Sequel to The Institute if you haven't read that one first, it might be better if you do and catch up before hand.
Disclaimer: I only like playing with the boys, and owe the wonderful Mister Kripke a huge thanks for creating the best show on TV.
Author's Note: Yep more whumpage, lots of booboos and sigh hurt Sam and Dean... as they find a way to reverse the damage caused by the Institute.
CHAPTER Three: In who can we trust?
Sam listened intently for any sound around him, everything seemed intensified, from the faint sounds of insects battering against the windows, to the hum of the lights above him. Flinching he waited for the next blow to come, he could hear breathing, harsh and forced. He heard the footsteps before they came into the same room.
His body no longer belonged to him, he knew that, he failed his assimilation and now he needs retraining, and toughening up.
The blow came with savage intensity, but he made no sound, absorbing the shock into his body. Counting each one as penance, one for his mother's death, one for Jess' death, another for his father's sacrifice, and then the rest for Dean. his penance will never end for his brother's death.
The blows stopped as suddenly as they started and Sam froze waiting for the next assault to start, when he felt someone undo the ropes holding his arms above his head and then the ones around his ankles. His knees buckled and he fell gasping for air as the noose around his throat tightened keeping him upright.
'Kneel subject twenty-two.' A cold voice commanded and Sam found himself obeying without question. 'Good little soldier boy.' His father's voice mocked him silently.
They removed and replaced the hood with a blindfold mask, kept in place by loops around his ears. He felt a shiver course through him as he tried to hear what they were doing. His arms pulled hard behind him and cuffed with heavy manacles, pulling on his already tense chest muscles, the noose tightened a little more around his throat constricting his airways.
'I see you have grown out your hair subject twenty-two that is to be rectified now.' The voice snarled in his ear, a cold metal pressed against his face made Sam shiver he knew that they were scissors. Shaking his head he tried to pull away but the noose tightened even more choking him.
'Move again and you will be punished subject twenty-two.' Sam swallowed down on the rising panic, 'it's just hair, just hair.' He tried to tell himself that, making it a new mantra for himself but when he felt the hand grasping his hair and the cold of the scissors so close to his scalp he cried out, breaking his forced silence.
The blow across his face split his lip and sent the blindfold flying, blinking furiously he tried to refocus his eyes, the bright light burning his sensitive irises. 'You little bastard.' Sloane hissed striking Sam again, this time slicing his cheek open with the large diamond dress ring he wore. 'Hold him down.' Three guards held Sam down as Sloane himself cut the rest of Sam's hair short, tears of humiliation and anger ran down his reddened cheeks and scorched the fresh cuts.
As he cut, the last chunk Sloane hissed and cutting the noose let Sam fall face down onto the floor smashing his nose on the concrete. 'Get him up.' Sloane watched as the dragged Sam up onto his knees again, with a cold smile he waved the hood in front of Sam's eyes, 'you shouldn't have done that boy.'
Sam lifted his eyes and glared at his captor, his ingrown stubbornness rising in one act of pure defiance and he spat in Sloane's face, taking a grim satisfaction in watching his own spittle sliding down the man's face.
The hood blanked out everything and Sam momentarily panicked as he felt it tightened around his throat, breathing in harshly, he tried to listen to what they were saying; but all he could hear was a rushing sound in his ears. A sharp prick in his neck jolted him and he felt a burning ignite in his body. He heard painfilled screams and then he realised they were his.
'Put subject twenty-two in the lit room, no food or drink, no one is to remove the hood. He is to be ignored at all times.' Sloane ordered, 'for the next forty-eight hours.'
'Yes Sir.' The guard saluted and then with the help of his partner dragged the still screaming Sam from his room.
Bending down Sloane picked up a handful of dark hair from the floor and smiled coldly, 'time to go visit the brother.' He said as he fingered the strands absently, 'time to show who is the Master here.'
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Dean crouched down low as he moved past another open door, inside was a group of young men being put through their sparring paces, Sam wasn't there.
Rising a glance behind him, Dean was pleased to see that Rose and Sandy were able to keep up with him.
A sudden blinding pain at the back of his right eye brought Dean to his knees, gasping for air like a fish out of water, he pressed the heel of his hand into his eye trying desperately to push it away to make it stop. Sandy crouched down in front of him and tried to get Dean to look at her, but then as quickly as the pain came it left, leaving Dean breathless and shivering violently.
'Dean what is it?'
