen minutes." the nurse told them allowing them into ICU giving them a sympathy smile. "If you need anything, let me know." She led them to room five and stepped back to the nurse's station.

Dean could hear the sounds of equipment beeping coming from all the rooms around him. The atmosphere was different in here, more solemn, quiet, and looming. It was like this was their last hope of recovering or their last resting place to die. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds willing his body to move into the room. The lights were dim for the patient's comfort, so Dean couldn't see that well until he moved closer to the bed with all the machines positioned around it. He sucked in a hard breath when he saw what lay on the bed. His stomach churned painfully and it was all he could do to control the urge to throw up. He felt a flush rising up his body, as nausea swept over him and the bile rose in his throat, burning the back of it and determined to come out. He tried to swallow it down, but couldn't do it and clamped a hand over his mouth before stumbling into the bathroom in the room. Dean fell to the side of the commode and choked out the bitter bile and whatever else was in his stomach. He spit and heaved again, feeling his insides twist with pain as he tried to catch his breath while tears streamed down his face blurring his vision.

"Easy son, just breathe..." a familiar, gruff male voice spoke softly to him as a hand was placed on his neck squeezing gently.

Dean coughed hard before a broken sob escaped his lips as he reached for toilet paper to wipe his nose and mouth. He spit again and accepted a plastic cup of water that was pushed into his hand. He tried to sip the water but only succeeded in starting dry heaves. His stomach muscles tightened with each retch until he couldn't pull any air into his lungs. Black spots danced in front of his eyes as his body swayed hazardously before Bobby gripped him tightly and eased him back onto his butt.

"Stay with me Dean!" Bobby growled at him slapping his face lightly to try and get his attention. "Your brother's lying in that room, in that bed and he needs you. I don't care what the hell your problems are between the two of you, but right now...Right now that boy needs us to be strong for him. He's clinging to life by mere threads and we need to give him a reason to want to continue doing that."

Dean shook uncontrollably under Bobby's hands, but he looked up into his desperate face and finally pulled in a shallow, wheezy breath. He drew in another and shook his head okay, as he struggled to get to his feet with Bobby's help. He stumbled to the sink and turned on the cold water to splash it in his face as he leaned over it. He sipped some from his cupped hand and rinsed his mouth spitting it back into the sink. Water dripped from his face as he finally got some much needed air into his lungs. Bobby pushed a hand towel into his hand and waited as Dean dried his face and got his emotions under control and locked back down. He stood and drew in a shaky breath as he cleared his raw throat and turned to head back into the room where his brother lay unconscious and fighting for his life.

spn

If he didn't know that the battered body lying in the bed was his brother, he would not have recognized him. Dean started at the bottom and slowly let his gaze travel up Sam's body. He saw a cast on one leg and one arm. He had bandages covering his entire chest and where the skin could be seen was dark from bruising. There was an IV in one arm and a blood pressure cuff on the other. There was a chest drainage tube coming from under the sheet and going to a bag on the side of the bed. Dean could barely hear the hiss of oxygen coming from the line in his nose. When his eyes finally stopped on Sam's face he almost lost it again.

Dean grabbed for the bed rail to steady himself before trying to focus on his brother's pale face. His face was covered in bruises, steri strips and black stitches. One eye was swollen shut, dark bruising ringed the other, his lips were split and cracked, a laceration near his hairline and on his cheek had been stitched and his nose had been broken. There was a grey pallor to his skin that glistened in a light coat of sweat.

"Sammy...What happened to you?" Dean whispered raising his hand to touch Sam's face, but stopped just shy of it, afraid that he might cause him more pain than he was already in. He was finding it hard to breathe as his chest ached from the grief and sorrow and helplessness he was feeling. He blamed himself for this happening to Sam. He had let him walk away and didn't say a word to stop him. Guilt ate at his soul, dimming its brightness as he tried to be strong.

"Why don't you sit down 'fore ya fall down?" Bobby suggested pulling a chair closer to the bed and guiding Dean into it. He moved the other chair closer to Dean but gave him space to be with his brother.

Dean started to pick up Sam's right hand when he noticed the bandages wrapped around it and looked to the other to see the same. He gently rubbed his fingers finding them cold to the touch and adjusted the sheet covering his body and pulled the blanket at the bottom of the bed up higher over Sam. He studied the equipment surrounding the bed and watched the erratic heart beat make its way across the screen. Dean read the numbers off for his blood pressure and O2 levels and some other readings, thinking they were not good.

"Sammy, I'm here bro..." he whispered to him, his voice cracking as he tried to stop the sob that wanted to come out. He closed his eyes and bowed his head letting a single tear escape from them and track down his cheek to fall onto Sam's fingers. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel, he couldn't breath as he opened his eyes back up hoping this was a dream, but it was a nightmare. The only way he knew Sam was alive was he could see his chest barely rising and falling as he drew in shallow breaths.

spn

Dean had not moved from his spot by Sam's bed when twenty minutes later a nurse came in to check Sam's vitals. She took a chart and jotted down the readings and checked his IV, drainage tube and peeled back the tape holding the pads in place to check his wounds and surgical incision.

"I'm sorry but you'll have to leave now." she said gently to Dean who had watched her like a hawk as she checked Sam. "You can come back in the morning at nine to see your brother."

"What time does the doctor come around?" Bobby asked getting up from his seat.

"Usually between seven-thirty and eight."

"Will you leave a message we'd like to talk to him about the boy's condition?" Bobby asked politely. "We'll be in the waiting room so he can find us."

"Of course I'd be happy to." she said making a note on the chart.

"This is my number if anything was to happen, anything, call me." he said handing her a slip of paper.

"I'll put it under his emergency contact information since we don't have one listed."

Dean heard her words and stiffened with their meaning as he pressed his lips together in a thin line forcing himself not to speak. He hung his head in shame knowing he had let his brother down and the promises he had made to him so long ago were broken. He had not watched out for him, kept him safe, protected him...He had not been there to stop this from happening.

"Dean, we need to leave now." Bobby whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Son, we can see him again tomorrow and we'll talk to the doctor." He waited for a moment, but when he didn't move, he spoke again. "Dean, we've got to go so this nice nurse doesn't get upset." he said a little firmer and gripped Dean's arm to get him to rise from the chair.

"I'll be back Sammy..." he mumbled, leaning over and kissing his forehead and letting his own rest against Sam's for a moment before straightening up and allowing Bobby to lead him out of the room.

"Is there a waiting area up here?"

"Yeah, just down there."

"I'll stay there then. I'm not leaving him."

"Why don't we get a motel room for the night? One of the nurses said there's one below the hospital where most families stay. It'll be more comfortable probably than the waiting room."

"You go ahead, I need to be here. I let him walk away and didn't stop him; I'm not leaving him again."

"If you're staying so am I." he stated. "Why don't I go see about finding us a cup of coffee?"

"Sounds good." Dean said opening the door for the waiting room and finding a couple of people in there. He found a couch away from the others and slumped down on it, his whole body numb. Confusion rolled around in his head as he tried to figure out why someone would do that to Sam. There was only one other person who knew what Sam had done when he released Lucifer and he knew Bobby would never tell anyone about that. It didn't make sense to him, but he was going to find out what happened and someone was going to pay dearly. No one did that to his brother and got away with it, no one. He rubbed a trembling hand over his tired face as everything began to catch up with him, the long drive, no sleep, no food and the stress and guilt of seeing his brother like this was pushing him to the brink. It wouldn't take much to push him over the edge and he didn't know if he could pull himself back without his little brother. His hasty decisions of the past might destroy any future they might have. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was the battered, broken, beaten body of his little brother laying lifeless on the bed.