A/N 1: Honest. This wasn't a WIP. I just suddenly decided to make major changes in the last couple of chapters. Real Life intervened for both me and my beta and it just took longer.
A/N 2: I did do some research on shamans, but I needed this guy to be this way for this story. No slight or insult was intended in any way.
Still don't own them, still dedicated to J.A. Carlton, and still love my awesome beta: Household6. She's teaching me tons. All mistakes are my own.
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They were so relieved to find the highway that Dean almost got himself run over by a car that had picked up speed on the somewhat level straightaway. At the sound of the car's horn and his brother's shouted warning, he was able to jump out of the way at the last minute. He made a rude gesture at the retreating vehicle and walked over to where Sam was leaning one-legged against a tree.
"Not going to do much good to have found the highway if we can't get anyone to stop for us," Dean scowled.
Sam nodded, squinting up at the sky. "At least it's not raining or snowing; there's bound to be someone who'll stop."
"Optimist," Dean grumbled. "Don't go ruining a perfectly good grump session."
Sam gave his brother a slight grin. Dean wasn't fooled, though. He knew Sam knew what was happening. Dean was relieved at finally finding the highway and wanted it all just ended already. The older man was becoming impatient, and an impatient Dean was a grumpy Dean. Sam looked confident, though. Dean always marveled at Sam's ability to put up with so much and keep it together when Dean might not. He reasoned, however, that his own impatience at this point was due to both the fact they were so close and that Sam was in so much pain. He hated when his little brother was in pain. He dealt with it when it was necessary, keeping Sammy calm, reassuring him that everything would be all right. At this point, however, he was sure it wouldn't be anywhere near all right if no one stopped for them soon. That other mountain lion he had heard was still out there; Sam was hurting, he was hurting, and his baby was hurting (none of that necessarily in order of importance). They needed to get out of this forest and back to civilization.
Dean suddenly perked up as he heard the faint sound of a large vehicle coming down the road. As it came around the curve, he stepped forward and hailed the driver. Sam hung back a little.
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It had to be a semi, didn't it? It just had to be. Sam thumped the tree he was leaning against in frustration as the driver slowed the big rig in response to Dean's waving. He watched as his brother stepped up to the driver's side and spoke to the trucker. In a moment, he was coming back around the front, motioning Sam to come on over. Sam had to admit that he was relieved to be getting a ride. This whole thing had been awful; he knew they needed help.
Carefully putting on a happy face for the others' benefits, Sam stepped forward as Dean came to pick up their bags. He reached down to pick up his own bundle, but his big brother stopped him. "I got it, Sammy. I'll help you into the truck, then come back for the rest, okay?"
A little irritated but grateful at the same time, the younger man nodded and began hobbling toward the truck. Dean reached in front of him, pulled open the door, and turned toward Sam.
"Up you go, little brother."
Sam had to smile at his now very happy big brother; a huge grin had replaced the formerly grumpy expression. He stepped up to the cab, gingerly putting his weight on his bad ankle so his good leg could do the work of lifting him into the truck. Dean stood behind him to help him balance.
The driver made a sound, drawing Sam's attention to him out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look at him, expecting to see him leaning out to offer a hand. Instead, he found that the face was bearded and the voice was gravelly and deep. When Sam looked at his eyes, they were black.
Sam's reaction was immediate. He pulled back, which caused him to lose his balance, falling back against Dean, who lost his own balance, falling back on the soft leafy shoulder with his brother mostly on top of him.
"Sam, dude, what the hell?"
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"I think so, except for that whole having Sasquatch on top of me thing. What happened? Are you okay? How's your arm?"
"It's okay. I'm okay."
"What happened, Sam?"
"Dude, the driver…!"
"What about him? He's going to give us a lift."
"When I looked at him, he had the face of the driver of the semi that hit us. His eyes were black, and he talked like him, too!"
"Are you sure?"
Both brothers looked up at the sound of the voice coming around the front of the cab. "You boys okay?"
The two of them looked at the driver, at each other, and back to the driver again.
"Yeah, we're good," Dean spoke for both of them. "Sam slipped and lost his balance is all. His ankle's pretty sore; we've walked a long way."
The driver came right over, offering Sam his hand to help him up. Sam looked at him carefully. The driver's face didn't look the same as it did in the cab; his eyes were light blue and full of concern instead of cold and black. Glancing at Dean and safety, Sam cautiously accepted the offer of assistance.
They made it to the cab of the truck so that, with coordinated pushing and pulling from the driver and Dean, Sam was able to get inside and situated in the middle of the seat. In the mirrors, he watched his brother trot to their packs and hurry back toward the cab of the truck. Sam felt a huge surge of relief as Dean scrambled in next to him, placing their packs at their feet. As the driver swung himself up and landed behind the wheel, Sam couldn't help but feel a little nervous, unconsciously moving a little closer to Dean.
