Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of the wonderful characters that I am taking on this journey.
Here is the latest chapter, sorry it took me so ling, life has bee hectic lately. Enjoy!
All mistakes are mine. I have no medical training so if there are any inaccuracies just go with it!.
Chapter 9
Sam's POV
What Else Could Possibly go Wrong?
Sam woke to the feeling of a cold, wet nose being nudged into his neck. It took him a moment to realise it was a dogs nose. He moved his hands to stop the nose from doing it again, he kept his eyes closed as when wasn't sure how lounge he had been out and the headache he was sporting may not do well with a bright afternoon sun.
"Sammy?... Open your eyes for me Sam, all the lights are off and the blinds are closed, please Sam, open your eyes, let me see your eyes" Dean almost begged for his little brother to open his eyes, the worry he felt and the shock at having witnessed another seizure had scared him to his core. How much more could Sam take before he was broken.
Sam was floating in a fuzzy, cloudy world, he could hear his brother but it was as if he was under water, he licked his dry lips and swallowed and cleared his throat. His brother spoke again and Sam felt his warm hand on his forehead, stroking softly, soothing his pounding head. As the murky unconsciousness he had been submerged, began to clear, Sam sighed deeply and fluttered his eyelids but moaned when his eyes wouldn't open, he felt Dean wipe his face with a cool facecloth and Sam tried again to open his eyes, he blinked a few times as his vision cleared seeing his brothers worried face above him. "Hhmm, D..Dean?" Sam said in a whisper.
"I'm right here, It's ok Sammy, you're alright buddy" Dean replied softy, slightly worried that his brother was so out of it.
"Aahh, I... What happened?" Sam's memory was foggy at best, the last thing he remembered was bringing Finny back to his apartment.
"You had a seizure Sam... and Little Finn... He licked your fingers and stopped it somehow, I think he's worth more money man..." Dean was sitting on the edge of Sam's bed holding the little puppy who was watching them, waiting for the go ahead to go to his master.
"Oh wow... Really? That's... That's... I'm sorry" Sam's head was all over the place.
"What are you apologising for Sammy? It not your fault..." Deans furrowed his brow in confusion. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Nothing... It's nothing" Sam realised his mistake too late, showing his weakness.
"No, it's not nothing, what did you mean Sammy... Please tell me" Dean said gently, concerned for his brothers state of mind.
"Well... I feel like... If one more thing happens to me... You're going to get sick of it and leave..." Sam looked away, feeling incredibly weak and emotional. "It's silly, I know"
Dean stared at his brother like he was an alien. "Are you high?... Sammy?... You... I am not leaving you, I swear to you OK, I am staying here with you. You're not a burden and you being injured and sick is not going to make me want to go anywhere but right here with you... Got it" Dean hoped his little brother would believe him, but he could see the uncertainty on his little brothers face.
"Yeah, I got it" Sam said unconvincingly. He honestly thought that if one more thing was piled on top of the mountain of crap that had happened to him, that Dean would not hesitate to leave his sorry ass. He had done it once, he could do it again. Technically Sam had been the one to leave but deep down, when he had said he wanted to leave, he thought it was what his brother wanted, that he couldn't stand to be in the same state let alone room as him anymore. There was too much between them, too many lies, mistrust and betrayal and in the dark recesses of his heart, he had hoped that Dean would make him stay, tell him he needed him, couldn't bear to see him go... But it hadn't gone that way, it was tragic to think that even though he had been the one to walk away, he had felt like he was being left behind. It broke something inside him, something that even now, with his big brother mere centimetres away from him, could not be repaired.
As if reading his mind Dean leant forward and touched Sam's hand, getting his attention "Hey, Sam... I mean it... I know after everything, you still believe that I want to get as far away from you as possible... but... when you left... I woke up every morning and found myself looking to the other bed, the empty passenger seat, a partner walking beside me... I missed you like crazy... I only had myself to blame. My stupid, stubborn, pride... I don't blame you for leaving, I could feel your guilt coming off you in waves, but I was so angry, I wanted you to suffer... Unfortunately, you suffered more than you deserved, I'm the one who should be sorry here Sammy"
Sam looked away, not entirely convinced, he always felt like his brother was just saying this stuff to make him feel better but the genuine concern and affection on his brothers face made him smile. "It... It's not your fault Dean... I... I just made so many bad choices, I wouldn't be surprised if you left, I wouldn't blame you..." Sam breathed a deep shuddery breath.
