Disclaimer: refer to chapter one
NOTE TO READERS: Thank you once again to everyone that takes the time to read and send me a personal PM or leave a review. I appreciate it! I hope you're still enjoying the story. This chapter is around 8 pages long. Happy Reading, I hope!
Chapter Seven
Borrowed Hope
By Dawn Nyberg
"…When the fog has finally lifted from my cold and tired brow, no I will not leave you crying and I will not let you down…" Lyric excerpt from Rob Thomas, Now Comes the Night
Two Hours Later, ICU Waiting Room
The waiting room was quiet as Dean paced and Bobby watched him pace. "Dean, please sit down before you end up back in this place as a patient.
"It's been an hour Bobby, something's wrong…"
"Dean," Bobby started. "Sam's gonna be okay, alright? This is just a little speed bump on the shit road we've all been on since the car accident." Bobby leveled a hard look at the young hunter. "Now, sit your ass down boy before I put it in a seat myself." Dean sat with a scowl on his face but he sat and that was all that Bobby wanted.
"He was out cold Bobby and the hurling … what if it's bad?" Dean's eyes were wide and slightly liquid with worry. Bobby reached over and placed a broad hand on Dean's left knee and gave a reassuring squeeze.
"He'll be okay," Bobby tried to console.
"But what if…"
"No, what if Dean," Bobby chided. "Whatever nightmare scenarios you've got going on in that stubborn head of yours just let them go, okay? Whatever is wrong, if anything," Bobby asserted the if to make his point clear. "If anything is wrong we'll handle it together, you hear me?"
"Yes, sir," Dean replied quietly.
"Gentlemen," a familiar voice came from the doorway. Both Dean and Bobby stood immediately.
"How's my brother? What's wrong? What are you doing for him? He's okay, right?" The doctor blinked at Dean for a moment stunned into silence from the young man's machine gun paced questions. Dean stood wide-eyed at the physicians continued silence and he felt the bile begin to creep up his throat.
"He's okay, he's not …" Dean's voice shook as he trembled at the thought he was just about to be told he'd lost the last of his family, his little brother. Bobby had stepped forward placing a supportive hand under Dean's elbow as the young hunter seemed to sway slightly.
"What? No, he's okay," the doctor blurted suddenly as he realized what his moment of stunned silence had caused Dean to think. Dean was the one to blink now.
"Okay? He's okay," he pressed. "But, he threw up and passed out that's not okay."
"I would have been in here sooner but I wanted to complete the MRI and run a test or two to rule out a couple things but the long and short of it is Sam suffered from a sudden onset case of vertigo."
"Vertigo?"
"Yes, vertigo, it can cause severe dizziness and nausea. For Sam it was sort of like being stuck on one of those spinning rides at an amusement park." Now, that analogy worked for Dean and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Yeah, Sammy never did that great on those things … spinning barrels, teacups or the Tilt-a-Whirl, he always ended up a little green and puking into the nearest trashcan." Bobby shook his head slightly at Dean's puking into the nearest trashcan explanation.
"Well, he's stable and this hasn't caused any setbacks for him medically. I've given him something for the nausea and the dizziness. He's resting now."
"We let him push too hard didn't we?" Bobby asked feeling guilty that he had dropped the ball somehow.
"Bobby, it's my fault I should have told him once around the nurse's station was enough. I let him go down the hall…"
"Neither of you are to blame for this," the doctor assured. "Look Sam's a grown man and he pushed himself more than he should have. He's going to be okay. I'm keeping him in the ICU through today and I'm arranging for him to be put in the stepdown unit tomorrow and I'm hoping to get him discharged in another couple days or so."
"Really?" Dean could mask the hopefulness in his voice. The doctor smiled.
"Yes, baring any changes he should be ready for discharge in a couple days or so."
"Dr. Helman, I'd like to take the boys back to my place in Sioux City when Sam gets his walking papers will that be a problem?"
"I don't think so, although it may be prudent to give Sam a couple days here in town to rest before enduring the long car ride, actually both Sam and Dean could use a good couple days of solid R&R before heading to your place. I'll arrange for some pain prescriptions for Sam and Dean you're taking your meds right?"
"At night doc but they knock me out so I don't during the day," Dean answered honestly.