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Dean was somewhat worried about Sam. He knew the physical drain of his brother's injuries would be enough to mess up anyone, but he seemed to be a little over the top about this driver. On the other hand, Dean trusted Sam completely and had never been let down by his little brother's instincts, eventually learning to rely on them over the years. He'd definitely keep an eye on this driver to make sure that he wasn't some weirdo and wouldn't let him hurt Sam, but Dean didn't really think the guy was anything other than what he seemed.
"You boys all set?"
At Dean and Sam's nods, the driver threw the gear shifter into first and let off on the clutch. The big rig shook a little as it responded to his command, beginning to move on down the road.
"By the way, my name's Joe." He held out his hand to Sam and then Dean.
"Sam," the younger man nodded as he took the driver's hand.
"Dean," said the elder brother with a smile and nod. "We sure do appreciate you picking us up, Joe. Several cars have driven right on by us. I know we look like we've been in the woods for a few days. We probably look like a couple of crazy people."
"You boys been hiking and camping?" Joe looked a little wide-eyed at Dean.
"Not intentionally. My car slipped on an icy spot, went over the edge into some trees. We've been trying to get out for two or three days. Sam, here, got hurt worse than I did in the accident; we've had a bitch of a time."
"I guess you have." Joe looked with sympathy at both of them. "You just relax and enjoy the ride, boys. We'll be in town in no time at all."
"Thanks, Joe," the brothers spoke in unison.
"No problem at all, fellas. Glad to help." Joe turned back to his driving.
Dean stiffened as he thought he heard a big cat roar, but realizing that it wouldn't be able to catch the truck, he relaxed against the door, noticing that Sam was able to let go of some of his apprehension, too. No need to mention it to his brother; Sam needed to relax and get well.
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Puma could barely contain his anger, letting out a mighty roar as he watched the big truck take away the tall man and the killer. Knowing the truck couldn't be caught up to even in this strong form, he paced back and forth to wear off some of his rage, sniffing and growling as the truck disappeared.
He had tracked the men, knowing that they'd end up at this road and would try to catch a ride from someone. The trail had been alternately rough-going and easy-going, with some of the land heavily wooded and some clear. He'd taken shortcuts where he could, hoping to come upon them before they reached the road. The last shortcut he'd taken had been slightly misjudged so that he'd come upon the road further up from his prey.
The hunt had been hard on Puma, even in this form. He was very tired. He'd hoped to jump and disable the killer of his student, then take his time with the weaker one while the killer watched. Puma had seen how the killer had cared for the younger man. Revenge would have been sweet.
With one last chuff in the direction the truck had taken, Puma slowly walked back into the forest. He needed to find a place to rest and think. He also needed food. After he'd rested, he would hunt. Then he would think of a way to get his revenge on the killer and the one he cared for. The spirits would show him the way.
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Joe had been right: the trip to town took no time at all. It could barely have been ten, fifteen minutes.
"Joe, do you know if there's a hospital or clinic here in town? We really need to get Sam looked at as soon as possible."
The trucker glanced over at Dean and then at Sam sagging against his brother. "There's a small hospital on the other side of town; I'll take you there. I have to go that way, anyway."
"How close can you get us in this rig?" Dean worried about Sam having to walk very far after the trek of the last few days since a hospital parking lot was not configured to maneuver an eighteen-wheeler. He also didn't want to just leave his brother at the side of the road to run to the hospital for help.
"I can get you real close, Dean. I've made deliveries to that hospital before. They have a nice loading dock in the back. There's a button by the door; someone will come to open it, and you're in."
Dean nearly collapsed from the relief of that worry. Sam was going to get some help at last. He looked at Sam's dragging form and put his hand on his little brother's forehead. The younger man leaned into the touch, mumbling something that sounded a little like 'Dean'.
"Sam?"
"Mmmmm?"
"We're going to the hospital. You'll be getting the royal treatment from the loading docks. Okay? You with me, Sammy?" Dean tried to get his brother to open his eyes.
The golden flecks in Sam's green eyes glittered with pain as they locked onto his brother's. "I'm here, Dean. Loading docks. Good. We there?" Sam tried to focus on their surroundings as a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"We'll be there in just a few minutes, Sammy. We're still in the semi, but Joe knows right where to go. Can you stay awake for me now? We're going to be getting out in a bit."
"'m really tired."
"I know, but you need to stay awake right now. Look." Dean pointed out the windshield as they made a turn onto the approach to the hospital. "There it is. We're here, and we'll get you some help. Okay?"