Dean ground his teeth together, his brothers self loathing was killing him. He had to nip this in the bud now. Dean left forward and grabbed his brothers face so he would listen to him. "Sammy, listen to me ok, I don't want to have to repeat myself again, I want you to actually hear me and have it stick in that freaky head of yours alright... I'm not leaving you, I want to be here with you, I missed you and I'm sorry that I made you think for even one second that you were a burden, or that I never wanted to see you again. I wish to god I hadn't let you walk away because you believed all that. Please! Please believe me Sammy, I was wrong" Dean blinked a few times to clear his suddenly wet eyes.
Sam looked up at his brother and saw the unshed tears in his eyes and made a notice like he was holding in a sob, his hand coming up to his face to hold his tears in but failing. His brother arms came around him and he felt deans hands pushing his head to rest against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Sam started chanting between sobs, his brother whispered continuous encouraging things to his younger brother.
His brother got himself under control quickly but breathed if the smell of his brother deeply to calm his nerves and his emotions. That smell was one from his childhood, one of comfort, stability, affection and home.
Sam leant back, wiping his eyes he chuckled embarrassed that yet again he had cried on his brothers shoulder.
"Hey, stop that, I know your embarrassed but you don't need to be, I am on your side" Dean had his hand on Sam's neck giving him encouragement and conform without him realising it.
"Ok, sorry, I mean... Sorry... Damn it" Sam said looking away, then he started chuckling to himself.
Dean smiled, loving that sound "Alright, alright, hahaha, it's a habit you'll have to break... I get it, let's get you up so you can have your shower, because you have a therapy session in an hour" Deans inner big brother came out to keep his brothers mind on the important job of getting healthy and strong.
Dean helped his little brother to sit up and to stand, holding him up and gain his balance, then to shuffle to the bathroom. Once in the room however he left his brother to it, but stood outside the door, listening for any calls of his name or any signs of distress. When the water turned off and Dean heard his brothers feet slap on the tiled floor, he gathered clothes and cane for his brother and shoved them through the door to his brothers waiting hands.
Waiting outside the door for his brother to emerge was a study in patience that Dean had never been a master of. His brother opened the door and a cloud of steam swooshed into the room making Finn run around trying to catch the warm air. "You ready to go?" Dean asked his brother who moved with his cane towards his bed and sat down to put his shoes and socks on. Dean picked the puppy up and put his lead on him and it'd him up in the laundry with his bowl of water and dried food incase he got hungry and some newspaper for his business.
"Ok let's go Sammy" going through the door and locking it and moved towards the impala then drive to his appointment. Happy that he and his brother had come to an understanding.
His physical therapy session was as grouling as it always was but with his muscles sore and tight from his seizures, this one was extra hard. His brother had gone out to buy supplies from the store down the street, so he was alone with his therapist. He was about to start the next set of weights, when he felt himself being pulled up and a blindfold being roughly tied across his eyes and being dragged to the change rooms all the while he heard screaming and yelling from his therapist and the other patients.
The hands that had dragged him through the sweat scented change room and into laundry, then through a pair of swinging doors to a back docking area, were now throwing him to the ground, uncaring of his preexisting injuries. Then a voice spoke in his ear that he thought he would never hear again. "Did ya miss me Sammy?" A fist suddenly came at his face, making hi squeeze his eyes shut at the pain, then another slammed into his jaw, then another into his eye, Sam felt pain radiating across his whole face from the multiple injuries.
A barrage of fists rained down on him, his stomach, his chest, knocking the breath out of him, kicks to his arms, legs and his back, his hip and shoulder protesting at the abuse.
Fear swept over Sam in a wave, he thought he had finally found a place far enough away from his nightmares but he was wrong. No where was ever far enough away.
"What?... W...What do you want with me?" Sam stammered, his jaw aching with the movement of speech.
"I want you to pay... for what you did" Tim sneered. Taking out his knife from its sheath at his waist, Tim slammed it into Sam's leg, smiling at the scream of pain from the young man.
"Haven't I paid enough for my crimes?" Sam said shakily, the pain was intense and he feared that this was going to be the end of his short life, at least his brother was safe, he would not have to watch his pathetic weakness, his fear of these hunters who had come to take their pound of flesh. What they took from him last time, had not been enough.
"You can never pay enough... Monster!" Another voice piped up on his other side, his left eye swollen, his jaw bruising, Sam moaned as he was kicked again. "We weren't finished with you last time... We were interrupted... Some good samaritan saved you... But no one is going to stop us now!" Tim pulled Sam up and held him against the wall by his throat and said "We will make you pay for starting the apocalypse and for sending our friend to the slaughter" Reggie punched Sam square in the stomach, relishing at the cry of pain.
