The Pain Within Ch. 9

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Author's Note: Once again, I have no medical knowledge so please forgive glaring errors in treatment.

~~~~Supernatural~~~~

Previously: "Thanks Doc, I think we're good," John retorted, as he pulled up a chair to sit by his youngest child's bedside. He would be watching over his baby boy for the foreseeable future.

"Sammy, it's time to wake up now kiddo," John voiced softly as he brushed a hand through Sammy's chestnut brown locks trying to get him to wake up since the doctor thought it would be a good idea to get him to drink some juice. He didn't want Sammy's mouth to become too dry and painful from the after-effects of the anesthesia.

"M'tired, jus' wan' sleep," Sammy mumbled incoherently, snuggling a little further under the light blue hospital blanket, coveting the warmth that it presented.

"I know you are, but you need to try and drink something for me Tiger," John said as he tried to rouse his son once again. Sammy would be having his first dialysis treatment in the morning and they needed to get some nourishment into him as soon as possible.

"Don' wanna," Sammy sighed, emitting a big yawn without ever opening his eyes.

"Let me give it a try Dad," Dean said as he reached out for the cup of juice that had a straw placed in it to make it easier for Sammy to drink.

"Alright little man, time to open up," Dean said as he sat on the edge of Sammy's bed and placed a hand under his brother's head and gently lifted it up from the pillow.

"M'not thirsty De'," Sam complained as he obediently opened his mouth and allowed Dean to place the straw between his lips.

"I know you're not, but do it for me," Dean retorted, satisfied as he watched Sam begin to suck some of the apple juice up into the straw.

"Well I'll be damned," Bobby voiced as he watched Sammy do as requested by his big brother even though the kid had yet to fully awaken. Even with Sammy half asleep, Dean could still work his magic on the kid.

"Nothing to it," Dean grinned, ruffling his sibling's hair before nudging Sammy to take another sip. It felt good knowing that he could at least help his little brother now, since he couldn't be in the same room with him tomorrow during the dialysis procedure.

"Says you," John smirked, glad that Sammy had finally managed to get some of the juice in him. His youngest could sure be stubborn when he wanted to.

Snuggling closer to his brother as the sound of far away voices lulled him closer to sleep, Sam reached out and grasped the hem of his brother's shirt in his fist, something he did many times as a young toddler, before allowing himself to drift off completely.

"S'okay Tiger, I'm not going anywhere," Dean whispered as he nestled down into the bed and wrapped an arm around Sammy's waist. He would keep watch tonight and make sure his baby brother got a good night of sleep, as long as his stomach would leave him alone long enough to do so that is.

Walking over to grasp another blanket from the small closet in the hospital room, John unfolded it and placed it over both of his boys before tucking it in around them. Sure they were too big for him to do so, but hey, they were still his kids and he could baby them if he wanted to. Of course, his actions had nothing to do with the guilt he was still feeling over his boys getting so sick.

"Why don't we go get a cup of coffee while the boys sleep," Bobby encouraged as he stood up and stretched his weary frame. "It's going to be a long night."

"Yeah, sounds good," John agreed, taking one last look at his boys before turning off the overhead light leaving his boys bathed in the soft illumination of the night light at the head of his son's hospital bed. He just hoped he wouldn't catch flack from the night nurse for not being in bed himself. He really was beginning to feel better.

~~Supernatural~~

John was awakened early the next morning as the sound of soft soled shoes pattered across the floor. Opening his eyes, he glanced up from his own hospital bed to see a nurse quietly approaching the bed his sons slept in with a blood pressure cuff in her hands.

"Something wrong?" John inquired as he sat up in his own bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"No, I just needed to check Sam's vital signs to make sure he is up to having his dialysis treatment done this morning," the nurse answered as she grasped Sam's arm and wrapped the cuff around it, making sure not disturb either boy. "Sorry I woke you."

"S'alright," John voiced as he scooted out of the bed in his rumpled pajama scrubs and walked over to where his boys lay sleeping. Tugging a hand through his unkempt hair, he sighed as he thought about the treatment ahead and how it would affect his youngest child.

"So when does the doctor plan on doing the treatment?" John inquired in an angst ridden voice, as he noticed Bobby starting to awaken on the other side of the room.

"Sometime after breakfast, which should be arriving within the next few minutes," Nurse Lisa answered with a smile as she removed the cuff from Sam's arm. "Try not to worry John, everything will be alright."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right," John agreed, walking over to sit down in the chair beside his son's bed. He couldn't help but notice how both of his boys looked so innocent in sleep.

Hearing the sound of the door open. Lisa glanced over to see a candy striper entered the room pushing a cart with the family's breakfast trays on it. Knowing that the family needed to spend a little time alone, she said, "Enjoy your breakfast, I'll be back in around an hour or so to get Sam for his treatment." With those words, she quietly left the room.