Sam followed the direction Dean was pointing and breathed a sigh of relief himself. "A bed!"
"Yeah. You'll get to sleep in a bed tonight. We'll get to eat something besides power bars, too, although hospital food isn't much to talk about."
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Joe expertly brought the big truck around to the back of the hospital, parking it perfectly up against the loading dock that he'd used so many times before.
"You boys stay put. I'll get some help." Joe jumped down from the cab, ran to the building and rang the bell next to the door. The door didn't go up soon enough for his liking, so he leaned on the bell until he heard someone press the button to open the big door.
"Joe? What the hell are you doing? You aren't supposed to be here today, and you never lean on the bell like that. What's so damned important?"
"Bill, thank God! I picked up a couple of guys on the road out of the mountain. This was the only way to get them to the hospital. Can you call someone, please?"
Bill picked up the phone next to the door and dialed some numbers. "There's two of them? How bad?"
"One keeps being woozy, seems to have a broken arm and a bad ankle. The other one is better but has sore ribs."
Bill nodded and spoke into the phone. After a brief conversation, he told Joe, "Okay, there'll be some help down here in a minute. Let's go see what you've got."
The desk clerk jumped down from the dock as he and Joe headed up to the passenger side of the cab where Dean had the door open, talking to his brother to try to get him to stay awake.
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Dean was walking next to the wheelchair his brother was riding in. A wheelchair had been brought for him, too, but he refused it. There was nothing wrong with his legs, and he wanted to be closer to Sam.
They'd said their goodbyes to Joe; Dean had thanked him profusely for his help. The older hunter was now certain that what Sam had seen in this kindly man was a result of his head injury. There was no way Joe was a demon. Dean smiled, but it was tinged with worry over his brother's condition. He noticed Sam trying to focus on where they were, looking at the doors as they passed by them.
Suddenly, Sam froze in the chair and turned to Dean with a panicked look in his eyes. "It's the Morgue, Dean! Please don't let them put me in there! I'm not dead! Am I?" Sam grabbed for Dean's arm, gripping it with more strength than Dean thought he'd have after their adventure.
Startled, Dean stopped the chair and took hold of his brother's hand on his arm. "No, Sammy, you're not dead. It's okay. We're just passing by. We came in the back way, remember? We have to go this way to get to the ER so the doc can take a look at you. Okay? I promise we're not going in there."
Sam's uneven pupils searched his brother's eyes and found only truth there. "Okay." He released his grip and then immediately tightened it again, speaking in a low tone, "Are you going to come back down here to salt and burn the bodies? It'd probably be best."
Dean blinked at his brother's question. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Sammy. These people died of natural causes, okay? No salt and burn needed. Let's get you to the doc." He patted Sam's hand as he rose to walk beside him again. Sam's question would have been funny if it weren't so worrying.
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Puma had not eaten well and was angry. Tired from the hunt, he'd decided to rest a bit before finding food. His rest had been fitful, however, so he'd tried to catch food instead. Unfortunately, his body was so worn out that he was too weak to catch the rabbit or the birds that had been nearby. He knew there was only one thing to do: he had to change back to his human form to forage for food that his body could tolerate.
The exhausted animal lay down on his side as the change began. He'd chanted the ritual in his mind to help the process along, knowing that the longer it took, the harder it would be on him. As the change back to his human form became complete, Shaman closed his eyes, praying for the strength to get up and find food.
Finally, he was able to rise up and search for berries, nuts, and wild vegetables. He found the best the forest could offer, which he gobbled greedily. He didn't even enjoy the flavors on his tongue. He needed to get them to his stomach, and that was all that mattered. As the time passed and he began to feel a little better, he was able to gather sticks for a fire. He knew he'd have to stay in his human form until the full benefit of the food had been realized. His puma form would not tolerate it.
Naked, he needed the fire for warmth. He stared into the fire, chanting and raising his hands in supplication to the Great Spirit to be allowed to see the men he sought. He begged to be allowed to seek his revenge upon them. Suddenly, the firelight changed, and he saw the big truck at the hospital. Changing scenes again, he was shown the big black car with Killer and another man there.
Shaman bowed to the Great Spirit, singing his song of gratitude for the visions that he'd been shown. He added more fuel to the fire knowing that he'd be able to rest, to do what was needed when he awoke. He'd be able to find Killer, and Cougar would be avenged. He lay down, going into a peaceful sleep.
When he awoke he was able to change back to his powerful form, but he wasn't at full strength. He was angry. He'd gotten the rest he'd needed, feeling probably strong enough to find some better food to help him on his journey. He would return to the area of the car. He would rest. He would eat and get stronger as he waited for Killer to come.