Dean drove up to Sam's physical therapists building and immediately his hunters instincts started ringing like a bell, he could sense the fear from the inhabitants inside. Dean opened the drivers side door slowly, trying to minimise the creak, he pushed the door closed instead of his usual slam, then checked his Taurus was in the small of his back, his knife was still in its sheath around his ankle. He walked to the trunk and quietly opened it and pulled out a handful of silver bullets and iron rounds, as well as a flask of holy water and a small canister of salt.
Looking up at the door he squared his shoulders and prepared himself for what ever he might find. Waking through the door he saw the staff and patients huddled in the common area, they pointed towards the gym when he caught the managers eye.
Dean walked carefully toward the gym, seeing more patients and staff comforting each other, he shushed them and they pointed toward a change room. Dean moved quickly and quietly along, until he came to the doorway to the docking area and looked around quickly to see two men, one holding Sam by the throat and the other punching the crap out of him. His big brother instincts kicked into overdrive and he felt the urge to shoot them both in the head for what they were doing to his brother, instead he took a deep breath and listened to what they were saying.
"His brother isn't even here... he must have finally left his ass!" Reggie started punching Sam in the stomach over and over, relishing in the harsh screams and strained moans coming from the young hunter. Sam dropped his head and let the pain flow through him, the lack of oxygen, making his head swim, it was what he deserved so they said, but the hope warming his heart from his brothers promises kept him from giving up.
The hand holding him up squeezed harder, making Sam gasp and wheeze for breath. "You know I should buy your brother a few beers, he abandoned you, let us real hunters take over... He must be relieved to finally kick you to the kerb"
"Get the hell away from my brother, right the hell now!" Dean yelled at the two hunters who had just made it to the top of his 'Deadman' list. Training his pistol on the two hunters as they moved away from his brother, not before unceremoniously dropping him to the ground with a thud, Dean cast a critical eye over his brother who was breathing weakly and moaned in pain as he moved to sit up. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and holding himself across his abdomen with an obviously broken arm.
"You want to tell me what the hell is going on? Why are you after Sam?" Dean asked to the men stupid enough to hurt his little brother.
"Your kidding right?, this... Monster started the apocalypse man, drank demon blood to do it too... He turned himself into... this!" Tim sneered.
Reggie piped in "We tried to use that to our advantage last time, but he was out of the game" looking at Sam in disgust.
Dean shot his brother a look, he hadn't known Sam had met any hunters while they were separated. The story just kept getting more and more interesting.
"Last time?" Dean wanted to know what had caused these lunatics to come after his little brother.
"Yeah, you guys had split up, smart move by the way... We found him in some bar, Bobby told us he was there and that he had found a job... It went south... Then we wanted him to hulk out and kill some demons" Tim glared at Sam who now had his head hanging down and his fringe in his eyes, to cover the shame and guilt he carried on his face.
"What? Hulk out?" Dean did not like where this was going.
"Yeah, we gave him some blood so he would kill those demons who killed Steve, because he was too chicken to clean up his own mistakes" Tim didn't realise he was digging his own grave.
"You gave him demon blood? He was clean! He was out of the game!" Dean shook his head at the stupidity and idiocy of these two men, to think that they could hurt his little brother and get away with it. Sam had paid for his crimes ten fold and now they wanted to take more from him.
"Well, we tried to give it too him anyway, but he wasted it, spat it out at us, so we took it out on his hide instead... The sounds of his bones breaking, blood splattering, was music to my ears!" Reggie was proud of what they had done to the youngest Winchester, so much so that he was bragging to the broken mans brother... Stupid move.
Realisation came to Dean in that instant. This is what Sam had alluded too, these hunters had beaten him to a pulp because they believed he was a monster. Pride swept through him that his brother had spat the blood in these scumbags faces. "You... You honestly believe that you would get away with what you did! You left him for dead! and you don't even care!" Dean clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth together.
"We wanted to end him for what he did, but we were interrupted, you should,be thanking us" Tim was stupid enough to say.
"You don't touch my brother and get away with it" Dean walked right up to Tim and punched him in the face, breaking his nose, blood pouring from it in a stream.
