Chapter 4

The rest of the day went well for Dean. The doctor ordered for the tube up his nose to be taken out and said he could eat whatever he could tolerate. While Dean was annoyed with Sam for not agreeing to go out and get him the hamburger and fries he wanted, he settled for the ravioli he got for dinner, which actually wasn't half bad.

Bobby called to let them know that he had some car trouble and wouldn't be there until later tomorrow night. Sam told him that was fine and gave him the update on Dean's condition.

Everything was fine until later that night. Despite Dean insisting he was fine and Sam should sleep at the motel, Sam refused. He told Dean that he wanted to make sure everything really was fine. Sam settled into the recliner the nurse had brought him for the night. Dean closed his eyes, but couldn't help but notice he felt slightly restless. He brushed it off. He wasn't used to being cooped up in a hospital bed. It would go away.

After a fitful night's sleep Dean was feeling more restless. While it wasn't unusual for him to feel annoyed with Sam trying to mother him, today it was much worse. And the appetite he had last night wasn't there. The bed was becoming more uncomfortable and he was constantly fidgeting, trying to get comfortable and get rid of the nervous energy he could feel building.

They were watching TV when the nurse came in to check on him.

"Everything OK, Mr. Winchester?"

"Fine," Dean replied.

The nurse looked at him hard. "Are you sure? You seem kind of restless."

Sam shot Dean a look of concern. Dean felt his annoyance with the nurse grow, but forced a smile on his face.

"I'm fine. Just really ready to go home."

"You're not feeling anxious about anything?"

What the hell was this woman's problem? "I'm fine."

The nurse gave him a polite smile. "OK. Just let me know if you need anything."

She left and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Bitch," he muttered under his breath.

Sam looked at him, his eyes displaying his concern. "Are you OK, Dean? You're really antsy today."

"God damn it, Sam! I'm fine, OK? What the hell? I want to get the hell out of here! We have shit we need to do and we're stuck in this god damn hospital!" Dean snapped.

Sam's eyes widened, obviously hurt. Dean inwardly cringed at his reaction.

"I… sorry, Sam. I didn't mean-"

Sam shook his head and looked down. "It's OK. I understand."

They both were quiet and went back to watching the TV. Dean couldn't help but notice how he kept bouncing his right leg in the bed. It was subtle, but there. He also noticed a tremor in his hands that had been present last night, but had gotten worse the last hour. And why was it so hot? He wiped away the sweat that was on his brow. He wasn't sure why he was feeling this way, but he knew he couldn't stand another second of having Sam in the room with him when he felt like this.

"Hey, Sammy."

"Yeah?"

"Could you do me a favor? Maybe run down to the gift shop and get me some magazines or something? I think maybe I'll try to sleep a little. I think I'm a little tired."

Sam smiled at him and Dean could see that he was happy to be able to do something for him.

"Sure, Dean. I can come back in an hour or so. I'll let the nurse know so they can call me if something comes up."

Dean sighed in relief as Sam walked out the door. He didn't know why he felt like shit, but he did know having Sam hovering over him wasn't going to help. He closed his eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. Maybe he was just tired.

What was that smell?

Dean's eyes flew open. The pungent odor filled his nostrils and almost choked him in its intensity. He knew that smell. He had smelled it every day when he was in Hell. Sulfur. Why the fuck was he smelling sulfur?

He sat up in the bed. The heat was becoming stifling now. Sweat rolled down his face and he felt like he could barely breathe. His heart pounded like a jackhammer in his chest. His hands trembled uncontrollably. He could feel the panic rise in his chest. His eyes darted around the room.

And there stood Lillith.

Dean's eyes widened in terror. The little girl, whose body she inhabited, gave him a big smile.

"Hello, Dean! Time to come back to play with us again!"

He swung his legs over the bed and stood up, his eyes never leaving her. "No," he whispered.

She smiled and took a step towards him. "Why, yes, silly. You know you don't belong here. You know what you really are. You're one of us! You even told Sam you liked what you did. And you know you did, Dean. You know how much fun it was to slice those souls open. To make them scream again and again."

Dean's eyes filled with tears and he shook his head furiously. "No! No, I won't do it again!"

Lillith sighed impatiently. "Yes, Dean, you will. You'll say no at first, but we both know it won't take long for you to come back to us. To be one of us again. And you know this time there won't be an angel to save you. You know they definitely won't want you this time!"

Dean backed up against the wall. "You're not real! I'm sick again! I have to be! You're not really here!"