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Dean was sitting in the waiting room of the ER, tossing his cell phone from hand to hand. He'd been x-rayed, poked, and prodded before his ribs had been rewrapped and served up with some mild painkillers. He had to admit he felt better, having had proper wrapping applied to his bruised ribs. He chuckled at the memory of him and Sam clumsily getting him into the rib belt in the forest. He'd been allowed to see Sam before they took him off for a CAT scan or some other tests. His little brother was a mess, and Dean was frankly glad to relinquish his care to professionals for the time being. Dean wasn't going anywhere, by any means, but he'd done what he could for his brother. The doctor had promised to notify him when Sam was back. Dean had a call to make.
He flipped open his cell and scrolled through the numbers until he found the one he was looking for. He pushed the Send button and held the phone to his ear, smiling as a gruff voice answered on the other end. "Hey, Bobby!"
"Dean! How ya doin', boy?" Bobby spoke with delight at hearing from the elder Winchester brother. "What've you boys been up to? It's been a while."
"Well, that's sort of why I'm calling …"
"Are you all right? Where are you? Spit it out!" Bobby's voice was now harsh with concern for the young hunters. He had felt the weight of responsibility for them since John died and was instantly ready to help however he could.
Dean sighed, "We had an accident. We were driving in the mountains, hit a slick spot and went off the side into some trees. It was quite a drop." Dean ran his hand through his hair as he proceeded to fill Bobby in on the events of the last few days. It felt good to talk to the older hunter. Both brothers had sort of taken to looking up to him as a father figure. "So that's mostly it. The Impala's still down there. I wasn't able to start her, and there's no way to drive her out anyway."
"I'll be there tomorrow, Dean." Sounds of Bobby getting his stuff together could be heard over the phone, causing Dean to breathe a sigh of relief. "What's the name of the town you're in, boy?"
"We're at Good Shepherd Hospital in Good Hope, Colorado. I'm pretty sure they're going to admit Sammy, so this is where I'll be. As soon as I know about a room and such, I'll give you a call. Thanks, Bobby. Again."
"Nonsense, Dean. It's what family's for. You just hang tight. I should be there by breakfast."
Dean closed the phone, dropping it in his shirt pocket as he rested his head in his hands. Sometimes he just wanted to let go and let someone else take care of things. He was so tired.
"I'm telling you, rock salt works the best!" Sam's voice came from back inside the exam rooms. Dean got up and headed that way to be met by the doctor, who'd been coming for him.
"How's my brother, Doc?"
Dr. Edwards gave a slight frown as he turned to walk Dean back to the exam rooms. "As you probably heard, your brother's a little confused. Not unusual in a concussed state. Has he had a concussion before? His x-ray showed a healed skull fracture."
"Yeah, a few years ago. He loved to play soccer and got kicked in the head a time or two. He was a little loopy then, too." The cover story came easily to Dean.
Dr. Edwards nodded, turning to some films on the lighted box. "The old fracture is here, and this is a new hairline fracture. I don't believe it's serious enough to warrant surgery at this point, but we definitely need to admit him for observation in light of his other injuries. The ankle is definitely sprained; he's apparently abused it a great deal since the injury." The doc looked over his reading glasses at Dean, who nodded sadly.
"We had to walk out of the forest after the accident. There was just no other way. I couldn't leave him out there alone, not with the cold and the rain. And the wild animals."
Dr. Edwards nodded sympathetically. "You did the right thing, though, in not removing his boot; a very wise move. Now, his broken arm: the bone doesn't appear out of alignment, and with what you've told me, that's nothing short of a miracle in itself. It does look like the ends have been rubbing a little, but no errant bone fragments show up on the films. We'll put a temporary cast on until the swelling goes down and then set a more permanent one. I have to say, Mr. Wilson, that you've taken very good care of your brother under the circumstances. He should make a full recovery. Have you had medical training?"
"No, our dad was a Marine. He taught us everything he could about field medicine."
"He was a wise man. Would you like to see your brother, sit with him while we get the cast on his arm?"
"Thank you very much, Dr. Edwards." Dean couldn't help but latch onto the man's praise of his father as they walked back to Sam's area where his injured sibling was extolling the virtues of rock salt over the regular table salt a civilian might use for getting rid of spirits.
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Bobby Singer stepped quietly into Sam's hospital room, not at all surprised at the sight before him. Sam was asleep in the hospital bed with the various machines attached and making their quiet sounds. Dean was asleep in a chair next to Sam's bed with his hand resting on his brother's good arm. The younger man's face was turned toward his brother, like he knew he was there and would see him first when he opened his eyes. 'He probably does know,' Bobby thought. Both young men looked like crap, and just because it was what he'd expected, it didn't keep it from hurting him right where only family in pain could hurt him.