The only word Dean uttered was 'Sam.' And then he took off sprinting down the hallway as fast as he could push himself, not caring if Sandy and Rose were with him. He had to get to Sam and he had to find him now.
His berserker rush came to a halt in front of a door with bright light radiating around it. 'No Sammy.' Dean cried as he tried the door, fumbling for the hairpin he still had on him he easily picked the lock, gasping as the brightness assaulted his eyes. Blinking through the burning tears Dean pushed into the room and stopped dead, in front of him crouched against the far wall, was a young man, wearing only a pair of baggy cotton pants and a heavy black hood covering his head. His hands cuffed behind his back and linked with the fetters around his ankle.
'Sammy?' Dean whispered hoarsely as he tentatively approached the young man not wanting to startle him anymore than necessary. 'Sammy it's me Dean.'
The young man seemed to freeze, even hold his breath when he heard the muffled voice through the hood. A small giggle came from him before he could stop it, 'subject twenty-two.' Was all he could manage to stay.
Frantic with worry Dean went to wrench the hood away from Sam when he noticed the ties and lock anchoring it in place. Swearing softly he picked the padlock easily and tossed it aside with disdain, his fingers slipped on the leather ties as he undid them and slowly pulled the hood away from his brother's face.
'Oh God ... Sammy?' Dean wept openly when he saw Sam's tearstained, bruised and bloodied sweaty face. The rope burns around Sam's throat brought Dean's anger back in full force, his shaking hand reached up to Sam's freshly cut hair and a sob pushed its way out. Sam turned his head slightly to stare at Dean as though seeing him for the first time, the shame of his own weaknesses flared to the surface and he dropped his gaze staring at the floor instead.
'Sam what is it?' Dean asked tenderly brushing his hand over Sam's cheek before he started working on the chains connecting the cuffs, 'what's wrong?'
'D-Don't look at me, I'm not ... I am subject twenty-two nothing else.'
'No, no you're my brother, my annoying geeky freakishly tall brother, Sam Winchester.' Dean said forcing Sam to lift his face and to look at him, 'you're Sam not a damned subject.'
'Dean?' Sam blinked and then dropped his gaze again, 'no, this is a test, Dean's dead.'
'Ah not again Sammy.' Dean whispered, 'come on dude we have to get you outta here.'
'And where would you go Winchester?' Sloane asked from the doorway, Dean twisted around to stare up at the man who should be dead.
'I can honestly say that death doesn't do ya justice Sloane you're just as ugly as before.' Dean quipped easily placing himself in front of his brother and shielding him from Sloane.
'Ever the protector huh Winchester? Shame that subject twenty-two doesn't understand or is unworthy of it.'
'Sam is never unworthy, now backup Sloane.' Dean snarled helping Sam to stand up but keeping him behind. 'Really you don't want to do anything stupid.'
'Hmm interesting Winchester, I am after all the one in charge and you are nothing but an escaped prisoner.' Sloane said as stepped closer towards the brothers.
Dean smirked and winked at Sloane a wicked glint to his eyes, 'hmm dunno bout that you freak.'
Sandy drove the needle into the back of her father's neck, enjoying the shocked look on his face as he crumbled at her feet. 'Nice timing or what?'
'Way to go Sandy, let's get Sammy outta here, he's not doing too good.' Dean spoke as he turned to Sam and wrapped his arm around his younger brother, 'where can we go?'
'Follow me,' Rose waved them out of the room, giving Sloane a delicate but well placed kick in the groin. 'Let's go.'
She led the way through to another room and locked the door behind them, 'Sandy take out the camera.' She said turning to look at Sam for the first time, 'oh my baby boy.' She whispered in shock, 'let's get you better.'
'Rose ah we need to get going ... anytime soon would be good.' Dean said as Sam started to slide downwards again, his awareness already gone.
'This way,' Rose said indicating the wall at the end of the room, 'now let's see ... yep here it is.' She pressed a button hidden in the panelled wallpaper and a door slid open, 'you with us Sandy?'
'Yeah um yeah let's go.' Sandy said unable to hide her surprise, although she couldn't work out what she was surprised at more, the fact that there is a hidden door in this disused room or the fact that Rose knew where it was.
'This is the way the medical staff moved around the compound so quickly, a lot of injuries and not many medics.' Rose answered the unasked question with a small quirk to her smile, 'you'd be surprised just where you can go with these tunnels.'
'Trouble is Sloane and Grace know too don't they?'
