Sam drove east, glancing time and again at the rearview mirror. Every time he looked all he could focus on was the blood now covering both Catherine and Dean. It seemed to be everywhere; he tried once again. "Dean, we gotta take her to a hospital before she bleeds to death. Let me find one, please, Dean."
Dean never taking his eyes off of the woman he held, sighed. Sam had been arguing with Dean for the last two hours. Dean was sick of making excuses why Catherine couldn't go to the hospital. He finally drew a tired breath and told his brother the truth. "Sam, the demon will be tracking us. If we stop it will come for you, I can't protect you in a hospital."
Dean felt the Impala slow and move onto the gravel shoulder. Sam slammed the car into park and got out. He quickly opened the back door and looked at the man before him. "Dean, this is Catherine. Demon or not, we can't just sit by and watch her die. I can't have her blood on my hands, Dean, the guilt will kill me." Sam quickly glanced away, but not before Dean saw the guilt on his face.
"Sam, what's going on? What's wrong?" Dean asked, focusing on his brother for the first time since they had left Vegas.
Sam shook his head, and said softly, "I didn't believe in her, I let the Demon influence my decisions. I should have protected her. The last words I said to her..." Sam trailed off as he saw the look of anger that filled his brother's face. "I accused her of leading us into the demons hands. I didn't believe in her," Sam said, in a whisper.
Dean's hands shook with anger as he gently pulled the blanket that lay on Catherine higher, tucking it carefully around her. He opened his door and gently laid her head on the leather seat. As he climbed out he remained on the far side of the car, he knew that if he moved anywhere near Sam, he would hit him.
And really it wasn't just Sam he wanted to hit, he was just as pissed at himself for asking Catherine to sacrifice herself for Sam. And if he were really honest, he was just as pissed with Catherine for doing it.
This is some fucked up shit, Dean thought to himself, hands braced on the trunk of the black car. "Sam, how could you? How could you believe some smooth talking demon over Katie? She's done nothing to warrant your mistrust."
Sam stared at his brother listening to the guilt that laced his voice. "Really Dean, nothing, she's been lying to us Dean." Sam held up a hand and ticked his fingers off one by one. "Hannah's one of the children Dean, did she tell you that? She can block you from following her, how about that Dean did she tell you that also. And apparently she's got enough telekinetic power to make Carrie look like a friggin' spoon bender."
Sam ran a tired hand through his shaggy hair and wished he could take the words back as soon as he said them. He didn't want to fight with Dean, and no matter what, he knew deep in his heart that if Catherine did die, she had done it for him and Dean.
Dean simply stood there looking at his brother, he considered lying for a moment but just couldn't do it. Instead he turned his back on him, and said, "No, Sam I didn't know about Hannah until she told me herself earlier today. I also didn't know about the telekinetic power, although I was stupid not to pick up on it. As far as her ability to block me from her, yeah I did know that I just chose not to tell you."
Sam considered Dean's words, and asked, "Why should you have know about the power?" He saw Dean move to open the back door and once again slid into the car. Sam quickly got back in the driver's seat and moved the big car back out onto the road. "Why, Dean?" Sam asked, as he glanced at his brother in the rearview.
"Because Sam, the last couple of months you and I have suffered few injuries. Looking back now I can see that she's been using the power to keep us safe. You remember the witch in Topeka, I was hanging over the edge of a goddam cliff and the witch was in the process of strangling you. All of the sudden I get thrown safe and clear and Catherine managed to stab that bitch in the throat."
"Catherine couldn't stand to save just one of us; she managed to save us both. At the time I kind of thought it was you." Dean once again attempted to staunch the flow of blood that was leaking from Catherine's nose.
"I did this Sam, I'm the one that forced her to develop what was probably a dormant power. I made her promise something, and lashing out with her power was the only way she could keep her promise." Dean felt another tear slip from his eye. Katie hadn't had a choice, when faced with losing Dean or breaking her promise, she had managed to find a way to save them both.
Sam sat in the front seat, thinking about what Dean had just said, "Dean, what promise did you make her give? What, Dean," Sam spoke to the top of Dean's head because he refused to raise his eyes to Sam's.
