A DOOR IN TIME (REVISED)

A Supernatural story by: Silvertayl

Disclaimer and Story Summary:

See Chapter 1

Authors Notes:

This is being posted without a beta. So forgive grammatical and spelling mistakes.

Chapter 4

Saturday Morning at the asylum, 1962

Dean had no idea how long had passed before little by little his senses came back to him.

He opened his eyes which brought with it dizziness, blurred vision and the foulest taste in his mouth. It felt like the aftermath of a concussion or the worst hangover ever.

I don't remember getting hit on the head or drinking that much, come to think about it I don't remember drinking at all?

He blinked his eyes and opened them wide in an effort to clear his vision. A gray ceiling swam into view. Not the motel ceiling?

Then like an ocean wave crashing over a rocky shore, memories bombarded him. The asylum, shock therapy, the pain, oblivion.

Dean lifted shaking hands rubbing at his throbbing temples.

Wait a minute; I'm not tied down, wonder why? Lifting his hands away from his head he stared stupidly at them turning them over and over, and then he lifted his throbbing head he looked down at his bare feet.

Dean's eyes went to the door he couldn't't believe what he was seeing. The door was open.

He closed his blurry eyes opening them again expecting to see the door closed. No it's still open.

Maybe my luck has finally changed; or could it be something else, a trick maybe.

He stood up and waited for the room to stop revolving before making his way slowly to the door. He looked into the corridor. It was empty.

Using the wall for support he made his way to the end past the closed doors of the other unfortunate patients and peered around the corner at the door leading to the stairway. He covered the few steps to the door, pulled it open cautiously looking down into the stairwell, there was no sign of any movement on the stairs.

With a quick glance over his shoulder he moved into the stairwell closing the heavy door behind him he started down his bare feet slapping against the concrete steps, keeping a death grip on the metal railing to keep his trembling weakened body from tumbling head first to the bottom, his eye sight wavered in and out of focus.

Finally reaching the bottom after what felt like an eon he stumbled to a stop breathless and feeling faint. He sat down on the bottom step hanging his head down taking deep breaths and waiting for the feeling to pass.

After a minute he felt steadier so he got back to his feet and took the three steps to the door leading to the ground floor of the asylum and hopefully freedom.

He pulled the handle towards him the door opened six inches then something heavy hit him from behind slamming the door closed and pushing his chest hard against the door, forcing the stuttering breath from his lungs.

The weight against him eased for a moment as his left arm was pulled back and twisted painfully up under his shoulder.

Dean gritted his teeth his weakened body was failing him, he had no strength to push back against the weight that could only be one of the thugs pinning him to the door.

Black spots danced in his vision and his legs were collapsing beneath him. The only thing keeping him upright was the man behind him.

Frank's hatedvoice hissed into his right ear. "You don't learn do you boy, I'm gonna administer my own kind of sedative."

Out of the corner of his right eye through the ever increasing darkness and tunneling vision he saw a giant clenched fist descending towards his face.

Early Saturday Evening, Athens, 1962

Dr Franklin slammed the heavy black phone back into the cradle.

He had believed the shock therapy would be the answer to the young man's mental health. But after the phone call he had received from Matron Reed to tell him she was terribly sorry to disturb him at home, but she had come on duty to find that the patient in room 6 had tried to escape for a second time.

That's when he made his decision to take a more drastic measure to help the young man and perform a procedure that now seemed to be the only solution to the young man's psychotic tendencies.

He would have to perform a lobotomy on him. I don't want to put it off. I'll go to the asylum straight from the surgeon's ball.

Matron Reed was on duty all night, she could assist him.

With his decision made he went upstairs to dress for the ball.

Early Saturday Evening at the Ohio University Inn, 2007

Tonight was the night Sam was bringing his brother back through that door in time. He was ready, ready to fight for his brother's life if he needed to. Dean would do the same for him and had been all his life.

Bobby had phoned earlier; still apologizing for not being there with Sam to help get Dean back.