'Not so much, they know these walkways exist but I have no idea if they ever used them,' Rose shrugged, 'come on we need to get Sam somewhere safe.'
'What about security?' Sandy asked as they made their way through the dimly lit tunnels.
'No cameras, something about the wiring not working or something, I'm not sure exactly what I came to work here after they finished setting them up. They made them wide enough for a gurney to be wheeled through or a team of people to rush around in an emergency.'
'So where to?' Dean asked as he steadied Sam once again, worried that his brother was too quiet and submissive he paused for a moment to check Sam out. 'Hey dude you hanging in there with me?'
'Subject twenty-two reporting ... Dean? No not Dean ... subject twenty-two understands its failure to comply.' Sam rambled his eyes glazed and unfocused, his head lolled forward. 'Deanie? So tired ... where's Dad?'
'Rose?'
'I – I don't know but I think we have to hurry.' Rose glanced up at Sam's face and felt the tears stinging her eyes. 'This way.' She choked out.
They stopped a few minutes later when Rose unlocked a door and showed them into a room, she motioned to Dean to take Sam over to a bed along one wall, while she went to a bench and cupboards quickly finding the medical paraphernalia she needed.
'Sandy can you lock the door and make sure that no one disturbs us please?' Rose asked as she took a seat on a stool and wheeled closer to Sam's side, 'okay let's see what we got here.'
'Talk to me Rose.' Dean prompted her unable to keep his impatience in check any longer.
'The serum is causing Sam's confusion, we have been working on a way to counteract the effects of the serum ... well up to when Grace decided to go darkside and take up where her father left off. A few of us kept working on it in secret, this is one of the labs we used.'
'So?' Dean glared at her trying to convey his irritation with her rambling with one piercing stare.
'So even though we are not sure if it is perfect I can try it on Sam.'
'What will it do?' Dean's tone changed completely as he took his brother's hand, and let his over-protective side take over.
'Well the worst it will kill him, if we don't give it to him, the serum will eventually kill him, it has been tinkered with too much to know what it will do to him in the meantime.'
'So basically what you're saying is that Sam's screwed either way.' Dean growled and started pacing he so desperately wanted to hit something or someone.
'Dean?' Sam's faint whisper squashed the violent thoughts and had him back at his brother's side in an instant. 'Where are we?'
'The institute ... you got tricked dude.'
'Grace ... Sloane ... not a dream?'
'No, listen Sammy Rose has a – a way to counteract the serum, but it's not tested Sammy it could kill you.'
'I'm dying anyway Dean.' Sam closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, he was so tired, tired of being a victim. 'Do it.'
'Sammy?' Dean blinked not sure if he had heard Sam properly.
'Do it, I – I have to fight back.' Sam opened his eyes and stared at Dean intently, 'please.'
'If you're sure.' Dean nodded to Rose who in turn readied the syringe with the first dose, 'I'm right here Sammy.' Dean held his hand while Rose injected Sam with the antidote. Seconds later Sam went rigid, a pink foam speckled on his lips, as his eyes rolled back into his head and his back arched off the bed.
'Rose what the hell?' Dean demanded in horror as he watched the arteries, tendons, muscles everything in Sam seemed to jump out of his skin, become taut and ready to snap.
'I-I don't know Dean, like I said it is untested.' Rose watched Sam as he fell back to the bed, tiny tremors running through his muscles, looking for all intents and purposes as though he had experienced a large electrical shock.
Drool and foam mingled and dribbled down his chin, his eyes snapped open were fixed and his pupils fully dilated as another convulsion struck; this time it was more violent than the last. His entire body lifting off the bed before smashing back down, blood spurted from between his lips on impact; his breathing became erratic, as he fought for air in short sharp gasps.
'No Sammy come on man you fight this, don't you die.' Dean sobbed not caring who saw him.
Silence descended on the small room, as three people watched and waited over another, none wanting to give up on him, none wanting him to give up on himself.
Rose checked Sam's blood pressure again, she had to turn and hide her dismay from Dean as the numbers dropped each time she read them.
'Rose?' Rose looked up and tried to give a more confident air about her but she knew Dean saw straight through that, 'he's worse isn't he Rose.'
'Dean?' Sam reached out for his brother wanting to feel his presence. 'Dean where are you?'
'Right here dude, I'm right here.' Dean didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry, 'how you doing bud?'
