Chapter 10: Hanging on to Life

The smoke was blown out by a cool night breeze as a gentle rain began to fall, brought to life by the tense dry storm that had struck with a ferocity never before seen on earth. A figure stirred, brought back to consciousness by the cool rain on her face.

Kira felt pain, followed by rapidly spreading warmth over her neck and shoulder. She raised a shaky hand to her neck to find it covered in blood. Her world was lit on fire by agony as her fingers brushed a piece of glass… embedded in her neck at her jugular vein. Oh God. Sam? Silence. She fought to gather strength, to cry out but the glass was preventing her from breathing properly and her vision was dotted with rapidly growing black spots.

Kira touched the glass again. It was slippery with her flowing blood. Have to stop the bleeding. She gripped the glass with blood soaked fingers and pulled it from her neck, gasping as her fading vision caught the spurt of blood that followed. Blackness threatened and she fought it knowing if she passed out she wouldn't survive. She found herself remembering Sam's promise to her. His voice rang in her head at the memory. Two weeks. She reached her hand up and covered the gushing wound. Kira called her fire to her even as she felt herself fade a little more. Her hand on her neck grew warm, then hot, catching fire as she cauterized the gash, stopping the blood. She smelled burnt flesh as she screamed through the pain, back arching from the ground where she lay. Kira's fire deserted her as consciousness was lost. The rain began to fall harder.

Bobby stirred and came awake as he heard one of the girls scream in pain. He forced his mind and battered body to cooperate with each other and pushed himself to shaky feet. He ran a hand over his rain wet face as his eyes focused and took in his surroundings. The entire motel complex was leveled; smoke still rising from the various structures. Joshua was on the ground nearby. The older hunter bolted to his side.

"Josh… Josh, can ya hear me?"

"Unnnn…. Bobby?" the other hunter questioned as he opened bleary eyes and peered through the blood that coated his face from a gash on his forehead. "What the hell…?"

"Dunno. Everything's leveled, still smoking. I heard one of the girls scream. C'mon, get your ass up. We gotta find those kids." Bobby pulled Joshua to his feet and they shakily made their way through terrain and debris that looked just like one of the worst Gulf War zones that Joshua had been stationed in his army days.

"God, Bobby. Those kids…" Joshua's voice trailed off. He didn't need to say what both he and Bobby were thinking. How could they have survived? Bobby moved one way while Joshua went the other.

Something caught Bobby's eye on the broken ground about twenty feet to his left. It was a mop of dusty windblown brown hair. Sam.

"Sam!" Bobby cried as he ran to the young hunter's side. Sam lay on his back with his head turned to the side, one foot tucked behind the other knee. Blood leaked from his nose and tickled across his cheek to his ear and to the ground. Bobby checked his pulse and noted with horror the piece of rebar that protruded from between two ribs on his left side. Sam drew a ragged breath and exhaled wetly. Blood foamed on the rim of his lips.

"Oh God, Sam!" Bobby tapped his face gently. "C'mon kid, you gotta come back. You gotta heal yourself." Sam stirred and coughed at the older hunter's slightly rough treatment. He groaned and opened his eyes. Another ragged breath rattled through his frame.

"Bob-by?" He grunted, blood bubbling again.

"Tell me what to do, Sam. You got a piece of rebar sticking out of your chest. It punctured a lung."

"Pull…" He gasped. "I can't heal… with it… there."

"Brace yourself." Bobby gripped the rebar and looked into Sam's pain filled green eyes. "Ready?" Sam closed his eyes tightly and nodded quickly. Bobby jerked the rebar from Sam's side. His back arched and he gave a cry.

"UUUURRRRRRRGGGGGGGhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!" His body closed in on itself and he curled into a fetal position, shying as far as he could from the pain. Blood flowed from the wound and his mouth as he fought to remain with Bobby. The older hunter gripped his wrist and placed his hand to the wound.

"Come on Sam. You gotta heal yourself. I heard one of the girls scream somethin' awful a little bit ago. She needs you. Everyone does."

Sam called his healing ability and his hand glowed weakly at first. His eyes snapped open and took on the glow as he stretched out on the ground. The glow spread to his body and the wound mended from the inside out. The blood returned to the veins from where it came. Bobby helped him sit up, supporting him until he caught his breath. He looked around at the disaster they crouched in.

"God, Bobby. Where are the others?" He asked even as he reached out for his love. He was met with silence. No, no, no!

