Chapter 3

"What happened?" Sam asked looking at each of them, expecting answers. "Is he okay?"

June spoke up. "He's gonna be okay, Sam."

Doctor Ryan had just started examining Dean. He checked the elder Winchester's eyes and his head for signs of a concussion. He ran his fingers, expertly, over Dean's ribs, checking for broken and cracked ones. He examined the size, depth and location of the elder brother's various bruises.

"He's gonna be okay." El said, nodding, even though the bleeding and the stab wounds had her very concerned.

Sam nodded. He realized he hadn't even spoken to El, Neal or June. He had just been so relieved to find Dean. He had forgotten about everything else.

Sam shook his head. "I'm sorry guys. I just…I've been looking for Dean for a couple of hours. He's…he was supposed to be going to get gas. We got lost and got turned around and then ran out of gas. He was…we weren't in the best part of town. But he didn't want to leave the Impala, his baby, and we both go. So, I stayed behind with the car and…."

"He never came back?" Neal asked.

Sam shook his head. "I waited a couple of hours. I wasn't familiar with the area, so I didn't know how far he would have to go. But…after an hour, I was concerned. After two…." The youngest Winchester shook his head again.

"Well, I heard something at the back door. I opened it and there Dean was. He was leaning on the door frame. He was so bloody…is face, his hands." She shuddered at the memory. "He couldn't speak. He was in so much pain. And he looked like he was about to pass out. He made it just a few steps and that…that was it. I called June to see if Doctor Ryan, here, would come check Dean out. And then I asked her if Neal knew if you guys were in town."

Sam shook his head. "We were just on our way through. We were going to meet a friend just over the state line in Pennsylvania. We didn't know if we would have time to stop. I just…." The young Winchester then realized. "Dean had to walk quite a ways to get here."

At least now they knew a little more of what happened. Dean would have to fill in the rest. But, from the looks of his injuries, he must have been fighting for his life. It scared them all, and they fell silent as they watched the doctor finish his examination.

"So, Doctor, what's the verdict?" Sam asked as the MD finished his exam.

"It's…he's been beaten, pretty severely. His ribs are bruised and a couple are cracked. The stab wounds, thankfully, are not deep. I can clean, stitch and bandage them here. I'll write him a prescription for antibiotics. And I'll probably have to start him on an IV. I'll give him some antibiotics that way, too. You can never be too careful. But right now, I need to take care of those stab wounds."

Dean groaned and tried to move as the doctor began to clean his wounds. Sam responded quickly and held down one of his legs as Neal held the other. El took one of his hands in hers, and, hoping that she could calm him down, started speaking to him.

"Dean, you're okay, Sweetie." El explained. "June's friend is here. He's a doctor. He's trying to help you. But you have to try and lay still, Sweetheart." She continued. "Sam's here. Neal and June are here, too."

Dean looked up at El and squeezed her hand. "Sammy?" He asked in a near whisper. He looked around until he saw his little brother.

"You're okay, Bro." Sam reassured him. "Just take it easy, the doc will be finished soon."

Dean nodded, but he couldn't stop the cry of pain that erupted from his throat as the doctor began sewing up one of the wounds. It was in an area that was already bruised.

NCIS\WC NCIS\WC NCIS\WC NCIS\WC NCIS\WC NCIS\WC

Peter was glad to be home. He started up the stairs to his front door. He heard a yell, someone crying out in pain. He hurried up, unlocked his door as quickly as he could and hurried inside, afraid that Elizabeth might be in trouble. He didn't see anyone at first. Then he saw feet, and people kneeling down around someone lying on the floor. He recognized all but the doctor.

"What the…?" Peter started then he saw what the doctor was doing.

El looked at her husband. "Hon, it's…Dean showed up at the back door." She proceeded to tell him all that she knew. Plus what Sam had just told them.

"Is he…how is he doing?" The agent asked.

Dean groaned loudly then he suddenly stopped moving. His grip on El's hand let go and, he quit struggling.

"Dean?" Sam asked, panicked, when he realized that his brother was not moving.

They all looked at Dean. The doctor stopped for just a second, until he saw Dean take a breath. He, then, breathed a sigh of relief. "He's passed out from the pain. I'll give him something else besides the local when I'm done."

"Is he going to be safe to travel?" June asked.

They all just looked at her.

"Dean will be able to rest and heal better at my home." June replied.

"He should be fine. It's a short trip, and the pain medicine should hold him for a few hours." The doctor stated.

Peter and El nodded as Sam bent down. He started to pick Dean up.

"El," Dean said, Sam's lifting him caused him to open his eyes. He held out his hand to her. "..I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

El took his hand in both of hers and smiled at him. "It's okay, Sweetie. I was scared for you. I…all that blood." She shook her head.

Sam shifted Dean's body in his arms so that he could hold him better. Dean winced. He looked up at his young brother. "Don't drop me, Sammy."

"Jerk!" Sam muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Bitch." Dean shot back, even though his voice was very weak.

Neal grinned and shook his head. "You'd never know that those two were related."

Sam headed out the back door of the Burke's residence. He didn't have far to go. June's driver had pulled into the back alley as far as he could so that few people would see Dean being loaded into the limo.

TBC