Reggie moved to save his friend and attack Dean, when a gun was fired and he felt hot pain in his knee and he fell to the ground, screaming in agony. Sam held his pistol with shaky hands, his eyes blurry and his skin glistening with a layer of sweat. "Hurry De'n" Sam said weakly and crumpled back against the wall he had been leaning against, his pistol resting against his outstretched leg, not really able to pick it up again, even if he had too. Sam was panting for much needed oxygen, pain radiated from his abdomen making him realise he had broken ribs from the numerous kicks with steal capped boots he had taken.
"Alright Sammy, you did good, just rest and I'll take care of these two... A##holes" Dean was certain that his brother would not hesitate to kill these men, who had almost killed him. Even after everything, his brother would protect the innocent but when they started hurting people then they were fair game.
"You know, my brother is a better man than the two of you combined... He let you live. Well not this time. You have no idea who you are dealing with, who you just made an enemy of. I have something up my sleeve that you never thought existed... I have an angel and he will want nothing more than to obliterate you!" Dean punched Tim in the sternum, making him wheeze for breath. "CAS! Get your feathery ass down here!" Dean yelled.
Sam shook his head and closed his eyes, he didn't know why his brother was lying about their angel friend helping them. Sam was certain he would rather shake hands with a demon than to help the man who started the apocalypse.
The sound of fluttering wings was heard and Cas appeared beside Dean as he held Tim against the wall. "You called, Dean" Cas said in his gruff, formal voice.
Sam's eyes shot open, surprised that Cas had appeared at all. He watched as Tim began to whimper in fear and try to move away from his brother and the angel. "This vermin and his partner, hurt Sam, beat him to a pulp... Twice, they tried to kill him. In my book that means they deserve to be punished... Slowly and creatively. Can you dispose of them for me, I don't really car about the method" Dean said not taking his eyes of the now crying man in front of him.
Cas glared at Tim and nodded, pulling him from Deans grasp. "Sure Dean... I know just the place" and with that, Tim and Reggie disappeared in a flourish.
"I hate it when he does that" Dean said with a smile, then when he turned to look at Sam his smile faded and he ran towards his fallen brother. "Sammy?, Sam... Sammy, look at me little brother" Dean rushed out in fear.
Sam opened his eyes to slits and looked straight at Dean, his glassy eyes so full of pain and shock that Dean wished he could bring Tim and Reggie back to life just so he could kill them himself... Slowly. Dean realised suddenly that his little brother was alone last time this happened, in so much pain with no one to comfort him or encourage and cheer him on when he eventually started getting better. This time, Dean would be there every step of the way.
"Sammy... I'm going to take you to the hospital ok, you have to keep breathing for me alright? Please Sammy, please, for me" Dean watched as his brother gave a small nod and took a shaky shallow breath, his broken ribs shooting pain throughout his whole body making it hard to breath. Sam blindly searched for Deans hand and when he found it his fingers were trembling from the beginning stages of shock. Knowing that would not be good for his little brothers injuries, Dean took his jacket off and placed it over his brother to keep him warm, the smell of home instantly making him sigh in comfort.
"I'm going to call 911 ok Sammy, just stay with me little brother" Dean said soothingly, not letting go of Sam's hand, Dean took his phone out of his pocket and dialled, waiting for someone to answer. "Yes, hello, my brother has be beaten, please we need your help" Dean relayed their location and chucked his phone to the ground once he was done and focused all his attention on his little brother. Dean took stock of his brothers injuries, broken bones, possible internal, back and head injuries. His brother was back were he had started all those months ago, the magnitude of that hit the older brother at full force. All the hard work Sam had done to get back on his feet, even with a permanent limp and a shoulder that would never been the same, he was still the strongest man he had ever known. The older brother just hoped that he would welcome his help this time around, would find it easier to deal with his injuries and make a faster recovery.
Not realising how long he had been kneeling there when suddenly paramedics came rushing through the door and started yelling orders at each other. Taking over the situation for his brothers care, Dean did not let go of Sam's hand, even when they tried tough his away, asking for more room. Dean simply moved out of their was but did not loose contact. "D'en" his little brother croaked out "No, please D'en don le'v me" Sam slurred out in a rush, trying to make his wishes heard.
"I'm here Sammy, I'm not leaving...I'll stay with you as long as I can ok Sammy" Dean kept up his soft encouraging words, keeping him calm. The paramedics had given up on getting him to move, he was a vital part of their patients recovery.
Sam was suddenly moved to a stretcher and they started moving as a group, out through the gym and through the doors to the ambulance. All the scared staff and patients stared at them as they passed. Dean was not surprised most looked sad and worried for his brother because no matter what had happened, Sam still made an impression wherever he went.