Taking a deep breath, Bobby headed over to Dean, gently putting his hand on the sleeping man's shoulder, and spoke softly. "Dean".
The sleeping man jumped up, on alert in an instant. It took only a second to recognize Bobby, however. The family friend had his hands up in a peaceful sign. Dean allowed his head to fall onto his chest as he caught his breath. He moved around the chair, pulling Bobby into a tight embrace.
"How ya doin', boy?" Bobby managed to get out, even though he felt crushed by the strength of Dean's hug.
Dean pulled back, clapping Bobby on the shoulder. "I'm fine, Bobby. Sam's hurt, though."
"I can see that. What's the doctor say?"
"That he'll be alright, but he has to stay here for a couple of days. He's got a really bad concussion. He seemed to get worse about the time we found the highway. He'd had a few symptoms, but he's been hallucinating, wanting me to salt and burn the bodies in the morgue, and telling the ER docs to use rock salt instead of table salt to get rid of spirits."
Bobby's eyes bugged for a moment, then he laughed. "Thank God he's concussed if he's gonna talk like that! At least, nobody's gonna believe him."
Dean couldn't help but chuckle along with the older man. It was good to laugh. "Damn, it's good to see you, Bobby. Thanks so much for coming."
Bobby was pulled into an unheard of, for Dean, second hug and just went with it. He'd learned a long time ago to take what he could get from the Winchesters. The boys had been demonstrative as little guys, but it grew less frequent as they grew older. He'd missed it.
"Okay. I brought the big tow truck. From the way you talked on the phone, getting the Impala out is going to be quite a job. Can you take me to where she is?"
"Yeah, in a little bit. It's just about time to wake Sam up to go through the question routine. If he's a little more lucid, we'll go. He'll understand when I tell him where we're going and that I'll be back. He'll be glad to see you, too." Dean grinned.
Bobby nodded. "In that case, I'll go find a room at whatever motel you're staying at…" He looked at Dean. "But then, you're staying here, aren't you?"
Dean smiled and nodded. "Until Sam's released. The staff keeps telling me about a motel just a few blocks on up the road, though. It's supposed to be clean and reasonable. A change for hunters, huh?"
"That's where I'll go, then. I'll go take care of that and be back in a bit."
When Bobby left the room, he turned to look back at the brothers. Dean was already back in his chair with his hand on Sam's good wrist. Sam gave a contented sigh.
'Amazing,' Bobby thought as he headed to the truck.
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An hour later, Bobby returned to Sam's room to find both boys awake and talking quietly. Sam noticed him first, giving him a big grin.
"Bobby, it's so good to see you." He held out his good hand as Bobby walked over to take it. Sam didn't pull him into a hug as Dean had, but Bobby understood.
"It's good to see you awake, boy!" Bobby's voice was a little deeper than usual; he had to clear his throat. He glanced at Dean, who was positively beaming, and then back at Sam.
"So I take it you're feeling a little better?"
"Yes, I am. Still have a ways to go, though. There're still times when the world is a weird place, even for us. But Doc said that should go away quickly now. Still just really tired. My ankle hurts a lot, and my arm, but the drugs are good here." Sam made a face as Dean waggled his eyebrows.
Bobby couldn't have been happier. Things were looking up in Winchester World, which also meant they were looking up in Singer World.
"So are you ready to show me where the Impala is, Dean? I need to get the lay of the land; might have to do some figurin'."
"Sure am, Bobby. I'll be back in a while, okay?" Dean laid his hand on Sam's knee and looked in his brother's eyes. "You'll be okay while I'm gone?"
The question earned Dean an eyeroll from his little brother and a weak shove.
"I'll be fine. I'm ready to go back to sleep, anyway. Go see what you can do for the Impala."
The two older hunters walked to the door where Dean looked back at his brother once more. "It shouldn't take long, Sammy."
Sam drew down the corners of his mouth glaring at Dean. "Just go, already! I'm a big boy!"
They went.
Sam sighed as he laid his head back on his pillow, using his good hand to push the button to lower the bed. In a few seconds, he was sound asleep.
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The two men stood looking over the ledge where Dean had indicated that he'd lost control of the Impala and they'd gone over.
Bobby pushed his hat back on his head and gave a low whistle. "Judging by how far we've come up this mountain, you boys dropped a long way."
"It took a long time to walk out of here, and from the ground down there, these trees look really tall. Sammy went out of the passenger window as we started to roll in mid air; I couldn't catch him. He ended up in one of these trees with the injuries you saw." Dean's voice caught as he remembered the visual of that event. "He really could have died, Bobby."