"Sorry Sam, I'd rather be there with you but this hunt is a bitch and it's taking much longer than I had hoped."

"I know you would Bobby, but I got it covered." Sam assured the older hunter.

"Jeez Sam you sound just like your pain in the ass brother."

"Well I guess he's kinda' rubbed off on me."

"Yeah he sorta' grows on you, like a wart."

"I know what you mean," Sam paused then continued his voice wavering, "I miss him Bobby."

"I know you do kid. Listen Sam you be careful and remember you gotta be quick, get in, get Dean and get out again, and no weapons they won't go through. You got it?"

"Yeah Bobby I got it."

"And call me when you got him, I don't care what time it is."

"Will do Bobby, thanks."

Saturday Evening at the Asylum, 2007

Sam was on the upper floor of the asylum; he sat on the dirty floor his back against the wall facing into the corridor of rooms, the nurses' station was to his right the adjoining corridor to his left. He was no more than a couple of yards fromwhere he had found Dean's guns his ring and amulet.

He had scanned the upper floor for EMF the meter hadn't registered any spirit activity. Which as far as Sam was concerned was good news at least he wouldn't have to contend with one or perhaps more than one angry spirit.

How will I know when the door is open? I have to know Dean's life may depend on it.

"There has to be something, some kind of sign." Sam whispered to himself; his voice echoing eerily back to him in the dark empty corridor.

Leaning his head back against the wall Sam pinned his tired eyes on the corridor. Waiting for the sign that must come.

Using his flashlight Sam looked at his watch for the hundredth time in ten minutes; five minutes to midnight, if Bobby's right it's got to happen soon.

What if nothing happens and it doesn't open, what the hell am I gonna do then? A knot of anxiety was forming in his stomach.

Don't be ridiculous Sam, of course it's gonna open, the time is right. It has to be.

It was then he felt it; a drop in the temperature.

Sam stood up and looked into the gloom of the corridor. Apart from the temperature change something else was different.

The air in front of him looked like it was moving, shimmering and shifting like a liquid metal curtain.

This must be it, the door. It's open.

"I'm coming bro." he said as he stepped forward into the shimmering air and into the nineteen sixties.

Saturday Evening at the Asylum, 1962

The young man's body was lifted off the gurney; muscles taut and straining against the restraints. It was enough.

Dr. Franklin gave Matron Reed the signal. The matron pushed the lever back up, cutting off the electrical current that surged from the electrodes through the young man's body.

The patient's body fell back against the gurney, convulsions raked his frame, his eyes barely open and unseeing the darkening bruise marring the skin around his right eye courtesy of the orderly Frank looked dark against the paleness of his skin.

The Matron checked the instrument tray making sure Dr. Franklin had everything he needed to perform the Trans-Orbital Lobotomy on this recalcitrant patient.

Matron Reed was surprised when the Doctor had said he would perform the procedure tonight rather than in the morning.

Dr. Franklin had been insistent coming straight from the surgeon's ball, still in his tuxedo.

This patient had been nothing but trouble. With two attempts at escaping the asylum, upsetting her staff, especially the orderly Stan, who the patient had knocked senseless with the aid of a chamber pot.

After the procedure the patient would cause them no more problems. If he survived the procedure that was.

She had seen Dr. Franklin perform this procedure numerous times before, unfortunately a considerable number of the patients died shortly afterwards.

Dr. Franklin was ready to proceed now that the young man had stopped convulsing.

He removed the electrodes and the mouth guard handing them to The Matron lifting the patient's eyelid to make sure he was unconscious.

"He's out. It's time to begin."

The doctor rolled back the patient's left eyelid taking the metal eye clamp from Matron inserting the clamp into the eye keeping it open.

That done Matron passed him the Leucotome, an instrument that resembled a small ice pick.

Slowly the doctor pushed the instrument into the tear duct, when he was satisfied it was in the correct position he took the mallet he gently tapped it in around the edge of the eyeball into the brain.