Taking his seat beside his brother in the ambulance, he made a mental list of all the people he would have to contact, Anna, Bobby, Sam's boss at the library, his therapist... The list went on, his brother had made a life here, made friends, this was going to be an interesting experience, usually it was just the two of them comforting each other, not a whole town, a community.
The ambulance ride was uneventful, his brother was put on oxygen and a long list of injuries was written to be relayed to their patients doctor. They moved out of the ambulance and into the ER where everyone seemed to move at once, Dean lost his grip on his little brother as Sam was rushed through the doors. Alone, standing in front of the now closed doors the older brothers was shocked at the speed that they had moved and he was now left in the quiet of the ER waiting room and his own thoughts.
The doctor looked down at his patient, who was a mixture of cuts, bruises and a multitude of injures, he'd realised he recognised his face... "Sam?" He asked and the patients head moved at the name. "God Sam, what's happened?" The doctor shook his head and got back to the business of relaying his orders for the patients care and for surgery. The young man in front of him had multiple broken bones that would need fusing, a collapsed lung and a badly bruised spleen. X-rays, CT scans and tests galore will be needed in order to properly catalogue all of his injuries, but he needed to go to the waiting room, the paramedics said a brother had come in with Sam and the doctor wants to meet this man, Sam had no one last time he was rushed to hospital with near life threatening injures. Why was the brother here and how did this happen again.
Dean sat in the most uncomfortable chair in the history of the world. He was about to get up and sit on the floor because surely it would be better than this plastic abomination when the doors opened and a doctor came out and simply said "Dean?... Family of a Samuel Campbell?" Dean shot up and walked toward the doctor.
Taking in the man walking toward him, he could see the similarities between this man and his patient, however he did had a had edge to him that perhaps was the reason for their separation. "I'm Dean, how's Sam?" Dean asked worry written all over his face.
"I'm Doctor Pablo Marquez, I'm looking after your brother, come this way please" they started walking through the ER doors, as they walked through the hospital the doctor continued to talk. "Sam is being prepared for a number of tests and scans at the moment but before we send him into surgery, I wanted to speak to you... I was Sam's doctor when he was brought in the first time... with injuries similar to these, much worse, mind you but still..." Dean looked to the tall, dark haired hispanic man walking beside him, his first impressions were of a professional but sympathetic man who understood the importance of honesty. The doctor watched the older brother and his face only held worry for the young man somewhere in this hospital. "I wanted to find out where you were when Sam was first brought in, he said he had nobody, but here you are, living and breathing and I don't want to ask this but I have a duty of care for your brother, because it's suspicious that you were missing when Sam was first hurt, now your back and Sam has once again been hurt... Did you do this to Sam?" Doctor Marquez asked cautiously.
Deans face showed no emotion but deep inside it was shocked, how could anyone ask that of him, Dean would never hurt Sam this way. Thinking about what the doctor said however about his first last attack had Dean crashing back to reality and focused on the doctors face. They had now stopped in a hallway with closed hospital rooms and windows on both sides. Dean took a deep breath and said "No Sir, I have not and will not, ever, hurt my little brother." Dean looked and said "We needed some time apart... We both had some issues we needed to sort out and... Doing it separately seemed like a good idea at the time" Dean knew it was a vague answer but he wasn't going to tell this man the truth.
"I came to town recently on business and I stumbled upon Sam one day and we've been getting to know each other again, be brothers again... All I know about his injuries, this time and last time was that someone attached him, an old grudge or something... And they came after him again... me being here, is total coincidence" Dean finished with a look that would have made Sam jealous, pure worried big brother, sad eyes and a trembling lip. Not that Dean wasn't worried or that his emotions about the whole situation weren't bubbling away just under the surface, waiting to come out.
"I see... You know Sam said that he had no one to contact, that he was on his own, at the time I let it go but now I know, after watching him battle depression and helping him get better, that he just didn't want to burden anyone... Sam doesn't think too highly of himself does he?" The doctor asked, knowing the man I front of him, knew exactly what he was talking about.
"No sir he does not... Sam's always been like that though... Trying to be invisible, to cruise by under the radar... Too bad he's so tall" Dean said with a smirk, the doctor chuckled and nodded his head.
