Chapter 6

Tears froze on his lashes as he stomped back to the garage. Dean slipped back in the garage and looked over at his baby. He still had the tires off the Impala checking the brakes, so he couldn't leave. Bobby thought he was smart, that's why he wanted him to work on the car, he knew Sam was coming. Well he'd fool him, Dean walked over to one of the other cars and closed the hood. Grabbing the keys and opening the garage door he cranked the car and pulled out. Dean hit the gas and the car jerked as it sped up and pulled away from the house. He could see Bobby in the doorway and Sam standing behind him as the car pulled farther from the house.

Dean turned on the main road and felt the car slide as the wheels grabbed for traction. The tires were almost bald and not suitable for the conditions that the roads were in now. Dean was too distracted with his thoughts to realize he was going too fast for the slick roads. His mind was churning with so many emotions he couldn't sort them out. He blinked hard trying to keep his vision from blurring as he wiped his face with the back of his hand. Dean shivered wishing he had gotten the heat fixed in the car this morning. It didn't help the fact he had no jacket or warm clothes, only his coveralls for working on the cars.

Sam looked at Bobby in shock as his mouth worked but he couldn't make his brain form the words he was trying to say. His face paled as the room began sway before he grabbed for the table to support himself. Things seemed to move in slow motion, he still wasn't sure what he saw just happened. His brother had walked into the kitchen and just as quickly stormed out without a word.

"Hell, I didn't know he had one drivable." Bobby frowned as he watched the car's brake lights come on as Dean turned on the main road. "Your brother is a hardheaded jackass." Bobby grumbled as he closed the door and turned to Sam.

"Sam, son, I'm sorry. I didn't think he would take off like that."

"Bo-Bobby. You didn't tell him I was comin'?" Sam finally gasped. "Why didn't you tell me he was here?"

"I wanted to get you two yaw whos together, knock some sense into both yer hard heads, if I had to."

"We need to go after him, with the weather gettin' bad, he doesn't need to be out there." Sam rambled in terror running his fingers through his too long hair. "God Bobby, what happened to my brother?"

"Let's give him a little time to cool off." Bobby decided grabbing his phone to call Dean. He listened to it ring and heard the shrill ring tone in the living room. Sam turned and looked on the couch where a jacket was hanging and a phone was ringing.

"He didn't have his jacket since he was working on the cars. Do you think that old car's heater even works?" Sam asked worried for his big brother. He saw the snow and sleet seemed to be getting worse and things were getting coated in ice. South Dakota was known for it's quickly changing weather and not one with much mercy.

"Balls! Not sure what was workin' or not workin'. Hadn't got a chance to ask Dean 'bout them."

"Bobby, we need to go after him, what with this weather and Dean's state of mind..." Sam sighed hanging his head. This was not how he wanted a reunion with his brother to go. "Please Bobby, I don't have a good feeling about this. If something happens..." Sam struggled with the words as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

"Alright son, we'll take the tow truck, maybe we'll find him slid off in a ditch, no worse than that." Bobby said trying to comfort the youngest Winchester. His heart ached for these boys, they were like the sons he never had. He would do anything he could for those boys including some hard love. The bond these boys had could not be broken that easily, he just had to make them see it.

Sam grabbed his older brother's heavy jacket and slipped it on before following Bobby out to the garage and to the tow truck. Bobby cranked the truck, letting it warm up before heading out in the blowing snow and sleet. He turned the way Dean had driven and slowly made his way down the empty road.

Pulling the familiar jacket closer around him, Sam took in the smells that flooded his mind with memories. He smelled sweat, beer and gun powder, all that he associated with his big brother. They had to find him safe. He ran scenarios through his head while trying to watch for any signs of Bobby's car and his brother.

Dean ran his arm over his face to wipe the angry tears away. How could Bobby had done this to him? He felt betrayed by the one person he thought he could trust; the one person who had always been on his side his entire life. Dean pressed harder on the gas and the car shot forward fishtailing on the icy road. Dean fought the wheel and tried to turn into the skid as he tried to get the car back under control.