The final part of the procedure was to move the instrument back and forth in a sawing motion to sever the neural receptors. The process basically disconnecting one side of the brain from the other.

The doctor had his hand around the end of the Leucotome ready to begin the final process when a loud deep voice interrupted him.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"

The corridor was brightly lit, clean and sterile looking a far cry from the corridor of 2007 he had moments ago left behind.

Sam knew he had no time to waste; he went straight to the only open door in the corridor.

The room was empty except for a cot with leather restraints attached.

Dean was in here I can feel it, where is he now?

A feeling that Dean was in immediate danger carried Sam's long legs from the empty room and into the corridor with the treatment rooms. There were four doors one was open the second on the left.

Dean's in there.

He ran towards it skidding to a stop in the doorway.

Sam was frozen in place staring with horrified eyes at the scene in front of him.

Dean clad only in hospital pajamas his feet bare was lying unmoving strapped down on an operating table.

From his position in the doorway, Sam could see some kind of shiny metal object attached to Dean's right eye and it looked like there was some kind of long thin instrument also metal protruding from his eyeball.

A middle aged man wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his elbows and a bow tie was leaning over his brother with one hand around the metal thing poking from Dean's eye.

Oh god am I too late? Have they done it?

In his best John Winchester voice Sam shouted. "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"

The man looked up at the interruption with a surprised expression on his face.

"Who are you?" He asked.

A short rather matronly woman wearing a pristine white nurse's uniform and sensible shoes stepped towards Sam.

"How did you get in here?" She asked.

Sam was so intent on the man hovering over the still body of his brother; he ignored her.

Stepping slowly into the room Sam gave her a cold hard stare that said "don't mess with me," and she shrank back against a table laden with surgical instruments.

Sam looked back to the man staring at him his hand still around the instrument in Dean's eye, his voice low and menacing. "I said… get… away… from… my… brother."

"You will have to wait until I've finished the procedure."

"No. Get your hands off him. You're not gonna touch him again, do you hear me? Move away from him… Now."

The man hastily pulled his hand away from the instrument stepping back beside the woman.

Sam moved hastily to his brother's side.

"Oh god Dean." Sam said when he saw what they had done to him.

Dean had obviously been shocked into unconsciousness again. There were two distinct marks, burn marks, where the electrodes had been on his temples.

Dean's left eye was clamped wide open with a metal clamp a long thin skewer thing protruded from the inner corner of his eye.

His face was pale, drawn and was thinner than when Sam had last seen him. He had dark circles under his eyes a bruise around the right one; across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose the freckles that Dean hated so much but it seemed anything female loved, was in stark contrast to the paleness of his skin.

Sam pressed two fingers to Dean's throat and was relieved to feel the thrum of his heartbeat under his finger tips.

With a quick glance at the pair cowering to his right; as gently as he could Sam pulled the spike from Dean's eye. The spot on Dean's eye where the thing had been inserted welled up with blood.

Sam then removed the metal clamp that was keeping Dean's eye open.

After undoing the straps he gently tapped Dean's cheek. "Dean it's me Sam, come on wake up we need get out of here."

Alarmingly Dean didn't stir.

"Come on bro I'm getting you out of here now."

Taking Dean's arms he pulled him into a sitting position. Dean's head flopped down onto his chest.

Sam hoisted Dean up and over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

Giving the pair standing against the table one final look of hatred he headed out into the corridor; praying that the door was still open.

Sam had no idea how long he had been in the time warp, it felt like hours but, in fact was only probably a few minutes.

As he carried Dean into the adjoining corridor where the door was everything around changed again the corridor went dark.

They were back in the ruined dirty abandoned corridor of 2007. The asylum was as it should be.

"We made it Dean; we're back, thank god." Sam said to the unresponsive man draped over his shoulder.

Adjusting Dean's weight a little Sam continued on to the stairs.

Slowly and carefully with his precious burden he descended to the ground floor making his way as quickly as possible to the entrance, down the outside steps and into the cool night air.