Bobby put his hand on Dean's shoulder as the younger man wiped viciously at his eyes.
"He didn't, though. You both lived through it, and you got out of here. Sam's going to be fine."
Dean nodded, flashing his old friend a small smile. "So what do you think? Can we get her out?"
"Not from here, I'm afraid. We've got to drive around to see if there's a closer way to get where she is. Let's go."
They took one last look over the side of the road and headed back to the tow truck. Bobby shook his head in wonder. Winchester luck was usually all bad. Not this time.
As they made their way down the mountain road, Dean turned to Bobby. "Did you bring silver cartridges?"
"Of course. I always have them with me. Why?"
Dean ran a hand through his short spiky hair and down his face. "I don't remember if I told you about the shapeshifter."
Bobby's head jerked in the young hunter's direction.
"Guess not. I'm sorry, man. I don't know whether I'm coming or going right now."
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Bobby had pulled the truck to the side of the road to listen intently as Dean recounted the events with the shapeshifter. As the younger hunter finished his tale, the older man sat and stared at him for a moment.
"My god, son! That's the most incredible story I've ever heard. You're sure there's another one out here?"
"I'm not sure, no. But I heard another big cat. They're solitary creatures, don't mate for life, and the last roar I heard sounded angry. I've just got a feeling. We know the first one was because Sam shot it twice with regular rounds at point blank range. He just pissed it off. I don't know why there'd be more than one, unless they have conventions or something."
The older hunter chuckled. "I doubt that, but one could be a master and one a student going for his 'degree' or whatever they do. The student has to pass some tests before he can be a full-fledged shaman to his people." He pulled the big tow truck back onto the road. "We'll be ready for whatever comes up. Just have to watch each other's backs like any other hunt. Don't worry."
Relaxing as his old friend spoke, Dean smiled and felt safe for the first time in several days. Bobby was the only person besides his dad and Sam that made him feel that way. He relaxed back into the seat to watch the scenery go by.
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Puma watched the two men with interest. Killer had brought an older man with him. Killer was a dangerous man, but this older man smelled of many deaths. There was an air of confidence and experience around him that set Puma's fur on end. He'd definitely have to be careful of the old one.
As the truck drove away, Puma headed to where he knew the car would be. There would be a time for their confrontation. He was sure of that.
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Puma lay on his back in the sun. He'd eaten very well that morning. His strength was returning. It was good to lie there waiting for his prey to come to him. His sleepy eyes blinked lazily as he listened to the insects buzzing around in the sun's rays. He had beseeched his spirit guide last night in the campfire while he was in human form. He'd been told to shift back to Puma and remain in that form until he'd killed his prey. They'd be coming soon.
Remaining on his back, magnificent paws relaxed in the air, Puma twisted slightly to get a better look at the place where Killer's car awaited his return. Areas were bathed in the sunlight Puma was enjoying while other areas were in shadow from the tall trees close by. Cougar's scent was everywhere, but growing weaker. Puma had a pang of loss to think that he'd never see his young student again on this plane. He knew his own time on this plane was short, but he would see Cougar in the Great Beyond.
The comfort of that thought soothed his sorrow. He relaxed again, closing his eyes against the bright sun. He needed to be able to see into the shadows as well. He suddenly flipped over into a crouch, fully alert at the sound of voices close by. His heart beat faster as he recognized the voices of Killer and Old Hunter. They were coming.
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"I hear the stream over this way. I think the Impala should be over there," Dean gestured with his hands and headed in the last direction he'd indicated. Sure enough, within a few minutes, they came upon their camp and the Impala.
"Hi, baby! I'm sorry we had to leave you out here all by yourself. I promise that'll never happen again. You saved our lives!" Dean patted the car, continuing to coo to her while Bobby looked her over.
Finally coming to stand next to the still fussing Dean, Bobby cocked an eyebrow. "Do we need to get you two a room of your own at the motel?"
"Hey, don't hurt her feelings. She did the best she could!"
"Yeah, well, she did suffer for it. She's not drivable, but that's why I brought the flat bed. We'll get her up on there and give her a nice ride back to my place. You boys come there, and all three of you can stay until you're all healed up. I think there might be a round about way to get in here with the truck, too. Let's follow this space in the trees and see where it comes out."
The sun had moved well into its downward arc before they were back at the truck, but Bobby was sure that once he had the daylight working for him he could back it in to where the Impala was with Dean's help in directing him through the tight spots.
"We should come back in the morning, Dean. I'm sure we can do this, but I don't want to hurry. We'd have to if we tried it now. It'll be dark in a couple of hours."