'M'tired but ... feel better I think.' Sam rolled his head in the direction of Dean's voice, his eyesight still blurry gave him little to go on.
'Sam, can you tell me how you feel exactly?' Rose placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
'Not so much fog ... achy kindof but no pain ... kinda floaty.' Sam giggled and sighed tiredly, 'we go home soon Dean?'
'Yeah dude, you rest now.' Dean said stroking his brother's uninjured cheek and tracked his fingers through the shawn dark locks.
'Sam's evening out.' Rose's head jerked up in surprise as she took another blood pressure reading, 'his pressure's up, and breathing's not so laboured.'
'That's my boy.' Dean grinned and turned his attention to Sandy standing pale-faced and shaking. 'Sandy what's wrong?'
'Grace tried to force me into taking the serum again, the new and improved one she said. If I had, I would have ... I could be like Sam is right now.' Sandy slid down the wall and started to cry muffling her sobs in her hands, 'I – I don't understand, I did such horrible things to you Dean and yet ... I don't understand how this all went so wrong.'
'Sandy, come on we need you to be strong you can't fall apart on us now.' Dean reluctantly left Sam's side and went to crouch in front of the distraught young woman. 'And well you weren't yourself when you did those things, I know the real Sandy now and she's not the same person.'
'I could be worse, Grace is so addicted to the serum now, she has a small pump inserted on her hip so it gives her automatic doses, she-she wanted me to do the same.'
'Hey you're stronger than your sister, you refused it.'
'Dean ... I am so sorry Dean.' Sandy said pulling out of his grasp, 'I wanted to be strong for you.'
'Sandy what did you do?' Dean asked pulling away from Sandy, 'what did you do?'
'I'm sorry Dean if there was another way ... I promise I'll make it up to you.'
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Bobby nursed his third cup of coffee while he waited for Caleb to arrive, the message Dean left on his machine sent shivers down his spine and he knew that they were going to need as much back up as possible.
'Hey old man.' Caleb said waving as he wove his way through the busy diner, 'what's up?'
'Nuff of the old.' Bobby grumbled, 'think we might have a problem Caleb.'
Oh, oh it is serious, you called me Caleb and not Cal.'
'Stop the kidding around and shuddup and listen.' Bobby growled, waiting for the waitress to pour Caleb's coffee and to freshen his before he continued. 'It's Dean and Sam.'
'Wh-what?' Caleb sipped at his hot coffee not sure if he wanted to hear what Bobby had to say.
'I got a message from Dean, seems that Sammy has had visions about the institute.'
Caleb choked on the mouthful of coffee and started spluttering, trying to catch his breath, 'he what?'
'Got visions and talked Dean into going back ...'
'Fuck it all to hell Bobby where are they now?'
'That's just it Cal, they've disappeared, the phones are off and thing seems to get through.'
'Dean wouldn't let Sam go there would he?'
'He might not have had a choice, from the sounds of it, Sammy was regressing back to when they made him be subject twenty-two.' Bobby shuddered as he was assailed with his own memories of how Sam looked last time. And how desperate Dean became. 'We gotta get to the boys Cal.'
'Preaching to the converted old man,' Cal grinned, 'think we might need Josh's help in on this too?'
'Not a bad idea, wouldn't mind rounding up as many friendlies as possible.' Bobby nodded his head and shoved his cap back on his head before tugging back down over his eyes. 'We better get on the road.'
'Bobby...'
'Yeah Cal?'
'We'll find em and get em back I promise.'
'Yeah I know Cal ... it's just ... it's Dean and Sam.'
'Yeah I know.'
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Grace stared down at her unconscious father, the call to heal still strong in her even though she tried to rid herself of it. Kneeling down she laid a hand on him and then waited for him to rouse himself.
'Get up old man.' She hissed, 'where's my pets?'
'They got a drop on me.' Sloane moaned, 'damn they got me with the serum I think.'
'Rose and Sandy are with them.' Grace said without preamble.
'Your sister?'
'Yeah but don't worry daddy dearest, Sandy has left a trail for us to follow,' Grace smiled, 'she hasn't turned completely yet.'
'Good, good well come on with it then, we are they?' Sloane demanded as he strode out of the cell.
'In the medic's tunnel.'
'That bitch Rose.'
'Looks like it.' Grace shrugged, 'she knows too much Dad.'
'True shame she's a good nurse but too nosey for her own good.' Sloane agreed and then shrugged off the last bit of stiffness, 'lets' go round em up.'
TBC