Institute Revisited with Extreme Prejudice

Sequel to The Institute if you haven't read that one first, it might be better if you do and catch up before hand.

Disclaimer: I only like playing with the boys, and owe the wonderful Mister Kripke a huge thanks for creating the best show on TV.

Author's Note: Yep more whumpage, lots of booboos and sigh hurt Sam and Dean... as they find a way to reverse the damage caused by the Institute.


CHAPTER FOUR

Bobby and Caleb easily broke into the remnants of the institute, Josh and a few others already taking out the security cameras and office. Moving stealthily through the corridors they kept glancing at each other, both worried with the fact that neither of them have heard from the boys.

Silently Bobby signalled Caleb to a stop when he heard footsteps coming towards them, sinking back into the shadows they watched Grace and her father come halfway down the corridor, stop and then face the wall. Curious they slipped across the floor until they were almost facing them.

To their surprise the wall seemingly split open exposing another tunnel; they waited for Sloane and daughter to go in before they hurried over to the opening before it slid shut again.

Unable to believe their luck, Caleb wedged one of his small throwing knives into the sliding door to keep it open before they followed the others hoping that they will lead them to the boys.

S-------D

Sam lay quietly watching Dean talking to Rose and Sandy, he felt detached from his body and the others. He knew who they were, what relationship he had to them but he felt nothing. Turning his thoughts inwardly, he catalogued his injuries and the reasoning behind them. He knew he deserved each and every one, he was insubordinate and therefore needed punishment.

A frown creased his forehead as he contemplated that thought, no he wasn't, he is his own person, no one owns him and he is not a subject, an it. 'D-Dean?' He tested his voice, still sounding dull in his own ears at least he had no pain.

'Hey Sammy you been awake for long?'

'L-leave me Dean.'

'What? No, no not happening Sam so don't even go there.'

'Me ... Sloane wants ... you go take ... Rose ... Sandy.' Sam forced the words out passed his frozen lips, the numbness giving way to freezing cold. Shivers wracked his painfully thin body, making his teeth chatter in the process. 'T-too late.'

'No Sam, so not an option so don't even think it.' Dean said with as much conviction has he could muster. Running his fingers through Sam's roughly shortened hair he blinked back his own tears and smiled down at his brother, 'anyway what would I do without my trusty geeky sidekick?'

'J-Jerk.'

'Bitch ... now try to rest Sam I'm gonna be right here.' Dean pulled the blankets up and tucked them tightly around Sam before running his hand tenderly down Sam's face, 'I'm not going anywhere Sam.'

Sam nodded sleepily, he wanted to stay awake but the strange floating sensation came back and he found himself looking down at the scene unfolding in the room. His body lay on the bed in a cocoon of blankets, Dean loaded his gun and discussed a few more things with Sandy while Rose worked feverishly at the bench, trying to counteract the serum coursing through his body.

The door hissed open and the bright muzzle fire of guns lit the room up for a few brief seconds. Sloane and Grace burst into the room intent on killing Rose before she could finish her work with the counter-agent for the serum, but Dean was ready for them and after winging Sloane he turned his aim on Grace.

Sam felt nothing at all as he watched the shoot out or when Grace moved slowly towards him, a confused look on her face. It was all a trick and he was unable to defend himself while out of his body.

Before Dean could stop her, Grace laid a hand on Sam's chest but instead of healing him, she used her corrupted powers to drain the life from him.

'Get away from him you Bitch.' Dean growled levelling his gun at her.

'Shoot me and he dies Dean.' Grace said turning her head to look at him, 'Sam belongs to me.'

'Grace listen to me, this is not you. You heal people not kill them.' Sandy tried to reason with her sister, 'the serum has corrupted you.'

'No the serum has saved me.' Grace said, her skin started to glow as Sam's became grey and dull looking.

'Grace please stop this.' Sandy begged as she lunged at her sister dragging her away from Sam's body. Landing heavily on her, Sandy straddled Grace's thighs and flicked out a small and extremely sharp knife. 'Sorry sis.' She muttered as she pierced the skin on Grace's left hip, her sister screamed and tried to fight her off but Sandy continued to dig until she removed the pump and tossed it aside.

Grace sobbed as her back arched and muscles bulged. Her body suddenly bereft of the serum reacted within seconds. Sandy climbed off her sister and slid behind her, carefully she pulled her up and cradled Grace against her chest.

'I am so sorry.' Sandy sobbed tightening her hold on Grace.

'Where's Sloane?' Dean demanded as he looked around the room, a small bloodstain the only indicator that the man was there. 'Sonovabitch.'

'Dean are you alright?' Rose asked standing slowly from where she dropped during the gunfire.

'Yeah, yeah check the girls will ya.' Dean turned and staggered towards Sam, 'Sammy? I'm gonna kill that freaking bitch.'