"Crap! Crap!" he muttered tapping the breaks as the car went into a skid and Dean's stomach lurched before he felt the momentum the car go over the bank and roll. It landed with a metal crushing impact at the bottom of the gully. Dean's unconscious body was thrown with a bone jarring crunch and splayed across the front seat. The car settled down in an upright position being supported by broken trees. Blood dripped down his face and out his mouth, as his body began to cool in the frigid weather.

Bobby slowly crept along on the icy road not seeing any other signs of traffic. Sam leaned forward trying to see in the blowing snow.

"Bobby, do you think he's ok?"

"I don't know son. I hope so."

"Shouldn't we be catching up to him by now? These roads are pretty bad, he couldn't be going that fast."

"Lets go a little farther and we'll head back, you keep checking on the side over there in case he slid off the road. We'll check the other side on the way back."

Sam continued to shine the spotlight along the side of the road looking for broken trees or any sign of the car. He trembled in his brother's coat as he brushed a tear away that had slipped out of his eye. He had to toughen up; he needed to be strong for his brother.

"I'm going to turn around, keep your eyes peeled on the other side, some of these gullies are deep." Bobby told Sam as he carefully turned the truck around and headed back toward the salvage yard.

Two miles back down the road Sam noticed something in a gully that reflected when he shone the light down the hill.

"Bobby stop!" Sam yelled fumbling to open the door. "Call an ambulance, I see the car. Crap oh crap!"

Jumping out of the truck and sliding to the edge of the road, he paused for a moment trying to find the best route down to the car and his brother. Sam worked his way over the edge and crawled, slipped, and skidded the hundred feet or more, to the car. He looked in the broken driver's window and saw Dean laying splayed out unconscious on the seat. With all his strengthen, he jerked on the door, trying to get rid of the barrier that kept him from his injured brother.

"Bobby, do you have a crowbar. I need something to pry the door open with." Sam yelled up to Bobby.

"Hold on." he called back. Bobby got his largest crowbar and tied a rope around it before tossing it down to Sam. Sam watched it sail through the air and land to his right. He fell several times as he made his way to the crowbar and untied it.

With crowbar in hand, Sam attacked the door again using brute force to finally get the door open. He pushed it back as far as he could before jerking his brother's coat off and draping it over his still body.

"Don't move him Sam." Bobby yelled down knowing he could cause more harm than help.

Sam saw the blood on Dean's face and felt his neck for a pulse. He rubbed his hands together to warm his fingers and tried again to find a pulse. Closing his eyes and concentrating he finally felt a faint, thready, beat. Letting out the breath he was holding, Sam ran his hands down his body trying to find any other injuries. He was sure Dean had a broken left arm, his body was too cold and Sam found another cut on his leg. Sam quickly took a bandana and tied it tightly around Dean's leg. He needed to get him warm, but Sam didn't have anything else to cover him with.

"Bobby, where's the ambulance?" he yelled back up to Bobby. He paced back and forth by the car trying to keep himself warm.

"Five minutes, Sam. I can hear them."

"Do you have any blankets?"

"Yeah, hold on." Bobby called down looking in the back of the truck for an old blanket he kept there.

Sam made his way part way up the hill and got the blanket. He worked his way back down catching his foot on some ice-covered branches and twisting his ankle. Sam limped down to the car and threw the blanket over Dean tucking it around him. He looked up when he heard a siren coming their way.

Two paramedics worked their way down the hill and guided the basket Bobby was letting down by a rope.

"Hurry, it's my brother." Sam said helping with the basket.

"Lets get a collar on him." the older paramedic said getting equipment out of the basket.

"Got it." the younger replied working his way into the car to start administering first aid.

They got a collar on Dean and slid a back board behind him, strapping him down. With utmost care, Dean was worked out of the car and into the basket. One started an IV and the other started checking vitals. Sam stood behind them feeling useless as they worked on his brother.

"Ok, we need to get him up the hill."

"Bobby tie the rope off, I'm coming up." Sam yelled. "Let me get up there and I'll help pull him up."

