Chapter 10: Leather, Chains and Making New Friends

Sam was jarred awake to a world filled with agony. He was handcuffed by three limbs to some kind of metal frame. The support rails were digging into his chest and ribs painfully. It was warmer in the room, but he still found himself shivering, clad only in his jeans. They were still damp and he felt like he had a fever. He lay where he was, not moving, trying to gather strength to open his eyes, to heal himself but he was failing miserably on both counts.

He sensed someone walk up to him, watching him. His left arm, the only free limb, was grabbed by a pair of rough hands and yanked savagely. The pull was followed by a sickening pop as the joint moved back into place. Sam's eyes shot open on his choked scream of agony. A handcuff was clipped quickly to his wrist and fastened to the fourth corner of the frame.

Sam tried to breathe through the pain like Dean had always told him to do. He found it difficult to do without his big brother to coach him. Black spots obscured his vision and nausea threatened to make his bad day worse. He swallowed convulsively and repeatedly, forcing bile down. He looked around with pain darkened green eyes and noticed a man- a kid really- cowering a few feet from him. It was the kid who had relocated Sam's abused shoulder joint.

He ignored the scared kid and concentrated on how he felt. His head and shoulder throbbed in time with his heart. The wounds on his chest and abdomen burned, still dripping blood with every breath as the frame rail dug into the wounds. The wounds of his wrists and head were bound by strips of dirty fabric. They felt hot and swollen. That along with the fever he felt told him infection had set in.

The pain built and he felt himself moving towards the familiar darkness. Suddenly he felt a brush at his mind. It seemed so far away, but familiar at the same time. He stilled and closed his eyes, hoping to connect with her. His Kira was trying desperately to reach for him on the path they shared.

Sam? He heard. It was a whisper of a mental voice from so far away. He reached for her. He maintained the long distance contact for as long as his weakened body would allow. He thought he was successful in letting her know where he was. He became too weak to keep the connection and she slipped from his battered mind. He slipped into unconsciousness again.

A few minutes, or hours as far as he knew, later he awoke to find the same kid looming over him. The pain was intense, and he was definitely too weak to heal himself now. His face rested against the cold metal of the frame rail and his teeth cut into his cheek as he tried to speak. He was bound too tightly to lift his head.

"Why are… you doing this…to me?" His voice rasped in his parched throat sounding completely foreign to his ears. He tried again. "You don't look like you should be a part of this. You look…like you should b-be playing basketball or…or something."

The kid came up beside Sam and crouched down where he could meet Sam's pain filled eyes. "You don't sound like the leader of a demon army."

"Who… who told you that, Gordon?"

"And my brother, Cage. He says you're bad news. That you have to die for us to win the war."

"They're so wrong. I'm not…the leader of…anything. What's your name? I'm Sam."

"Rocky. Look, Gordon and Cage will kill me if they catch me talking to you. I have to let him have you, but for what it's worth I don't believe you're workin' with demons. You look like we should be playing basketball together. I'm sorry, Sam."

"Thank… you for setting… my shoulder, Rocky." The kid nodded once and hurried away, slamming the steel door behind him. Sam was left alone. He closed his eyes and tried to regain his strength. He knew he had pretty severe injuries that needed attention.

A few minutes later the door opened again and Gordon and the other one walked in. Sam's eyes fluttered open and he registered their presence. He caught sight of the boy, Rocky, standing behind the stranger, cowering slightly. The other one must be Cage. The brother.

"Well, well, well. Glad to see you back wit' us Sammy. Time for a little more information sharing." Gordon crouched in Sam's line of vision and caught his attention.

"What abilities do you possess?"

"What? Why is that important? You're dead set… on killing me… anyway."

Gordon moved closer to Sam and stood. He placed the flat of his palm on Sam's cheek and pressed down hard with a steady pressure. Sam's vision faded as his head began to pound, and blood filled his mouth. He felt two more teeth give and Gordon eased the pressure.

"Gahh! Ohhhh." Sam spit blood and fragments of teeth from his mouth.

"You gonna talk or do I skip to a different form of information retrieval?" Gordon said as he moved out of Sam's sight and Sam felt something trail along his back. Sam stilled instantly, stiffening as his stomach lurched. He recognized what Gordon drug across his bare back. Leather bands. It was a cat of nine tails. Sam could smell the leather as Gordon drug the whip up over his shoulder.

"I'll talk, I'll talk." Sam said, gagging on the blood in his mouth. His words sounded like they were coming from around a mouth full of cotton and nerves shrieked in his battered gums and head.

"We're waiting. What demonic powers do you possess?"

"They're not demonic. They came from my mother. She had them, too. Visions and the ability to heal injuries on myself and others. That's it." He left out the telekinesis and demon sensing ability. That would solidify his position with Gordon as a target.

"Those are some pussy powers." Cage spoke up for the first time. Sam glared at him, hating him more of possible.

"That's because he's lying to us. Aren't you, Sammy?"

"No, I swear. That's all I can do."

"That's bullshit. Because a few months ago, I hear this story about how you and Dean were kidnapped by another freak like you and you brought a building down on her to keep her from killing Dean. How'd you do that one Sammy? It wasn't a vision." Gordon put his palm on Sam's cheek again. "Remember what happens of you refuse to share with the class?"

"It was a freak adrenaline thing. I can't do it anytime I want to. I have no control over it."

"What is it? Telekinesis?"

"Yes." Sam nodded his head against the rail furiously, hoping Gordon would ease the pressure on his head. It felt like it was going to explode again and he'd felt the gash on his temple reopen. Gordon moved away again. Sam's vision swam and he choked on the blood in his mouth again.

"What do you think? Think he finally told the truth?"

"Are you stupid Cage? He's Demon infected. He lies like we breathe. He can control the telekinesis. I'm gonna make him show us. But not just yet." Gordon stepped forward again and Sam felt the pinch of a needle in his neck again. The burn was worse than before and he cried out.

"How do you like that, Sammy? It'll make you feel all better. When you rejoin us we'll play a little game."

Sam felt himself sliding away. "Dean'll kill you, you know that. You'll be dead 'fore you know wha' hitcha." Sam's eyes closed to the world, to his pain.