'Dean?' Rose looked up saw the look on Dean's face and immediately joined him at Sam's side. 'Oh my Lord.'

'Help him please.' Dean begged no longer caring about his supposed pride, 'don't let him ...' before he could finish his sentence Dean's body went rigid and his eyes rolled up into his head, moving in slow motion his knees buckled and Dean crumbled bonelessly to the floor.

'Dean?' Sam witnessed his brother's collapse from his vantage place hovering above them, he looked over at his own lifeless body and then back at Dean and the small spread of blood seeping from beneath him. 'Dean?' Closing his eyes Sam concentrated on his body and wanting to return to it, he wanted to live for Dean. No longer confused about who or what he is as long as he has Dean at his side. With a gasp for air Sam shot up on the bed, his eyes wide open, glassy and dilated pupils.

'Sam?' Rose cried out, looking up she watched him sit up and gasp for breath, 'Sam deep breathes nice and steady.'

'What the fuck is going on here?' A deep rumbling voice shattered the bubble that had formed around the room's occupants.

'Bobby?' Sandy called out relief evident in her voice, 'help the boys.'

'Caleb you go and help Sandy,' Bobby said as he headed straight to the brothers' sides, kneeling down next to Dean first he carefully rolled the younger man over and inspected his back for a source of the bleeding. 'Okay we got a shoulder wound here doesn't look like the bullet exited anywhere.'

'Can you carry him to the other bed and I'll clean the wound.' Rose said already on her feet she headed towards the medical equipment cabinet.

Bobby glanced at the nurse, gave her a small smile and then easily picked Dean up mindful of the bullet still lodged in his shoulder somewhere carried him over to the bed, lying him gently on his stomach. When Rose joined him and started to cut away Dean's shirt, Bobby went over to Sam.

'Deep breathes Sam.' He coached the young man still gasping for much needed air, 'close yer eyes and just concentrate on yer breathing.'

'D-Dean?' Sam frowned, 'help h-him.'

'Rose is looking after yer brother, I want ya to concentrate on yerself.' Bobby growled softly, 'Caleb is looking after the girls, everyone's gettin' looked afta.'

'B-Bobby?' Sam blinked, his light-sensitive eyes watering uncontrollably, 'eyes h-hurt.' He pushed the words out between gasps.

'Ah Sam, okay I need ya to lie down, that's it boy, close yer eyes and just concentrate on breathing. That's it roll over and face the wall the light won't be so bad then.'

While he helped Sam to roll over Bobby took a moment to check the most obvious of Sam's injuries, none seemed life threatening but as a collective, he couldn't understand how the kid was still breathing. 'Just nice big breathes Sam, keep doing that and I'll check on Dean for ya.'

'How's Sam?' Rose asked as she finished cleaning the bullet wound in Dean's shoulder.

'Scared, in pain and hurting bad for his brother,' Bobby said succinctly, 'what about this one?'

'He hasn't come too yet, but I'm sure that the bullet is not deep. From what I can workout it looks like a ricochet from the wall over there.' Rose nodded her head in the direction, Bobby glanced up and stared at the scar deep in the wood, with no sign of the bullet in it.

'Can yer handle it?'

'I'll be fine Bobby.' Rose gave him a small smile, 'want to check the others?'

Bobby went to crouch down next to the girls just opposite Caleb, 'so what's the verdict here?'

'We slapped a dressing on the wound,' Cal said, 'but she's still pretty much out of it on he serum.'

'What did she do to Sam? Sandy?'

'Instead of healing him, she tried to ... oh Gods Bobby I don't understand the changes in Grace, she tried to feed off Sam's life force, it's as though Grace no longer exists and it is something else in her place.'

'Interesting choice of words there missy.' Bobby mused, 'get her up and onto the chair sorry Sandy but until we know what we're dealin' with she's gonna have to be tied down.'

'I-I understand.' Sandy nodded her head and helped Caleb get Grace to her feet, keeping her gaze down she couldn't look at anyone in the eye and acted as though she knew something that no one else did.

'Sandy ... what is it?' Bobby asked gripping the girl's arm tightly, he didn't have time to moddle-coddle the girl, 'what do you know that we don't?'

'It's my fault ... it's all my fault.' Sandy wept, 'I – I don't know why but I led my father here.'

'Excuse me?' Bobby exploded, 'what do you mean you led him here?'

'Part of me ... still wants to obey my father that believes he is doing the right thing.' Sandy admitted paling even more when she saw the look on Bobby's face, cringing she took a step backwards expecting him to slap her silly.

'What the freakin' hell do yer think he was doin' to his prisoners?' Bobby snarled, 'and they are prisoners they are not here of their own freewill and yer know yerself more than anyone else, that they are pawns and nothing else.'