"Sounds good, hurry, we need to get him to the hospital."

"I will."

Sam pulled himself to the top and with Bobby's help they pulled Dean up the hill and the paramedics got him in the ambulance.

"I'm riding with Dean, you follow." Sam instructed Bobby.

"I'll be right behind you." Bobby replied heading for the truck.

The ambulance pulled away and headed for Sioux Falls General Hospital ER as fast as the icy roads would allow.

Sam clutched his brother's jacket as he watched the paramedic monitor his brother's vitals. The younger paramedic notified the hospital they were on their way with an accident victim.

"Male, age 26, car crash, head injury, broken left arm, possible internal bleeding, vitals, BP 60 over 40, pulse, thready and weak, respiration shallow, victim unconscious, IV ringers started." the paramedic informed the ER doctor.

"Get him into exam room 4, we'll need a head ct, chest x-ray, left arm x-ray, full blood workup, type and cross match and alert the OR." the ER doctor ordered as the nurses got his clothes cut off and gown on him. Sam watched them work on his brother as his body began to shake as it tried to warm up.

"Sir, are you related?" a nurse asked.

"Yes, he's my brother." Sam finally got out.

"His BP's dropping, we need to get him to surgery now." the doctor ordered as the machines began to beep warning signs that Dean was in trouble. Everyone jumped into action and got Dean stable enough to head for surgery.

"I'm going to need you to fill out some forms, you can sit over here."

"I need to be there for my brother." Sam complained trying to follow the gurney that carried his brother to the OR.

"They're taking him to surgery. If you'll fill out these forms and sign here allowing us to treat him, I'll take you to the OR waiting room." she said kindly.

Bobby hurried into the ER looking around for the younger Winchester. He spotted him being led down a hall and headed after him.

"Son, how's yer brother?" Bobby asked catching up with him as they stopped at the surgery waiting area.

"They had to take him to surgery." he replied looking down at the forms in his hands. "Bobby, how do I fill these out? Hell, I don't even know what name to put down." Sam slapped his hand on the clip board with the papers.

"Take it easy, it's not going to help Dean if you lose it." Bobby spoke softly to him.

Sam shook his head as he tried to rein in his emotions. He was still clutching Dean's jacket tightly to his chest rubbing his hand over it. He rubbed his hand over the front of the jacket and felt a small lump in a pocket. Reaching in the pocket, he pulled out Dean's worn wallet.

"I didn't even think about the jacket." Sam said as he began to look through the wallet. He pulled out a medical insurance card and began to copy the information on the form. "Has he been hospitalized or had any injuries in the past year?"

"Couldn't say, I called him to help me with a job not to long ago, but before that, don't know."

"Well, I filled out what I could." he said opening the wallet back up to put the card back. He saw a ragged piece of paper flutter to the floor and picked it up unfolding it. His eyes got wide and he drew in a deep breath as he read what was written in his brother's handwriting.

"Sam you ok?" Bobby asked unsure what Sam was looking at.

Sam looked over at him and back down at the paper. He handed it to Bobby to read.

"What is this?" Bobby asked as he read the name on the paper and an address.

"That's the person I've seen at Stanford who handles financial aid, I have to go by each quarter to sign paperwork and be sure there's no problems. Why would Dean have her name?" Sam questioned.

"No idea."

"You know, I thought I saw him on campus a couple of weeks ago." Sam huffed. "Put it down to my imagination, maybe it was him, but why wouldn't he find me?"

Bobby thought back, that was when Dean and him had finished up that hunt and Dean had disappeared before coming to his place. He began to put two and two together and was getting more than four.

"He's going to be alright, won't he Bobby?" Sam asked looking at him earnestly.

"I don't know son, I just don't know." Bobby answered sadly knowing that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

Sam slipped the wallet back in the jacket pocket and hugged it tightly to him, as a quiet sob escaped his lips. He doubled over burying his face into his brother's jacket and let it muffle his weeping. Bobby laid a strong hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezed it trying to give Sam comfort.

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