Disclaimer: Eric Kripke owns I'm just playing with the sandbox.

A.N: Yay, to the good stuff! LimpSam to the fullest degree!

Summary: After S2, ELAC, before BL. Dean had pushed his brother away after their father's death, but Sam had been suffering silently. Will Dean realize before its too late that Sam didn't just walk away from the accident?


Chapter 3: The Dam Breaks: Part I

Sam groaned as he began slipping into consciousness once more. He breathed as he peeled open his eyes. He let out a groan. Oh, God, if it was possible, his head was even worse than before. His movement was sluggish as he managed to get out of bed. His stomach was growling at him. It had to be almost dinnertime. He blinked owlishly, as he misjudged and ran into the closed door. Stumbling he managed to open it and titter out the room. He grabbed the railing and looked down the stairs. It seemed a long way down to him.

The stairs kept moving, the longer he looked at it, as if it was to rise up to smack him in the face. He shut his eyes and paused before reopening them. Sighing, he kept hold of the railing with both hands as he concentrated on getting down the stairs.

One at a time.

He was almost down when Bobby came, having heard him walking down. "Hey, Sam. Feeling better?"

It messed up his concentration and he stumbled on the last few steps. Bobby darted out to right him. "Watch out!" Bobby cried his heart in his throat at the moment as he gripped Sam tightly, keeping him from falling.

Sam laughed once. "Heh, thanks Bobby. Sorry."

Bobby frowned. Did Sam's voice sound a little….slurred?

The back door opened at the moment and Dean came in. He frowned. "What is going on?" he asked glancing at the two.

Bobby glared at Dean. "Your brother darn near fell down the steps."

Bobby would have beat the crap out of Dean when he watched as said male rolled his eyes and walked over the kitchen to fix him something to eat while murmuring, "Can't even walk up and down the steps properly, now that is sad", he murmured.

Sam didn't even really notice as he fought to keep himself righted.

"Come, on Sam, let's get you to the table so we can get some food into you." Bobby coached as he helped Sam to a seat.

Sam's voice was strained and quiet, "Thanks, Bobby."

Dean was already sitting down digging into his food without so much a glance at the two of them. Bobby glared at Dean as he fixed Sam a plate. Bobby was in the middle of fixing himself a plate when the phone ringed. "Guess I'll go answer it." he murmured walking out the kitchen.

Sam pushed his food around his plate. It seemed that even though he was hungry his stomach almost rebelled at eating. It churned along with his pulsing head. He felt sick. Looking at this food was making him want to vomit. He shut his eyes and couldn't help the little whimper that escaped.

Dean glared up at Sam. "Will you please, be quiet and eat?"

Sam looked up at Dean with wide-eyes. "I was quiet."

At least he thought so.

Dean snorted and went back to his food. Meanwhile unconsciously, Sam pressed his hand to his head. Why won't it stop hurting? It kept pulsing, a marching band going in his head. He shut his eyes tightly and fought to keep silent. He wouldn't alert Dean to his pain, but it seemed he couldn't do that right.

"Sam, what the heck is your problem? We can't even have a quiet dinner in peace? Do you want something? Talk or something? What is your angle here?" Dean snapped looking up at his younger brother. He saw not the pain on his face.

Sam looked up again, eyes unfocused, his vision blurred, and his hand still pressing to this temple. "No angle", his voice a thread of a sound. His stomach churned and he wiggled in his seat.

He couldn't help the groan as he found himself rocking, shutting his eyes tightly, trying to quarrel the pain. The sounds in his head grew louder and louder, echoing, ringing, bouncing in his brain like cymbals playing.

Yet, Dean was still oblivious to this as he snapped, seeing red. He stood up from his seat so quickly, near knocking the chair down. "Seriously, Sam, what do you want? I don't want to talk. This charade of yours is not gonna work. I don't want to communicate. I don't want your help. I want you to stay the crap away from me. Can you please give me a perimeter? I can't deal with your issues and mine. Can't I have some time?"

Sam blinked and opened his eyes, his breath coming out harshly as he stopped rocking. He dropped his hand as he struggled to stand. "Wait, Dean….I'm sorry. I just…" Why did it sound like his voice was so far away?

Dean banged a fist on the table making Sam flinch and his hand automatically going to his head. "Quit freaking apologizing! You always apologize and get your way. Not this time!"

Sam struggled to look at Dean, still holding his head. He didn't realize he had triplet of brothers. Oh, his head, it ached, making tears pricked behind Sam's eyes as it intensified with this conversation. He moved to try to walk towards Dean. He found he could not coordinate his feet well.

Which it didn't even matter, because Dean stood out of reach, refusing to let him get anywhere near him. He snapped back, "No, Sam! What part of that do you not understand? Quit being a bother!"

"B-b-b-other?" Sam stuttered, his voice squeaking and slurring. He moved his hand, shutting his eyes to press the heel of his palm to his forehead. The other hand that was pressed on the table to help keep him up mirrored his first hand.

"Yes, Sam a bother!" Dean snapped, his eyes harden as he glared at Sam, his nose almost turned up at him. "What is this?" he gestured to Sam's hunched demeanor, "Some new emo thing of yours?" he asked incredulously as he watched Sam's hands move to clutch both sides of his head. "I refuse to let you have your way, so you can cut it out!"

Sam lowered his hands and stared at Dean blankly. Dean was heedless of the pain warring within Sam as he continued to blast his younger brother. "Why can't you leave me the heck alone, huh? I don't want to deal with whatever issues you got right now. The world doesn't revolve around you, so get it through your head. I've catered to you all your life."

Still Sam looked at him blankly and it made Dean angrier as he stepped into Sam's face. "All you ever are is a bother when things don't go your way. Learn to grow up and deal with stuff on your own! Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not your freaking keeper! I'm don't have to drop everything and come running when you call! Let's get that freaking straight right now!"

Sam continued to stare blankly until all of a sudden his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell backwards with a loud thud. It was then that Dean's eyes widen and a look of sheer horror overtook his face.

"BOBBY!" he screamed bloody murder.

TBC…