"I'll write you a script for something that shouldn't knock you out during the day, but I don't want you in pain, okay? If you're in pain your body is going to take longer to heal. You and Sam were both severely injured and both of you need the rest." Dean nodded.
"Can I see Sam now?" Dean asked.
"Sure."
"Dean you go ahead," Bobby spoke evenly. "I want to ask the doc some more questions about getting you and Sam back home." Dean nodded and left, he knew Bobby just wanted to cover all his bases to make sure they wouldn't be at risk driving for a few hours.
Moments Later, Sam's Room
Dean sat watching his little brother sleep. Sam's hair was mussed and Dean couldn't help the small smile that crept across his mouth at the sight of his sibling. Sam looked all of ten years old as he slept. His color wasn't up to par and Dean hated the almost milk white pallor of his brother's skin but he took comfort in the fact that the doctor had assured him his brother really was okay.
"You scared the crap outta me Sammy," Dean spoke softly trying not to wake his slumbering brother. "And, hurling in public man …" Dean kidded quietly. He reached up and took Sam's hand in his own and began to gently stroke his thumb over the top of his brother hand. He smiled as Sam's fingers curled around his hand as he slept. "I'm here kiddo," he assured.
One Hour Later
"I'm okay Dean," Sam's voice was quiet. "Bobby make him go back to the motel and rest," Sam turned pleading eyes to the older hunter.
"Sammy, I'm fine," Dean answered bluntly.
"Your brother's right Dean you've been up on your feet and sitting in that chair too long. You need a soft bed, some clean sheets, a good meal and some solid sleep," Bobby spoke evenly.
"Dean, please," Sam turned on his puppy eyes, all wide, dark and imploring and Dean let out a long suffered sigh. The Sammy look was and always has been his greatest weakness.
"You'll be alone Sammy," Dean tried to counter. "You passed out man…"
"I know, but the doctor told you what it was, I'm fine. The medicine helped a lot. I'm just wiped out Dean and all I want to do is sleep, okay? Please, I'll sleep better knowing you're not running yourself into the ground 'cause of me, alright?"
"Fine," Dean huffed out. He didn't want to exhaust his brother with a fight and Bobby was giving him a look, too, so it was a lose-lose situation.
"Good," Bobby started. "Glad to see you got some sense in that head of yours."
"I want to be here early," Dean pushed.
"We will be," Bobby assured. "So, Sam kiddo you're going to be okay for the night?"
"Yeah, Bobby, just get Dean fed and watered," Sam offered a small tired smile.
"Will do."
"Hey, I'm still here ya know," Dean huffed with a hint of indignation.
"I know," Bobby replied. "Now, get your ass moving in the general direction of the door. We're leaving, so your brother can get some sleep. We'll be back in the morning Sam," Bobby looked the young man over. "If you need anything at all or want us back here just have the nurse call us okay … they have the motel number."
"I'm okay guys … go," Sam rolled his eyes.
The Next Day, 8:30 AM the Stepdown Unit
"It's after eight Bobby ... we should have got here earlier," Dean grumbled as he exited the elevator.
"Hey, at least Sam called this morning and said he was being moved to the Stepdown unit, so that's a good sign."
"Yeah, but I shoulda been here for him."
"He's a big boy Dean," Bobby countered with a soft smile.
"He's still my little brother," Dean's eyes firmly set in big brother mode. "It was cubicle 11, right?" Dean asked as he scanned the numbers by the small stepdown cubicles.
"Yeah."
Both men rounded the curtain that blocked the window view into cubicle 11 and Dean stopped so quickly that Bobby nearly ran into the back of him. "Where is he? Where's Sam?" Dean turned wide and panicked eyes toward Bobby.
"Relax Dean," Bobby tried to calm him. "Maybe they took him for some tests or something. Let's ask before you go off half-cocked."
Dean pushed passed the older hunter and went directly to the nurse's station a few feet away from Sam's cubicle. "May I help you?" a young blonde nurse looked up at Dean and had he not been near complete panic he'd have flashed her the Dean Winchester smile and hit on her, but ….
"My brother, Sam Crockett he's supposed to be in number 11 but he's not there he was transferred earlier this morning."
"Let me look," she pulled up Sam's records on the computer. "Oh, it says here that Dr. Helman had Sam taken to do some light physical therapy and he was scheduled for a chest x-ray just to check his post-operative status before his discharge."