"I made her promise to keep you safe Sam, to keep you safe above anything else. She swore to me Sam, she swore and now here she lays bleeding to death. And I can't even get her help, because the power she used to save you is probably leading half a dozen different freaks straight to us. I've as good as killed her Sam." Dean said, picking up Catherine's battered hand and holding it lightly.
Sam swore and hit the steering wheel with the palms of his hands. It always came back to him, all the death and pain. It was always his fault, well no more Sam decided as he began heading for the nearest town. Catherine had almost killed herself to keep Sam safe, Sam would do no less to save her.
Dean never noticed Sam's departure from the highway, and he was only marginally aware when the black car pulled over to a sidewalk and Sam got out.
Dean hadn't told Sam the worse thing, hadn't told Sam what scared him the most. Hadn't told him that no matter how hard Dean listened, no matter how hard he concentrated he could detect no sign of Catherine. It's like she was already gone, even though her heart still beat.
Dean had kept in his mind, buried deep, the idea that the three of them may not make it. That one of them would fall to the Demon or another equally evil creature. But in all his nightmares it had never occurred to him that the music that had become a part of him would stop. That in losing Catherine he would end up with silence.
Dean hated silence he always had. His father was a silent man, not given to talking simply to hear himself talk. Dean had always thanked the fates that Sam seemed to have missed that one trait, for all that he was similar to John in so many other ways.
To Dean noise was life and life was noisy, just as it should be. Dean searched the reaches of his mind for any scrap of noise, no matter how faint. When Sam finally got back into the car, Dean didn't even notice. He was too busy listening for a sound that wasn't there.
There, thought Sam, as he read through the doctor's listings in the local phone book. Apparently, he was in Green Haven, though Sam at the moment couldn't remember what state Green Haven was located in. Sam ripped the page he was interested in out of the book and got back into the car. He drove two blocks before coming to the clinic that was housed inside an older building.
Sam got out and studied the building for a moment, head tilted to the side he concentrated on it, sensing something familiar about it.
"Excuse me young man, are you okay," An elderly voice sounded just behind Sam, startling him out of his contemplation. Sam turned to find a tiny bird of a woman standing just behind him.
"Un, no" Sam said quickly "I was just looking at that building, it seems familiar somehow." Sam again lifted his eyes to the building in front of him. Memories swirling he just couldn't place why it seemed so familiar.
The lady suddenly beamed at him and patted his arm. "You're right young man, you probably have seen a building very similar. Do you want a hint?" She asked, eyes sparkling.
Sam nodded slowly knowing that he needed to get Catherine to the help, but unable to resist the challenge.
"It's based on a famous Italian cathedral, on a smaller scale of course." The lady practically bounced up and down on her toes, smiling in delight.
Sam rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "St. Peter's of Rome, right. Man, I knew it looked familiar."
The lady before him beamed and clapped her hands in delight. She launched into the history of the building, offering up more details than Sam wanted. Suddenly, though he put up a hand and said, "What wait a minute this was a practicing Catholic Church up until when?"
The lady beamed at the interest the young man displayed, normally the youth of today didn't give a fig for history. This young man though, he was an exception. "Up until 2000, at that time the congregation simply grew too large and built a newer facility farther out of town. They donated this property to the clinic."
Sam quickly thanked the woman and moved toward the big black car behind him. The woman quickly realized that she had lost the younger man's attention. She sighed and moved off. Oh, well she thought to herself at least he had listened for a moment.
Sam opened Dean's door, and noticed how Dean jumped. "Dean, come on, I've found help." Sam saw a glazed look in Dean's eyes. "Dean" Sam barked "Get your ass moving, that's an order." Sam watched as Dean's eyes seemed to clear somewhat and he gathered Catherine in his arms and lifted her out of the car. Sam winced he knew that nothing worked to get Dean moving like an order, but Sam always hated to do it.
Dean stumbled slightly holding Catherine against him; he refused to allow Sam to carry Catherine into the building. "Sam, you know this is a mistake. We can't protect ourselves here."