'Bobby, please I know that, I'm still trying to ... I still feel the bite of the serum, I want it so much and ...'

'So yer sold these boys out, the ones who have done nothing but tried to help ya, ya'll sold em out for a fix?'

'It's not like that Bobby please, I am really trying to do the right thing.'

'Well ya can right here an' now.' Bobby took a menacing step towards the shaking girl, he so wanted to slap some sense into her. 'Go an' sit with Sam, make sure that he's okay.'

'Kay.' Sandy sniffed and hurried away from Bobby and Caleb, after they tied Grace up Bobby surveyed the area, they had to get moving as soon as they boys were stable that was a given, but they had to secure their position until then. 'Caleb ya heard anythin' from the others?'

'They have control of the security office and have most of the staff already locked up, looks like Sloane has gotten away for now.'

'Dang it, okay tell Josh to make sure they have the place secure, as soon as we get the boys stable we'll med them outta here.'

'Already done old man,' Caleb said with a grin, 'got a private ambulance on the way seems that it belongs to the crew that usually service Sloane's crew.'

'Perfect right then let's get these boys safe.' Bobby said his relief evident in his tone of voice and the look on his face.

'No, no please no.' Sam begged trying to push away from Sandy.

'What the fuck is going on?' Bobby yelled and then immediately regretted it when Sam seemed to curl in on himself and shrink away from the raised voices. 'Sam, Sam it's alright son.' He said in a quieter voice. 'You're safe.'

'No, no not safe.' Sam wept, 'test all a test.'

'Sam open yer eyes and look at me son.' Bobby tried to breakthrough Sam's apparent psychosis.

'Bobby help me.' Dean's voice came from the other side of the room, turning around the hunter stared at his younger counterpart struggling to stand up without falling over.

'Dang it Dean.' Bobby groused striding across the floor, he slung an arm around Dean's waist and hauled Dean's good arm around his own neck. 'what do yer think yer doin?'

'Just help me over to Sam ... please.' Dean held Bobby's gaze for a few seconds and then felt the older man relent, 'thanks Bobby.'

'Yeah, yeah.' Bobby helped Dean to sit on the edge of Sam's bed and stepped away to give the brother's some privacy but kept close enough in case they needed him.

'Sammy, come on dude it's me, we're alright.' Dean said squeezing Sam's hand gently, 'I know you're scared and your eyes hurt but look at me please.'

'D-Dean?' Sam blinked and twisted himself around to face his brother, 'h-hey.'

'Hey yourself, so what's the fuss bout?'

'The h-hood, sh-she had the hood.' Sam whispered, 'I – I can't t-take it.'

'The hood?' Dean glared up at Sandy who held a dark cloth in her hand.

'I just wanted to give him some relief from the bright light.' Sandy offered. Dean shook his head too angry to speak as he remembered finding Sam in the brightly lit room with that black hood smothering his face and his hands and feet shackled behind him. 'You, you saw him in the hood.' He hissed his voice low and controlled. 'What were you thinking?'

'I-I didn't think it was the same.'

'No, you just didn't think.' Dean turned his back on the young woman and placed a gentle hand on Sam's, his brother's eyes tracking his movements, 'hey Sammy.'

'D-Dean? You hurt?'

'Nah just a scratch ... Rose patched me up.'

'M-my fault.'

'No, no don't Sam don't start not now.'

'You came lookin' f-for m-me.' Sam hiccuped, 's-shouldn't be h-here.'

'I'll look for you anywhere Sammy you know that, now can you walk?' Dean gave Sam his biggest grin and helped his brother to sit up.

Sam took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds to wait for the room to stop spinning around him, he tightened his grip on Dean's fingers and had to stop himself from panicking, his breathing already hitching.

'Sam you can do this.'

'No not Sam ... subject twenty-two.' Sam's head snapped up, his eyes opened wide and stared ahead sliding off the table he stood at perfect attention.

'Sammy?' Dean stared in horror at his brother, something was not right with any of this, Sloane got away too easily, the sisters too suspect to trust, Rose seemingly okay but at this stage the only other people Dean could trust were Caleb and Bobby and that was only to a point when it came to Sam's welfare. 'Don't do this dude, not now.'

Sam tilted his head and looked down at his brother as though he thought about what Dean said and then he snapped back to attention, 'subject twenty-two ready and waiting for instructions.'

'Stand down subject twenty-two.' Bobby said sounding more like a drill sergeant than ever before. 'at ease.'

Sam moved slightly to stand at ease, a fine sheen of sweat covered his bare skin, his face pale and tinged with a greyish tinge. He swayed and staggered, panic flaring through him, 's-sorry Sir.' Sam stammered terrified of the punishment he knew was coming. 'Promise not to be weak again Sir.'