"Sounds fine. I want to get back to the hospital and check on Sam, anyway."
Golden eyes glinted in the forest as the men moved away. They would return.
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Sam was glowering at his dinner tray when Dean and Bobby returned. He looked up as the two men entered and motioned to Dean. "You've got to get me some food, man. This is horrible." Sam indicated the unidentifiable pile on his place.
Dean huffed, "Trust me, Sammy, the cafeteria food is only slightly better and expensive to boot."
Bobby took a look at the pile on Sam's plate and moved toward the door. "I'll be back in a little while with something edible. Dean, you get rid of whatever that is." He hurried down the hall, mumbling something about 'getting well' and 'slop'. When he got to the front door, it didn't open fast enough for him so that he nearly went through the glass. That brought another round of mumbles that could not be repeated in polite company.
True to his word, he was back in short order with some burgers, fries, and milkshakes "to help those bones mend".
Dean put Sam's empty tray in the hall and shut the door so they wouldn't be disturbed. Soon, they were all enjoying the fruits of Bobby's efforts, the Winchesters acting like they hadn't eaten anything in days. When Bobby asked what Dean had done with the food on the tray, Dean didn't speak around his mouth full of burger, but indicated the restroom behind him.
"Good choice," Bobby nodded.
The rest of the evening passed with companionable conversation. Sam drifted in and out of sleep, but enjoyed the times he was awake. Finally, Bobby stood and stretched.
"I'm gonna head on over to the motel and grab some shut eye. Why don't you come, too, Dean? There're two beds, and you could get a good night's sleep."
"You should go, Dean. I'll be fine tonight. You need rest, too."
"Nope, I'll stay here. You two can just shut up about it. There's a shower in the rest room, and this chair's really pretty comfortable."
Sam and Bobby looked at each other and then at Dean. Dean had his agreeable face on, but his body language said he wasn't going anywhere.
Bobby adjusted his cap. "Okay, then. I'll be here about 8:30 a.m., and we'll head on out."
"I'll be ready." Dean walked to the door with their friend. "Thanks again, man."
"No problem. See you in the morning."
A little while later, the Winchesters were sound asleep, Sam's face toward his older brother and Dean with his hand on Sam's good wrist.
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Puma was excited. The men were returning; Killer and Old Hunter were coming with the big truck. He chuffed quietly as he crept through the forest to where the sound of their voices and the truck were. He sniffed the air, relishing the scent of his prey. Killer would soon be dead, and Puma would have avenged Cougar's death. He nearly purred with happiness.
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The following morning found Bobby and Dean once again on the not-a-road that took them to the opening of the forest. Dean got out of the cab after Bobby turned the truck around so that he'd be backing into the forest. There'd be no turning around in there, so this was the only way to get the flat bed to the Impala and get her up on it.
"Bobby! Hold up a second." Dean trotted up to the cab on the driver's side. "You got your automatic with the silver bullets handy?"
"Sure do." The older man held it up. "Don't leave home without it."
"Yeah, you said that." Dean chuckled. "I've got a feeling it's here. I don't know why, but I feel like there's a target on my back. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up."
"Hunters' instincts. You're the one in the most danger out there, son. Ride on the bed of the truck to direct me. I can hear you through this sliding window. If something comes after you, I've got your back."
Dean nodded and did as he was instructed, keeping a careful eye around the trees as he did so.
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Puma watched. Puma waited. Puma moved as the big truck moved. He watched Killer direct Old Hunter in the moving of the truck through the trees. As they got closer to the old car, Puma saw that his chance was coming. Killer would be busy and Old Hunter would be busy. It would be then that he would strike. Alert, he watched every movement the two men made. It would be very soon.
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Bobby had been right about it taking a long time. It would have been slow going under the best of circumstances, but these were not the best. The forest floor was wet and soft; the tires wanted to bog down quite a few times. Dean was kept busy moving from side to side at the tight places to keep Bobby from hitting trees and 'wrecking the wrecker'. It took three hours, but they were finally able to see the Impala. Another half hour brought them up to her.
"Man, Bobby, that's some real driving!"
"Yeah, well, you been doin' this as long as I have, you learn how to do a thing or two. Couldn'ta done it without you directin' me through the tight spots, though."
Bobby had thought ahead to bring them some lunch, so they sat and ate in the cab to be safe. It didn't take long, though, before Dean was ready to move. He wanted to get the Impala out of there and back to Bobby's.
The loading process took an hour with both men fussing over where the chains should be placed on the muscle car to do the least amount of damage to her. Words were exchanged in anger and frustration, each knowing the other would not take offense. When they were finally ready to hook the car up, Dean kept watch while Bobby did the actual work.