Sam trotted at a steady pace towards the waiting Impala.

A line from that old Holly's song came to mind. "Cuz I'm strong, strong enough to carry him. He aint heavy he's my brother."

Wherever Dean's body touched Sam's he felt the ice cold chill of Dean's skin. He's so cold.

Finally reaching the car, Sam threw open the passenger side door and gently laid Dean against the seat, his head resting back against the top.

He found a blanket on the back seat that Dean had stolen from a motel in Idaho a couple of months back.

As Sam tucked the blanket around Dean's frozen body he remembered chastising Dean for the theft.

Dean had replied. "Ahh Sammy you're way too honest, you think they're gonna miss one ratty old blanket? Besides everyone pinches something from a motel, shampoo, soap, pens, pillows, blankets."

Sam rushed to the driver's side slid in behind the wheel in turned the key she sprang to life the familiar grumble of the powerful engine filled the interior.

"Hang in there bro."

With a spray of loose gravel spewing from underneath her tires, Sam guided the Impala out of the asylum grounds, onto the road and towards the hospital.

Sunday Morning, Athens Memorial Hospital

Fifteen minutes later Sam pulled the Impala into the ambulance bay of the hospital, giving a quick glance at the sign saying: - AMBULANCES ONLY - STRICTLY NO PARKING

Sam looked across the interior of the car at Dean; he showed no signs of waking. During the trip to the hospital when Sam had taken a corner too fast his body had slid sideways the side of his head was now resting against the window.

Throwing open the door he got out hurriedly rounding the Impala to the passenger side. Opening the door he gently lifted Dean's head to rest back against the seat.

"I'm going to get someone to help," he said, adding, "I'll be back in a flash."

Sam ran through the doors spotting a young woman her back to him in green scrubs; he rushed up to her grabbing her upper arm he spun her to face him.

"My brother needs help, please he's unconscious."

The tiny red head looked a little startled, but hearing his words; she looked up his 6'4 inch frame to his anxious face.

"Where is he?"

"Outside, in the car." He grasped her arm pulling her towards the ambulance bay.

She let him lead her rather speedily through the doors, to the open door of the Impala.

She leaned in over Dean, tossing aside the blanket and giving him a brief examination.

"Sir can you hear me? This was directed at Dean. "How long has he been like this?" She addressed Sam whilst still examining Dean.

Sam was leaning in looking over her shoulder.

"I don't know he was like that when I found him." Sam answered. And it wasn't a lie.

Sam moved back a step giving her room as she straightened, turning to him.

"We have to get him inside so a doctor can examine him. Stay with him, I'll be back in a minute."

Leaving Sam alone with Dean she hurried back through the ER doors, only to appear again within a minute an orderly in tow pushing a gurney.

The nurse and the orderly transferred Dean onto the gurney and pushed it back into the ER; Sam close behind.

Sam had tried to follow the gurney into the exam room; the tiny nurse took Sam by the arm in a surprisingly firm grip.

"You need to wait in the waiting area whilst they examine your brother," she said as she led him to the waiting area. "I'm going to have to ask you to please move your car out of the ambulance bay. And when you come back I have some paper work for you to fill out."

"My brother's car." He stated to pretty redhead.

She looked puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"It's my brother's car."

She seemed unimpressed with his statement. "Well you'll still have to move it."

"Okay no problem."

Sam did as she asked; moving the car into the car parking lot.

When he returned she handed him a clipboard.

"Fill out both pages I'll come back and collect it a bit.

Sam tried to push his worry for Dean aside and concentrate on the forms in front of him. He had to make sure he got all the details of their current aliases correct.

When he'd finished the redhead came and took the completed forms from him and then he waited.

Fifteen minutes later found Sam still waiting; sitting on the edge of a hard chair in the waiting area. His right leg bobbing up and down at a furious pace; throwing anxious glances at the doors of exam room 3. Whenever someone came out or went in Sam sat up straighter but no one took any notice of him and no one said anything to him.