"Just trust me Dean; it's going to be okay." Sam said, as he moved toward the waiting room, hoping to flag down someone quickly.
"Sam, Sammy, just stop this isn't right, we're not just endangering ourselves. There are innocents here. Sam, stop and listen," Dean finally shouted at his brother, hoping to get his attention.
Sam shot a sudden grin at Dean and held out his hands. "It was a church, Dean, the ground's been consecrated, we win. It'll offer protection from just about anything."
Dean finally looked around the old stone building and felt the smallest ray of hope. "MEDIC" Dean yelled at the top of his voice. Sam watched as medical professionals fell out of the woodwork.
Sam grinned appreciatively at the way they responded to Dean's no nonsense demeanor. As Catherine was quickly settled on a gurney and was pushed into the trauma center, Sam caught Dean's eyes and the brother's shared a small smile.
888
Sam sighed as he spied the large, formidable nurse approaching him once again. Sam mentally prepared himself to battle the woman now standing in front of him. "Mr. Chase, this is unacceptable, I will not allow this in my hospital." Both combatants stood glaring at each other, arms crossed, eyes glaring.
Sam simply waited; he had learned that offering any kind of apology for his brother simply made more complaints. And to be honest at this point Sam was sick with worry for Catherine. She hadn't woken once in the ten hours since they had arrived.
Caroline Post knew her job, as head nurse she was the one that others looked to for guidance and leadership. And the two men that had descended on her once orderly clinic had done nothing but disrupt her employees since they had arrived.
She looked at the young man ahead of her and sighed at the sadness and worry she saw in his face. However, in Caroline's mind that did not excuse his brother's behavior.
"He's doing it again, and when I told him he had to either stop or leave he told me to go fu... Well it really wouldn't be polite for me to repeat what he said. Needless to say, this cannot continue." Caroline's eyebrows rose, as she spotted the young man in front of her smother a smile. "This is no laughing matter, that woman needs rest and he keeps climbing into the bed with her. Now we have already broken several important rules, in order to accommodate..."
That's about when Sam had stopped listening, he nodded in all the right places and allowed his mind to wander over the past hours. The small clinic, although very modern in some ways couldn't offer a CAT Scan or MRI so they had done what they could with old fashion X-rays. And what a nightmare that had been.
For whatever reason, Catherine's pulse decreased whenever Dean left her side. Once Dean had heard a passing nurse mention that, he had point blank refused to leave her side. He had stayed through the x-rays, through surgery to repair a broken collar bone and while they splinted four of her fingers and gave her the 27 stitches she required in four different areas. Dean had been immovable.
Sam grinned again, at the nurse's slightly hysterical tone. Sam had a feeling that she had finally met her match, after twenty years of nursing. As she wound down he simply continued to stare, she finally grunted at his lack of response and left. Sam watched her disappear toward the nursing station and tried his best not to laugh.
Sam had learned the silent trick from Dean, every time someone came to remove him from Catherine's side he ignored them. Ignored them as only Dean could, he would begin by simply refusing to acknowledge the person, and if they continued to push he would begin to sing. Softly at first, but rising in volume if the person in question didn't take the hint.
They had tried blackmailing him, but when they threatened to call the police he had immediately asked for release papers for Catherine. When the staff saw that he was serious, they backed off the threats and moved on to nagging.
Sam walked to Catherine's door and looked in. There was Dean lying next to her in the hospital bed, he was holding Catherine's heavily bandaged hand. He was whispering in her ear, Sam had noticed that Dean talked almost non-stop to Catherine. Sam fleetingly wondered what he was telling her.
Sam heard the tread behind him and turned to confront, another nurse who he was sure was about to plead on the staff's behalf. Instead the nurse surprised him by saying "Mr. Chase, a state trooper is here, he'd like to ask you and you're brother to answer a few questions."
Sam saw the trooper approaching from down the hall, and he almost panicked. Upon entering the hospital, Dean had been questioned by the attending doctor. She had asked how Catherine was injured, and then she had asked Dean if he was any relation. Dean had known he was about to be shunted aside and had quickly answered yes. That he was Dean Chase, husband to Catherine. He had then introduced Sam as his brother Sam Chase.