Sam forced his way to his feet, strong once again. "I'm okay. We gotta find them." He moved away from the older hunter. "DEAN!" He shouted trying to get a response from his brother. "KIRA!" He boomed, looking desperately for his family.

"Sammy, over here," Joshua's voice came out of the darkness twenty or so feet from his right, "it's Dean!" Sam was at his brother's side in seconds. Dean was face down in the gravel. Sam leaned in over him, checking for broken bones before helping Joshua roll him over.

"Dean?" Sam searched his brother's lax face, checking his pulse. It was strong but a little fast. Dean had a bad cut at his hair line which Sam healed, his hand lingering to comfort and also to heal any non-visible injuries like concussion. Dean stirred beneath his touch.

"Sammy?" He groaned.

"Yeah. I'm here." Sam helped him ease into a sitting position and supported him by leaning Dean back against his chest. Dean looked at Josh's concerned face then at Sam.

"The girls? Sam, where are the girls?"

"We haven't found them yet. Bobby's lookin'. We found you first." Joshua said.

"Help me up, Sammy. We have to make sure the girls are okay!" Dean said; worry streaking through him for the girl he considered family and the one he desperately wanted a future with. Dean was helped to his feet and he and Sam began the search with Joshua branching off to find Bobby and canvas the other half of the war zone.

They had looked for a few minutes when Bobby's voice rang out in the night. "SAM! DEAN! HERE, THEY'RE HERE!" Dean and Sam sprinted towards the sound of the older hunter's distressed voice. Sam stopped short when he caught sight of Kira. Joshua had knelt by her and Bobby was a few feet away by Drea's side. Sam rushed to Kira, dropping to his knees.

"Oh God, Baby!" Tears gathered in his eyes as he looked at Joshua.

"She's alive. Sam I smelled burnt flesh when I first found her. Joshua pulled a small flashlight from the pocket of his camouflage cargo pants. He turned on the beam and shined it over Kira's still form. On the side of her neck was an awful wound, a gash over her jugular, which had been charred nearly black. Blisters surrounded the dried, burned blood, in a raised and ugly patch the exact size and shape of Kira's own hand. Joshua turned away quickly and vomited. When he turned back after wiping his mouth his face was grim.

"Sam, she was hurt bad. Something, looks like it might have been glass, cut the vein in her neck. She…" He faltered. "She cauterized her own wound with her ability to keep from bleeding out. I wouldn't have had the guts to do that." Tears gathered in Joshua's eyes when Sam scooped the love of his life into his arms. The same tears were falling from Sam's deep green eyes.

"Baby, please. Open your eyes for me. Let me know you're okay." Sam tried connecting with her along their path.

Dean had run to where Bobby was clearing debris from Drea's still figure. He pulled a large piece of cabin wall from across her body. Drea was lying on her side in the grass that had served as a lawn for the motel. She had bruises and cuts everywhere, the worst appearing to be a long gash down her upper arm from shoulder to elbow.

"Bobby, help me roll her over. We need to check for injury." Dean said quickly, trying to swallow his fear. Dean got her by the neck and shoulders while Bobby got her waist and legs and together they straightened her out in the grass. Drea's green blouse was torn and filthy, covered in her blood. Dean's heart stopped when he checked her pulse. He found none.

"She's not breathing. No pulse! Help me Bobby!" Dean began to breathe for Drea while Bobby did compressions, trying not to aggravate her injuries or break any ribs. They continued for a few minutes and Bobby stopped, grasping Dean by the arm and pulling him away.

"Dean. Dean! It's been too long! We don't know how long she wasn't breathing before we found her and we worked on her for four minutes. It's. Been. Too. Long."

Dean pulled away from Bobby, jerking his arm out of the older man's grasp. "No! I'm not gonna lose her! I can't lose anyone else! I won't!" He fell to his knees beside her again, pulling her into his arms.

Sam held Kira tighter and let his ability take over. The white light glowed blindingly bright in the darkness and he let his healing come to full strength. The energy encompassed him and Kira and continued to spread, taking all the hunters into its warmth. Injuries faded; blood disappearing as the light coursed through six bodies, healing every nick, cut and bruise. Sam handed Kira's unconscious form to Joshua as he felt his strength fading, but continued to focus even as he wavered.

Sam felt relief as a strangled breath was taken a few feet to his left. He heard Dean cry out "Drea!" as darkness rushed up to meet him. The light faded. Joshua eased Kira to the ground and leaned over Sam, checking a pulse. Sam had one, but it was too fast, weak and irregular. Blood leaked from his nose.