What the hell is happening in there why are they taking so long, I want someone to tell me what's going on?

It was then Sam remembered Bobby. "And call me when you got him, I don't care what time it is." Bobby had said on the phone.

Sam pulled out his cell. Bobby picked up on the first ring. "Sam, did you get him?" Bobby's anxious voice was loud in his ear.

"You were right, I got him but... they did things to him Bobby."

"What do you mean, what sort of things?"

"They gave him shock treatment, screwed with his brain Bobby I think they…"

"What Sam, what did they do to him?"

"I think they gave him a lobotomy."

"They did what?" Bobby paused, "are you sure?"

Sam looked around making sure there was no one within earshot; lowering his voice he told Bobby how he'd found Dean.

"When I found him they had him strapped to a table he was unconscious I think from shock treatment, they had this spike thing inserted in the corner of his eye the doctor guy was going to... Bobby it was horrible."

Bobby was silent on the other end of the line.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah I'm here," Bobby's voice sounded strained, "where are you now?"

"At Athens Memorial."

"What do the doctor's say?"

"Nothing yet, they're still examining him."

"Call me back after you talk to the doctor, as soon as you know anything. And Sam?"

"Yeah Bobby?"

"Stay strong."

"I'm trying Bobby I'm trying."

It was another ten minutes later when the doors of exam room 3 opened.

A middle aged man with a thick mane of silver hair sticking up at odd angles and wearing a white lab coat emerged.

Sam was on his feet moving swiftly towards the man before the doors swung closed behind him.

The redhead spoke briefly to the man before gesturing towards Sam. The doctor looked up as Sam got close.

"I'm Dr. Davidson you're Sam Dean's brother?" The doctor asked holding out his hand to Sam.

Sam took the proffered hand. "Dr. Davidson, how's my brother?"

"He hasn't regained consciousness; he is severely dehydrated and has head trauma. Has he received a blow to his head in the last twenty four hours?"

"I wish I knew. Dean has been missing for the last week. I found him a couple of hours ago like that." All true, no lies.

"We found marks on his temples that indicate he's been given electro shock therapy and, it appears someone has tried to perform a lobotomy on him."

"Tried, so he's okay then?"

"It's too soon to tell we have to wait for him to regain consciousness to see if there's any permanent damage to his brain. There's also a risk of complications he may develop a Subdural Hematoma, in layman's terms a blood clot on the brain. Well be taking him down to radiology for a CT scan shortly that should tell us more and as I said when he regains consciousness."

"Can I see him?"

"Alright but only for a minute."

Dean's asylum pajamas had been replaced with a white hospital gown and a light cotton blanket was drawn up to his waist. He had an IV in the back of his hand the bag of clear liquid attached to the line replacing the must needed fluids. Dean had a nasal cannula in his nose.

Sam's eyes blurred as tears welled in his eyes. His big brother indestructible Dean; he looked so young and defenseless and smaller. Lying there so still and pale, his left eye covered with a bandage. The eyelashes of his uncovered eye made a long sooty semicircle against the dark circle and bruising under his eye which looked almost black in the harsh light of the exam room.

Moving to the left side of the bed, Sam gently rubbed his hand back and forth along Dean's forearm, pleased to feel that his brother was warmer now.

"Hey man it's me, Sam. You gonna lie there all day? You lazy good for nothing, come on Dean open your eyes, please I gotta know you're alright, that I got you out in time. Dean come on bro wake up."

The room was quiet the silence was broken only by the hiss of oxygen.

Sam squeezed Dean's cold hand and tried again. "Dean, I want you to wake up and say you're hungry for a cheese burger and fries. There's a pretty little nurse here, dude she's just your type, a redhead."

Before Sam could say more an orderly came to take Dean to have his CT scan.

Sam went back to the waiting room. He sat down on the uncomfortable chair. With his elbows on his knees he dropped his aching head into his hands and prayed.

To be continued…

Thanks for reading please review.

Cheers

Silvertayl