'Sammy, calm down.' Dean made his brother turn to face him, 'sit down.'

Sam blinked and complied with the order, shudders flittered through him as he waited for the pain. 'Sammy please don't ... look at me Sam.'

'Subject twenty-two ready Sir.'

'Sam ... Subject twenty-two relax nothing is going to happen.' Dean said, 'I need to speak to Sam, is he still in there?'

Sam tilted his head and stared thoughtfully at his brother, 'he ... is ... here.' He said slowly confused at the question.

'Subject twenty-two I order you to let Sam out.' Bobby snapped and then gave Dean a small shrug.

Sam blinked and let out a deep breath, he stared at Dean and then at Bobby, confusion written across his face, letting out a cry of utter agony he suddenly dropped to his knees holding his head tightly, keening he squeezed his eyes shut and started to rock himself.

'Sammy?' Dean knelt next to his brother, ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder he took Sam's face in his hands, 'look at me Sam.'

'Hurts, argh Dean hurts...' Sam whimpered, 'make it stop.'

'Vision?' Bobby asked as he watched the scene unfolding before him, he had only seen Sam have his visions a couple of times and each time it scared him to death. The poor kid suffered so much, loosing a chunk of his innocence each time, it wasn't fair.

'Sam talk to me, talk through it.' Dean tried to coach his brother, 'deep breathes, that's it bro.'

Sandy sidled towards her sister while everyone had their attention focused on Sam making swift work of the rope around Grace's wrists, leaving her to finish untying herself Sandy picked up a loaded syringe filled with a sedative and pushed it into Caleb's neck felling him before he could make a sound. Putting him onto the seat Grace vacated the sisters made their escape before Sam's vision eased.

Sam writhed on the floor, locked in a scene only he could see, hear and feel. Dean and Bobby knelt by him both feeling helpless and out of their depth. A blood-curdling scream came deep from within Sam startling them both. 'Dean!' Sam cried out his hands flailing for his brother, needing the support and physical comfort.

'Sammy?'

'Sloane ... dead ... but ...argh ... Dean?'

'Hey calm down Sammy, that's it calm down.' Dean helped his brother to sit up and slowly rubbed circles on Sam's back. 'Hey Sammy.'

'Hey Dean, Bobby.' Sam gave them a small shaky smile, 'what's wrong with Caleb?'

'Huh?' Bobby turned around to look at Caleb slumped on the chair, 'dang it all.'

'The girls?' Rose looked around, she had been so intent on watching over the two boys she forgot about Sandy and Grace.

'Got no time to worry bout them now, Sam can you tell us about the vision?'

'Sloane, he looked dead but ... not I dunno ... saw a room of ones like me.' the last part came in a hoarse whisper. 'Just like me.'

'What soldiers brainwashed like you?' Dean asked not wanting to accept the other alternative.

'No, even when the girls were helping the others ... they didn't realise just how many got away. The room I saw was filled with dozens of me.' Sam looked up at Dean. 'Clones or something.'

'Man I'll say it again, demons I get humans are just plain crazy.' Dean muttered, 'we gotta get out of here.'

'Ambulance is here.' Josh announced jogging into the room, 'ah shit Caleb?'

'He's just knocked out, Sam and Dean need the bus.' Bobby said, 'but we can't take em to a mainstream hospital.'

'Sadie's clinic.' Josh said, 'she's waiting for them.'

'Let's get this show on the road then.'

S-------D

Grace and Sandy stood in the ornate office watching the monitor carefully, as the paramedics lifted Sam and Dean onto the gurneys and whisked them away in the waiting ambulances. 'So sis we did the right thing?'

'In a way, the biggest regret is Sam having to go through that again.'

'I can't believe he cut his hair again like that.' Grace shook her head sadly, 'I feel so badly for Sam and for Dean.'

'Are you feeling better sis?' Sandy turned to stare at her pale-faced and shaking sister.

'Yeah in time I will be, did I really try to drain Sam?'

'Yeah, but what daddy did was worse and I didn't ... I should have stopped it before it got so out of hand.'

'So what, where do we do now?'

'Go ahead with the plan, Rose is going to let me know when the guys are well enough to be brought back in on it.'

'Do you think that they will? I mean shit Sandy we did a real number on them.'

'If it saves them and all of the others it'll be worth it.'

'Where do you think daddy went?' Grace sighed reaching for a chair to sink down on.

'To his bunker I suppose.' Sandy crouched down next to her sister, 'we did the right thing Sis, in the end we did the right thing.'

'Sam and Dean aren't gonna see it that way.' Grace shook her head, she could feel tears building up behind her eyes, 'what have we done?'

'Saved their lives, saved Sam.' Sandy said with as much conviction as she could muster, she had to believe it otherwise it was all for nothing.

TBC