"Can't he just write it down?"
"He tried, dad, but his fingers aren't working right, I think there might be some nerve damage."
John sighed. "Alright, alright."
"Please just… let's get it off him, please?"
"I don't have the key, Dean."
"So… how do we-"
"We'll have to do it the old fashioned way, then."

It was like a scene from a horror movie, blue ray addition. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room and Dean was pretty sure he was going to vomit all over the silent kid. Jay was sitting as still as humanly possible, and John was hovering over him with heated metal cutters, trying to wrestle the metal brittle off his face. Jay was crying under shut eyelids, silent tears of pain running down his flushed cheeks. John kept accidently losing his grip on the thin metal and burning the delicate skin of Jay's face, not to mention the heat transfer through the metal of the bridle. it was scalding- too hot for Dean to touch, way too hot to touch Jay's facial skin. John insisted that Jay would be chained during this ordeal, and though Dean protested violently, Jay put up his buttered arms in the shackles and locked himself in, a look of resignation on his face.
Dean felt as useless as he never had before, not even on the worst, goriest hunts he'd been on has he ever seen something so dreadful. It took so long, and Jay was so young and silent. He hasn't moved an inch, sitting so still with his hands bound in front of him to the bed posts, as if it was okay, as if any of this was okay.
"Its okay," Dean lied, dabbing a washcloth in ice cold water and over the freshly burnt skin on Jay's cheek. "I promise, its going to be just-"
"fuck!"
John lost his grip on the cutter and it slipped again. The wet sizzle sound of burning flesh and the smell that came with it almost made Dean gag. Jay got even paler, holding the bedspread with a death grip of numb fingers, sobbing breath in and out.
"Shit, Jay-" Dean franticly grabbed his frail shoulders, the slight body was so rigid and bony under his grasp, it almost hurt to touch him. "Jay, look at me, you have got to breathe, man- look at me, Jay-'
Jay's eyes flattered open- gaze wild and confused and in pain. There were two burns that got close to his eyes- scary close; one on his forehead and one right under his left cheekbone. It looked awful and smelled even worse. "It's gonna be over soon," Dean promised desperately. "I promise."

Dean made his father stop after Jay actually started retching in pain. The shiny metal on his skin was red and scalding- Jay was sobbing now, hysterically, hopelessly, like the child that he was. Only half of the bridle was off, his mouth was still sealed shut, and he was twitching uncontrollably, muscles seizing. Dean unchained him and gave him some pain medication. The boy fell asleep (or unconscious, Dean didn't know and was scared to find out).
"you do know we will have to continue once he wakes," said john, who was standing at the sink, scrubbing his hands bloody. They will never be clean again, Dean thought bitterly. Not after this. Neither he or his dad will ever be clean again.
"Dad-"
"Dean, I don't like it anymore then you do," Said John softly. "I really don't. but we need to know what the kid-" Dean scowled at him, and John hurriedly corrected himself- "Jay, I mean. We need to know what Jay saw. This might be the key to finding the demon that killed your mother, Dean. he might have seen some innocent women die, just the way Mary did. We need to know, so we can save her."
"Dad- this is- this is torture, it's not- we- oh god," Dean took a stuttering breath. "There must be a way to make it easier on him, he might die from the pain alone. We keep burning burnt flesh-"
"We can give him some Morpheme I got left from when you broke your shoulder," John said. "but if we use it-"
"we need to," Dean felt such relief it almost brought tears to his eyes.
"Alright," Said John and opened the first aid kit, taking out the needle. "Oh- I think the boy is waking."
And that he was. Jay's eyes flattered open softly, his forehead creased in lines of pain. He pulled at his restraints and then stilled perfectly.

"Jay, don't worry man. We are going to give you some of the good stuff, you won't feel a thing," Dean said. "Just close your eyes-"
He didn't expect what happened next. Jay's eyes widened and he started screaming- loud and terrified. The bridle made it impossible for him to form words but enough of it was of by now that Dean was able to understand what Jay was yelling- the word no, over and over again. He was crying and pulling on his chains harshly, devastated look in his eyes, struggling like Dean had never seen him do. For the first time since he met the boy this deficient side has reared it's head, and whilst Dean was happy to finally hear some refusal, it truly scared him to see the boy loose control like this. He was begging with muffled half sentences- chocking on his own tongue, so it seemed. "Ok! Ok!" Dean yelled. "We won't, calm down!" but then he saw his dad inserting the needle into the boys outstretched arm. "Dad! Don't!" he screamed but John had already pressed the plunger, and Jay's screams immediately died off, his eyes growing droopy and glazed.
"Dad! He said no!" Dean yelled, rushing over to Jay's side, where the bandages on his wrists underneath the shackles already started leaking blood. "He said no! how could you!"
"I told you he needs to be bound for this," said john calmly. "Lets finish this already."

And they did. Jay was out for the count, and John pried the metal away from his flesh. Dean held Jay's jaw still while John tore the gag from behind his teeth. It was inserted so deep that it actually tore cuts inside his mouth, big enough to need stitches. But it was off. It was finally off, and Dean looked at the boy's gaunt looking face with awe. It felt like it was the first time he actually saw him. He pushed some stray hairs back from Jay's forehead. "You are going to be okay," he whispered, and for the first time he actually felt like he might be telling the truth.

thank you so much for all who are part of this jurney. I am so gratful and so excited about the next episode. reviews are loved!