"Indeed... Well this is Sam's room, I'm convinced that you had nothing to do with Sam's injuries, however I do suggest that whatever separated you in the first place, you should stow it for another time... Sam is going to need you, he's got a lot of work ahead of him and depression is the last thing he needs"
"Actually, I just bought him a puppy as a gift and he seemed to respond to it, the dog practically saved him from one of his seizures, so I was hoping, maybe when he's awake and healed up some, that I could bring him in to see Sam... I really think it'll help his recovery" Dean knew his brother would love to see Finn, even though he had owned him for a few short days, Dean could tell Sam loved the puppy to bits.
"Certainly, that's a wonderful, idea, it definitely sounds like the dog is in tuned with its new owner, you can bring the dog in, once Sam is at least 70% better than he is now." The doctor put his hand out to shake the older brothers hand "Please press the call button if Sam needs anything, it's been nice to meet you and I'm sure we will get Sam through this, he should be back in his room shortly, as I said he's going through some tests at the moment, once they are done he can come back here and when the results come back, I can then give you a full rundown of his injuries"
Dean nodded his head and said "Alright, thank you doctor, for now and last time, you helped save my brother life, that's no small thing in my book" he patted the doctor on the shoulder and they walked in different directions, Sam's doctor to his other patients and Dean to his brothers room.
Walking through the door, he found an empty room with a mildly comfortable chair to one side, a large window with the blinds and curtains open, Dean walked over to the window, gave a quick glance outside and closed the blinds, allowing a little light to come through but not the sharp stream that was sure to half blind his little brother when he came back from surgery. Sam had always been sensitive to light, even when he was a kid, he would get headaches, head colds or even the flu and one of the things Dean learned quickly was to close all blinds and curtains so Sam didn't have to suffer more than he already did. Dean wasn't sure how injured his little brother was but he knew that he would have a long hard road ahead of him.
Taking out his phone, he dialled Bobby's phone, he had to tell the older hunter, even after everything that had happened with Sam, he still cared about the youngest Winchester like a son and had actually blasted Dean for letting him leave and for not calling him and bringing him back, the bearded hunter had. Issued Sam like crazy but could not get between the brother so had taken a step back. "Yeah" Bobby answered gruffly.
"Hey Bobby, how are you?" Dean asked relieved to speak to someone familiar.
"Hey I'm fine, not dancing a jig anytime soon but... What's goin on? You never call just to say hey" Bobby was an ornery old man but he knew the Winchesters like the back of his hand.
"Well... Um... 'Sigh'... Fine, here it is... Sam was beaten by the same a'holes who got their mitts on him last time and he's in the hospital, it's pretty bad" Dean told the father figure, he could really use his guidance.
"Damn it!... Who was it, did you see who it was?" Bobby asked, clearly wanting revenge for the youngest member of their little family.
"Sam was having physical therapy and they took out to to a docking area and were beating the living hell out of him... It was Tim and Reggie..., do you know them, buy the way, they were ranting about you telling them were Sam was and that he had a job for them" Dean asked, not really accusing him of anything but he must have said something and unsuspectingly gave then cart blanch to take out their frustrations out on my little brother!" Dean was getting all worked up again and took a deep breath, those two were wishing they had left Sam alone, sometimes Dean wondered whether angels were the better torturers, they seemed so... creative.
"What! Shit! I told them Sam was in the area and he had found a job, but couldn't take it... damn it, I didn't mean for this to happen though!" Bobby seemed genuinely upset, disappointed, and angry that they had hurt the youngest Winchester.
"Well, it's not your fault... They lost one of their friends and took it all out on Sam... Bobby, Sam's hurt bad... He might need surgery... He's having all sorts of tests now, but the doc can't give me a list of his injuries yet, so I'm waiting... the waiting is killing me" Dean was now pacing the hospital room, working off his frustration with the of lack of knowledge about whether his brother was alive or dead.
"Well, don't give up on him now... I'm on my way Dean, don't you get all caught up in your own head, just keep thinking about Sam and getting him through this" Bobby's gruff but gentle voice came down the phone line, helping Dean to get his thoughts together.
"Okay, alright sorry Bobby, I just... How long will it take for you to get here?" Dean asked needing to see the older hunter moe than he realised.
"Well, to drive there will take me a few days at least... I'll find a way to get there faster, don't worry Dean you won't be alone son" Bobby liked to think he knew the Winchesters pretty well, especially the eldest, he always had this mask on that showed a strong, self reliant young man, but underneath he was a scared little boy who was afraid of abandonment and being alone. He would literally die for his family.