Lillith squealed with girlish laughter. "Silly Dean! Of course I'm real! Just like he's real!" She pointed towards the window. There stood Alastair.

"Hello, Dean!" Alastair said with an evil smile. "I've missed you! Ready to come home?"

Dean looked back and forth between Lillith and Alastair, no longer being able to control his terror.

"I won't go! I'm not going back!" he screamed at them.

He ran forward and scrambled over the bed towards the door. The IV's strained as he pulled away, finally pulling from his arm. Blood began streaming down his right arm and dripping to the floor. He tore off the heart monitor and flung it at Alastair.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Dean screamed.

"Mr. Winchester!"

His nurse appeared in the doorway. She was looking at him with concern, but then he saw it. Her eyes were black. He staggered back.

"No. No! Get away! Don't touch me! I'll send your ass back to Hell! I don't care what I have to do!"

"What are you talking about? Mr. Winchester, please calm down. It's OK. No one is going to hurt you. Let me help you."

Dean grabbed his water pitcher and threw it as hard as he could at her. She narrowly missed being hit in the head with it.

"Don't touch me you demon whore!"

Suddenly, there were two more nurses behind her, both with blackened eyes. Lillith giggled gleefully.

"We're coming, Dean! We're coming to get you!" she giggled.

Dean looked around desperately. He felt so sick, so weak. His head throbbed in agony and his stomach felt as though it was twisted in a massive knot.

"Sam will kill you!" he yelled at Lillith. "He's going to find you! He's going to send you demon ass back to Hell! You know he's gunning for you, Lillith!"

He grabbed the IV pole and held it in front of him, ready to swing it at anyone who came near him. "Don't come any closer!"

"Dean! How about we go get Sam? Do you want to see Sam?" the nurse asked him.

He stared at her, his eyes wide and confused. "He's going to destroy you! He's won't let you do this! He won't let you take me! You think you can beat him, but you can't!"

"Come on, Dean," Alastair said from where he stood. "This is so childish! Put that down and let's go! You know it had to happen eventually. You knew once Sam found out about who you really are it would be over. No one wants you around. Why would someone want a sick fuck like you saving them? Someone who enjoys ripping people apart and listening to them scream. Getting off as you skin them alive! You know God didn't really want you. You know the truth. God just wanted to fuck with you. Show you what a piece of shit you are!"

Tears streamed down Dean's face. The room felt like it was spinning uncontrollably around him and he could barely stand.

"GO AWAY!" Dean wailed.

"DEAN!"

Dean looked to see Sam enter the room. His chin began to quiver.

"Sammy?" he asked softly.

"It's me, Dean. It's OK."

"They're trying to take me back, Sammy!" Dean whimpered. "They want me back in Hell! Please… please… I don't want to go back there, Sam."

Sam moved slowly towards Dean, his arms held out.

"No one is taking you, Dean. I won't let them."

"But Lillith and Alastair. They're here, Sam! They're here to take me!"

Sam stopped and frowned in confusion. "Dean, there's no one here. It's just me and the nurses."

Lillith giggled. "He's ly-ing! He's lying to you, Dean!"

"He's fucking with you head, Dean! Look at his eyes! Look at what he really is!" Alastair sneered.

Dean looked at Sam's eyes and his heart sank in horror. Sam's eyes had turned a deep yellow. He felt as if the whole world had been ripped away from him.

"No, Sam! No! What did you do?" Dean wailed, sagging against the wall.

Sam moved quickly. He dove forward and grabbed the IV pole from Dean, shoving it away. Despite catching him off-guard Dean still was ready to fight. He swung at Sam trying to punch him in the head. Sam ducked and rushed him, pinning Dean to the wall. Dean screamed and failed his arms, hitting Sam around the head and arms.

"Let me go! You mother fucker! You're not Sam! I'll kill you! I'm going to kill every last mother fucking one of you! I'm going to rip you apart!"

The nurses rushed into the room, one of them carrying a syringe. Two of them grabbed Dean's arms and restrained them. The third nurse reached up and quickly jabbed the needle in his backside, injecting the fluid. Dean let out a howl of pain.

"MOTHER FUCKERS!!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I'M GOING TO KILL EVERY LAST MOTHER FUCKING ONE OF YOU!!!"

Dean's vision began to grow cloudy. His legs began to weaken and he began sagging in Sam's arms. The nurses let go of his arms and he found that he didn't have the strength to use them. Everything was beginning to feel heavy. He looked across the room and Lillith and Alastair both began fading away. He looked at Sam and saw his eyes were no longer yellow. Dean closed his eyes and passed out.