Sam had almost chocked on a nervous laugh, especially when he had looked down to see Dean's ever present silver ring on his left ring finger. The attitudes of the staff had changed, they had treated Dean with respect and allowed him to make Catherine's medical decisions.
Now though, the problem was that neither man had ID to back up their story. The hospital had accepted their word but the state police would be another matter. Sam gave the man approaching his attention, as the man came closer lifting his hat from his head Sam once again almost felt himself laugh.
Staring at him with a twinkle in his eye was Bobby, his state police uniform neatly pressed, a notepad in his hand. Sam had to close his eyes for a moment just to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating. Sam had called Bobby immediately upon arriving at the clinic, letting the hunter know what had happened and Catherine's status. Sam had also, wanted to make sure that Hannah had arrived safely although Sam had refused to talk to her.
At Bobby's kind look Sam almost felt himself tear up. It had been over twenty four hours since he had last slept. Bobby took pity on Sam, ushering him quickly into Catherine's room. He then turned and informed the nurse that he would be taking statements from the men and didn't want to be disturbed.
As Bobby shut the door behind him, he looked toward the hospital bed. He felt tears welling up in his own eyes. Over the last five years Catherine had become like a daughter to him, and the Winchester boys the son's he had never had. He had seen the three of them through some tough situations, but never anything like this. Bobby noted that Dean didn't even seem to realize that he had entered the room.
Bobby walked over to the bed, patting Sam on the shoulder as he did. When he finally approached he saw Dean glance up warily. At seeing Bobby though his face seemed to turn to stone, he carefully moved from the bed. At first Bobby had eyes only for the broken girl in front of him.
Bobby was first and foremost a hunter had been for longer than he cared to think about. He had seen plenty of injuries and had broken so many bones in his old body it was a wonder he wasn't crippled. Nothing though, none of it could have prepared him for the sight of Catherine.
To say she was bruised didn't convey enough, to say she was battered didn't do it justice. Bobby had seen corpses that looked better. He carefully reached out intending to touch her face, only to realize that every inch of her face was bruised. He settled for carefully touching her battered hand.
Bobby pulled out a handkerchief and quickly wiped his eyes and blew his nose. Then he shifted his focus to them man in front of him. Bobby noted the guilt in his eyes and searched his tired mind for some way to release Dean from that burden. He knew first hand what guilt could do to a person. In the end Bobby simply moved around the bed, and pulled Dean into his arms for a hug. At first Dean remained stiff, and then he slowly seemed to melt into the older man's arms.
Dean latched onto Bobby with surprising strength, he managed to hold back the sobs that threatened to overtake him. He couldn't stop the tears that ran down his face though. As Dean felt the pressure inside him realease, he realized that Bobby was speaking to him. "Not your fault, Dean, she would never want you to take the blame, it's a tough life and she's tougher than most." Useless words really thought Dean, however he receive some comfort from them.
Dean nodded at Bobby, and pushed back slowly. He moved away from the bed and headed into the adjoining bathroom, he hurriedly splashed cold water on his face. As he dried his hands he began to hear Catherine's heart monitor, go into alarm. He left the bathroom at a sprint and was back at her side as the nurse came in.
Dean looked up worriedly at the monitor attached to Catherine, he shot the nurse a look, and said, "I only stepped away for a moment."
The nurse quickly checked Catherine's vitals and shook her head. In all her years she had never seen something like this. The only thing that came close was that sometimes it happened to premature babies. Their vitals were only strong when in the presence of their mothers.
She nodded to the young man and patted his shoulder. "She's okay now; her vitals are back to where they were."
Dean carefully slid back on the bed next to Catherine, he sat with his back against the headboard and laid his hand carefully along her face. As his eyes rose to meet Bobby's he simply said, "I'm sorry, Bobby. She saved us."
Bobby pulled up a chair and pressed Sam into it, he then moved toward the far wall and made himself comfortable on the wall heater that was under the window. "Now, how about you start at the beginning, and tell me what the fuck happened."