Dean nodded his head "Thanks Bobby... you're a life saver"
"Yeah, yeah, just don't get into any trouble, I'll be there as quick as I can" Bobby said cryptically, Dean tilted his head to one side and thought, as long as he doesn't cast a spell to him himself wings, he'd be fine with what ever mode of transportation he could find. Dean was really on the edge of his tolerance. He didn't know how much more he could take.
His brother had been getting tests for what felt like hours, when the doors were suddenly opened and a bed holding with his sleeping little brother came into the room along with half a dozen nurses, orderlies and Doctor Marquez. Dean noticed that Sam now had a few extra accessories than when he left. His right arm and left foot were in a cast, the blood and dirt had been cleaned off him and his hair had been brushed.
"Hey Sammy" Dean said softly as he stood up and touched his brothers cool hand as the nurses attached all sorts of colourful wires to Sam's bare chest and an oxygen mask over his face.
Once everything was connected and beeping away, everyone but the doctor left Sam's room. Dr Marquez scribbled something on Sam's chart then looked up at Dean and smiled. "Dean, your brother was extremely lucky, we finally have the results from all the tests we conducted and compared to the last time Sam was brought in, he is doing a lot better, considering." Dr Marquez looked at the eldest Winchester to make sure he understood that even though his injuries are considerable, he is doing a lot better than his previous attack.
"Alright... So, as you can see he has a number of broken bones, his right arm was broken and his left ankle which should heal up nicely. He has three broken ribs and a bruised sternum which will make breathing deeply difficult and his lower back is quite bruised which has caused some swelling around his spine, so if Sam wants to get back to walking around, he must have complete bed rest, for the next couple of weeks, at least. His eye is bruised up and his jaw took a bit of a knock, it's not broken but he is going to hurt for quite some time. The bruising to his throat caused it to swell, so we had to intubate him initially, as it prevented him from breathing comfortably, this swelling has since gone down enough for us to remove the tube. Now the injury that I am most worried about is his right ear, during the beating, he must have been kicked in the head a number of times and at one point it must have been directed at his ear because his ear drum has been perforated"
"So what does that mean... Is Sam going to be deaf?" Dean asked worriedly not liking the way the doctor looked away at his question.
"Well we won't know for sure, we have to wait and see, the ear is a tricky thing, it can heal on its own, or the damage could be more severe, we just have to wait and see. I feel Sam will hear again but I just want to be realistic" the doctor told Dean sympathetically.
"All these injuries combined will delay Sam's recovery from his previous attack but I think, having you here this time, along with Anna and your uncle Bobby, will help him considerably" Dr Marquez remembered all to well his patient being so depressed and angry that he doubted his recovery, then he had met Anna and he strove to get better.
Dean looked a little shocked at first by the long list of injuries but was thankful that it wasn't worse. He was worried beyond reason that his brother was in pain and will have to go through the hell of physical therapy all over again. Dr Marquez moved beside him and he was brought out of his thoughts.
"I'll come by and check on Sam after I've checked on my other patients, if he wakes up in pain, he has morphine that he can self administer, it's in one shots so he can just press it and the pain will ease off. I'll leave you to spend time with your brother"
"Thanks Dr Marquez, for everything" Dean was honestly thankful that this doctor had saved his little brothers life, twice now.
"No problem, really it's my job. I'm just glad that Sam will have someone to keep him grounded this time" and with that Dr Marquez left Dean alone a h his silent and unmoving little brother, the beep, beep on the mashies his only indication the Sam was even alive.
Dean settled in for a long night, his brother would be asleep for a few hours yet.
Sam emerged from the blackness of slumber as if he was rising to the top of a lake, sounds where muffled, light was murky and blurred. He could here three distinctive voices, two male and one female. The first one he heard clearly was without a doubt Bobby, he would recognise the gruff gentleness anywhere. "I didn't mean for Sam to get hurt Dean, it just happened... You know I would never put Sam in danger on purpose" Bobby sounded almost insulted that his affection and worry for the two brothers wasn't equal.
"I know not on purpose Bobby, but surely you knew not to mention his location, in the first place... They could have killed him Bobby" that was Deans full blown mother hen voice. He hadn't heard that voice in a long time, maybe from just after his return from hell, before Dean found out what he had been doing with Ruby. Or as Sam liked to call it the biggest mistake of his life.
Then between the two gruff voices of Bobby and Dean, came a strong, sensible and honest voice of a woman who had single handedly brought him back into the light.