He'd seen the old truck work on many occasions, but he never tired of watching. So mesmerized was he that he momentarily forgot that he was supposed to be keeping a look out for the shifter. He didn't hear the slight rustle of grass, nor the low growl as the animal made a leap at him, jumping on his back and taking him to the ground.
Dean's cry brought Bobby around suddenly. He let go of the dead man switch, pulling out his pistol trying to get a bead on the big cat, but Dean and the cat were rolling too much. The old hunter couldn't get a clean shot. Dean's cries tore at the older man's heart.
"Dammit, Dean, lay still. I can't get a clean shot!"
"Aaahhh! Bobby! Shoot it!"
"Hold still! Let me get a shot!" Bobby growled in frustration.
"Shoot it! Bobby! Help me!"
Unable to stand it any longer, Bobby took aim and fired across the big cat's shoulders, leaving a streak of blood and causing the cat to release his prey to run off into the trees with an angry roar.
Bobby ran to the younger man as he lay unmoving on the ground.
"Dean! Are you all right, boy?" Sliding to a stop on his knees, he pressed shaking fingers to the injured man's neck, giving a huge sigh of relief when a pulse was felt. It was strong, but way too fast, which was not surprising considering what had just happened.
Patting Dean's cheek to try to bring him back to the world of the awake, Bobby surveyed the injuries that had been acquired. There were scratches on Dean's cheek, blood on his shoulder and back. Bobby needed to get the young hunter's jacket and shirts off so he could see how extensive the injuries were, but the stubborn Winchester wouldn't cooperate.
Picking the younger man up to rest in his arm, Bobby patted his cheek grabbing his chin to give him a little shake. "Dean! Come on back, boy. Please! Sam'll never forgive me if I bring you back dead!"
Hearing his brother's name seemed to bring Dean around a little. He moaned and rolled his head from side to side in an effort to fight his way back to the surface.
"That's it, Dean. You can do it. Nap time's over."
Slits of green began to appear as eyelids opened and closed with the effort of coming to. Dean struggled to the surface, finally rewarding Bobby with wide open eyes.
"Sammy?"
"No, son, it's me. Sam's safe at the hospital remember?"
Dean frowned as he tried to process the information and figure out what had happened. "Dude, are you hugging me?"
Bobby laughed. "You scared the hell out of me! I picked you up to make sure you'd come to. How'd that cat get you from behind?"
"Cat?" A vision of a fluffy house cat flitted briefly through Dean's mind then disappeared as the events of the previous few minutes came rushing back to him. He struggled to sit up with the older man's help. "God, Bobby. It was the shifter, wasn't it?" He didn't see Bobby's nod, knowing what the answer would be. "I'm such a freakin' idiot!" He pounded on his knee in anger and frustration. "Did you kill it?"
"No, I didn't. I'm sorry. I couldn't get a clean shot with the two of you rolling around. Winged it, though. Cut a slice across its shoulders. He'll be hurting for a while. Give us enough time to get the car loaded up and get out of here. I need to look at you to see where all that blood's coming from, too."
Getting up from the ground, Dean shook his head. "I'm fine. Let's just get the car and get out of here." He pulled his arm away as Bobby reached to steady him.
The older man also stood, shaking his head. 'Stubborn bastard!'
The feat was finally accomplished, leaving the two men exhausted as they climbed back in the cab to head out of the forest and back to town. The trip out was much easier, with Dean only having to get out to direct on a couple of occasions. He bit his bottom lip to keep from crying out, but couldn't completely keep silent. Bobby knew the young man was in pain, but didn't say anything, knowing he'd be rebuffed. They both agreed it was good to see the 'not-a-road' and then the actual highway.
"We're going to stop at the motel so I can get a look at you. You need those injuries treated."
"I'm fine. Let's just get some food and get up to Sam's room."
"Look, that wasn't a request. Nor was it open for discussion. We're stopping to get you fixed up. You don't want Sam to see you like this, do you?"
Dean sighed and shook his head. He knew the older hunter was right.
"Good. I've got some clothes you can put on. We'll tell Sam you fell in the stream." Bobby smirked at the look on the younger man's face at his comment.
After Dean's injuries were treated, his clothes changed, and painkillers swallowed, the two men went through a drive-thru for food to take up to Sam's room. They were determined to be prepared this time. Dean unnecessarily swore Bobby to secrecy regarding his injuries as they walked down the hall to the youngest Winchester's room.
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In the forest, Puma raged his pain and frustration. Killer would not get away from him, but he needed to heal. He would go back to the old cabin. He would pray and sing and get stronger. His spirit guide would lead him to the young men.
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TBC
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