"Physical therapy? He passed out just yesterday from just walking down a short hallway," Dean was seething. Bobby stood next to Dean sharing his sentiment.
"It's very light, mostly the doctor just wants to make sure that Sam is ready to be discharged. He should be back shortly. He was only scheduled for a forty-five minute session and the chest x-ray was done prior to his session. You can wait in his room if you'd like."
Ten Minutes Later
Dean stood up abruptly as he heard a wheelchair coming into the room. "Sam?"
"Hey guys, you been here long?" Sam looked tired and pale.
"You okay?" Dean searched his younger brother's face quickly. He helped the aide get his brother out of the chair and took over getting him into the bed. Dean pulled the sheet and blanket up and didn't realize he was tucking until Sam batted at his hand lightly. Dean offered a sheepish grin. "So, are you okay? I don't know what they were thinkin' making you do physical therapy."
""Sam, son, you feelin', okay?" Bobby asked gently.
"Yeah, Bobby, I'm okay," Sam answered. "The therapy wasn't like I was doing a track meet. They checked my breathing and had me walk a little back and forth and try sitting and standing with help. Nothing major."
"And the dizziness?" Bobby pushed.
"Nah, not really…"
"Not really? What's not really mean?" Dean jumped into the conversation. Sam offered a mild grin. His big brother was a pit bull when it came to him, so he'd humor him.
"Dean I spend most of my time over the last couple weeks or so on my back in a bed, so I'm not 100 percent but at least I wasn't hurling onto the floor. I'm gonna be okay."
"What about pain?" Sam offered an honest look at his brother and Bobby.
"Not gonna lie on a scale of 1 to 10 it's around a 6 or 7 but the med's help a lot and the doctor says it will get better."
"You look tired," Dean replied. "Why don't you get some sleep and Bobby and I will get you some real food from across the street. I'll smuggle in some contraband for you, how about something from the Golden Arches?"
"Dean, your brother hasn't had anything substantial or beyond hospital food for a while now and you think grease on a biscuit is going to help."
"Bobby's probably right Dean. I'd love something but I don't think it's a great idea. My breakfast will be delivered soon … why don't you and Bobby go grab something."
"Okay," Dean relented. "But, we're bringing it back and eating it in here, alright?"
"Yeah, I'll be here."
Breakfast had passed without incident and Sam had slept on and off through the early afternoon. Dr. Helman had come earlier and had announced that Sam would be released the day after tomorrow. Dean sat watching his brother sleep and he himself had obtained a sleeping chair that allowed him to stretch out and not over tax his healing body. Bobby had excused himself an hour ago to do some errands in preparation of Sam's discharge in a couple days and to make some phone calls. Sam moved slightly and his eyes blinked open and landed on his brother's face. Dean smiled as their eyes met.
"Hey sleeping beauty," he kidded with genuine affection.
"Hey," Sam replied. "You doing okay?" he asked as he surveyed his lounging big brother.
"Me? Yeah, I'm good, really," he assured.
"You comfortable? Not pushing?"
"Sam, stop the mother hen routine," he feigned frustration and failed miserably when he couldn't stop the grin that pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Between you and Bobby, I'm feeling a little smothered."
"Yeah, right," Sam offered an eye roll. "So, if you're feeling a little smothered, what should I be feeling, huh? Both you and Bobby hover…"
"That's different Sam, you could have died…"
"You too," Sam countered with frustration. Dean relented slightly.
"Okay, touché," he offered as an olive branch. "So, you seen the hot nurses in this unit, man," Dean wagged his eyebrows and attempted to change the subject. "I mean we're talking USDA prime choice selection dude."
"Dean you think with nothing but your downstairs brain."
"What are you saying Sammy?" Dean tried to sound petulant. "You callin' me a man whore little brother?"
"You said it not me," Sam chuckled and flinched slightly at the pain it caused his ribs.
"I'm hurt," Dean replied. Sam smiled a true smile.
"Dean, man, please, you're not a monk … you've seen more ass than a toilet seat."
Dean would have rolled in laughter if he could, so he settled for a light laugh that didn't hurt his ribs or sternum too much. This moment felt good.
To Be Continued
Okay, I think this story has one more chapter in its future, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to spare you a cliffhanger. As usual my schedule is a nightmare but I plan to update sometime next week probably the weekend sometime.
Thank you for reading!!