Anna was there as he would expect. The first time around, once Sam had gotten strong enough to exercise around the ward, he and Anna had talked about anything and everything. He had somehow grown strong enough to shuffle around with crutches and a walker at one stage. But he hadn't come out from behind the depression be had buried himself neck deep in.
Sam fluttered his eyes and moaned when they were blasted with bright morning sunshine streaming in through the window. All three faces moved to look at him and moved at once, one to close the blind, another to press the call button and another to grab a hold of his had. "Sammy?" Dean was holding Sam's hand and was stroking the back to let his brother know he was there and he wasn't alone.
"Sam? You awake?..." Dr Marquez came through the door after hearing the page from Sam's room and had rushed in expecting the worst.
"Hhmm... Wha?" Sam whispered. His throat was so scratchy and his jaw aching that he could barely speak any louder.
"Try not to talk too much, your throat has been crushed and your jaw is bruised up, so you'll have to find alternative methods of communication" the doctor said, Dean already had an idea for Sam to communicate with them without abusing his voice any further.
"You're in the hospital Sam, do you remember what happened?" Dr Marquez asked his patient, realising he asked Sam to answer a question even after telling him he couldn't speak, however this particular patient was very smart.
Sam lifted his uninjured arm to Deans chest and spelled out 'Yes' with his finger, not caring how young he looked. Dean smiled at his brothers ingenuity and vowed to go on a shopping trip once Sam was asleep again.
Sam shivered when a wave of memories flowed over him and he shook his head, trying to remove the images from his mind. Dean with his warm hand, bringing him back to the present. "Hey, you're alright Sammy. Do you want some water?" Dean asked, knowing that after all the screaming he must have done while Tim and Reggie had him that his throat would be aching.
Again Sam spelled out 'Yes' on Deans chest, then spelt out 'Thanks' in gratitude to the older brother
"Alright, so do you want to know the verdict?" Dr Marquez asked.
Sam nodded his head, he remembered everything that had happened and as tired as he was, he couldn't imagine falling asleep right now, as the memories kept flooding his mind. He was sure that his nightmares would be vivid and distressing, he didn't want to put his brother through that as well as his seizures.
The doctor told Sam all about his injuries and about how they would be monitoring his hearing to see the degree of damage and whether it was permanent. "What about my legs... Will I walk again... I've worked so hard and now... I don't know if I can do all that by myself again" Sam said a little afraid of the answer.
"Hey, Sammy, you're not on your own this time, okay, I promise you, I'll be here every step of the way" Dean chimed in, his little brother still had trouble remembering that Dean was going to stay with him, he had said so many times now and Sam had to start believing it, or Dean might just stop saying it.
Sam's hand again went to his big brothers chest again and spelt out 'OK'. Dean smiled down at the injured young man and squeezed his hand. His usual no chick flick moments rule out the window indefinitely. Somehow, Dean didn't seem to mind.
"I am optimistic that with physical therapy and your... persistence, you can get back to where you were. The swelling to your lower back is only temporary by the time it will take for it to go down, your muscles will loose their strength, so you will need to work them back up again but I know you can do it. You already proved everyone wrong, including me. Don't give up how alright... Like your brother said... We... will be here every step of the way" the doctor looked Sam right in the eyes and looked up, first to Dean, then bobby and finally to Anna who had been his saviour last time... In more ways than one. "Am I right?"
"Definitely Sam honey... I will be here for you, just like last time... I'm looking forward to our strolls around the ward... You don't want to disappoint me now do you?" Anna had to fight back tears when Sam shook his head, his glistening eyes looking back at her.
"He's right Sam... I'll be here too... Just... Can we stow all this oestrogen please?" Bobby asked picking up his ball cap and putting it back down, a familiar gesture that the father figure was uncomfortable, Sam thought he would never see it again... After the disaster he created, he thought his whole family had disowned him, not that he was all that surprised but now that they were standing in front of him, he fought his emotions as his breath quickened and tears threatened to fall again.
"See Sammy... You're not alone" Dean said gently, brushing some hair out of Sam's face and then wiping the tears from his cheeks. Sam's eyes blinked in exhaustion, his emotions tiring him out faster than he thought possible. These people encircling him now could be his reason to get out of bed every morning from here on out, they could be his saviours, if only Sam could get past the fact that Lucifier was sitting on the end of the bed laughing at him.
'This isn't real Sam! You said yes to me and this is all in your head!' He could hear Lucifer taunting him, Sam felt tears sting his eyes again, he wanted these people to be real but Lucifer looked real too... How could Sam possibly tell which was real and which was a horrible nightmare!
TBC