Reaching over to wake his boys as the nurse left, John whispered a silent prayer that Lisa was indeed right. He didn't think he could handle anything else going wrong. His family had already been through enough to last them a lifetime.

~~Supernatural~~

Once the family had finished their breakfast and Sam had been given a sponge bath, Lisa returned to the room pushing a wheelchair in front of her. "Hey sweetie, it's time for you to take a ride," she informed the youngest Winchester with the brightest smile she could muster.

"De, I'm scared," Sammy whispered, turning away from the nurse and towards his brother with tears shining in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, there's no reason to be scared little dude. Dad's gonna be in there with ya the whole time and I'll be right outside the window where you can see me," Dean said as he wrapped his arms around Sammy and hugged him tightly before releasing him.

"'Kay" Sammy replied, smiling somberly as he tried to hide his fears knowing that Dean wouldn't be such a big baby if Dean were in his shoes.

"And I'll be there for you too kiddo, you know that right?" Bobby asked as he reached down to pick the youngest Winchester up and place him in the wheelchair to keep John or Dean from having to transfer him. He wanted Sammy to know he had his full support as well.

"Yes Sir," Sammy answered as he sat back and tried to prepare himself for the day ahead. Glancug up at the nurse, he said, "I'm ready now."

"If you will, please follow me," Lisa stated to the others as she started pushing the wheelchair with her young charge sitting in it towards the door. Sammy was due in treatment in ten minutes as she needed to have him there on time.

Walking beside his brother as they traversed down the hall, Dean placed one hand on Sammy's shoulder and then started rambling about the things they were going to do together once he got out of the hospital. In doing so, he knew he could keep Sammy's mind off of where they were going, if only for a few short minutes. But all too soon, the small group found themselves stopping at the room where Sammy's treatment was to be done.

Kneeling down in front of his brother once again, Dean reached out to clasp the nape of Sammy's neck and give it a squeeze. "I want you to be a brave little man for me Sammy. Can you do that?" he asked as he brought Sammy's forehead forward to make contact with his own.

"Ye-yeah," Sammy whispered, taking comfort in the fact that Dean would be watching him through the window. He just hoped Dean couldn't feel the slight tremble running through his body right now.

Looking up and nodding his head that it was okay for the nurse to take Sammy away now, Dean stood and watched as Lisa pushed his baby brother into the dialysis room with his father following closely behind. Moving over a couple of feet to stand in front of the window, he swiped away the silent tears that were beginning to trail down his cheek as he watched Sammy transferred from the wheelchair onto the small bed in the room.

"He's going to be okay Ace," Bobby stated as he placed a comforting hand around Dean's shoulder and pulled him into a one armed hug.

"Yes Sir, I know that. I just…I wish I could be in there with him," Dean stated so forlornly as he watched Nurse Lisa hooking up the machine that would clean the waste material from Sammy's blood.

Knowing there was nothing he could really say to make it better for Dean, Bobby stood shoulder to shoulder with the young hunter offering what little moral support he could in silence.

~~Supernatural~~

Sitting in the room with his youngest as Lisa connected the machine to the AV fistula in Sammy's arm, John's heart nearly shattered upon noticing the tears that were now streaming down Sammy's face. He knew his little one was petrified but didn't know what to say to make things better. Chewing on his bottom lip in angst, he suddenly noticed a rocking chair sitting in the corner of the room.

"Hey Lisa, do you think it would be okay for me to hold Sammy and rock him as he gets the treatment done?" John asked, his deep brown eyes pleading for understanding.

"Sure, I think that would be an excellent idea," Lisa answered as she walked over to get the wooden rocker. If being held would make her patient feel better, then she was all for it. Placing it in the most convenient position for the treatment to be done, she smiled as she watched John pick up his son and then sit down in the rocking chair Checking to make sure the tubing connecting Sammy to the dialyzer was undisturbed, she started the machine and then took a seat on the other side of the room to keep watch so as to make sure the process ran smoothly.

"Ya know Sammy, when you and Dean were little and not feeling well, your mother used to sing a song to try and make you feel better," John informed his youngest as he thought about Mary, wishing she were there with them now. She would know how to make things better for their baby boy.

"Sh-she did?" Sammy questioned with surprise, snuggling into his father's chest as his eyes traveled over to Dean who was watching through the window and waving at him. His dad rarely talked about his mom and he was glad just to have the chance to hear something about her.

"Yeah, it was a Beatles tune if I remember correctly," John stated as he began to hum the tune in his head as he gently rocked his baby boy. Before long, the sound of his voice could be heard singing as he launched into a rendition of Hey Jude.

Closing his eyes, Sammy allowed himself to drift off contentedly knowing that he was cherished and that he was loved.

TBC