Sam and Dean had their back against one of the crates on the barge. The shapeshifter they were chasing wasn't like one they had faced before, it was genetically altered.
"Dean, where is dad?" Sam asked. Originally the plan was for Dean and Sam to stay together while John set up something that would trap the shapeshifter.
"I don't know Sammy," Dean said in a worried tone.
"Let's split up and go look for him," Sam suggested.
"Sam, dad said for us to stay together," Dean urged.
"Well dad isn't here and could be getting killed," Sam argued. "If you don't go look for him I will." With that Sam ran from the crate he was hiding behind to another, searching for their dad.
"Dammit Sam," Dean swore under his breath. His body tensed when he heard a creak right above his head. Slowly Dean looked up and swore.
The shapeshifer looked down at him from the top of a shipping container. A growl came from deep in its throat. Dean trained his gun on it and lunged down at him as he fired.
John looked up from the trap he was setting when he heard the gun shots. He left the unfinished trap and began running towards where the gunshots had been heard.
Sam had heard them as well and ran back to where had last seen Dean.
Dean fired three shots into the shifter before it grabbed a hold of him throwing him into the metal side of the shipping container with a deafening boom.
"Dean!" John yelled as he saw the shifter slash Dean across the chest. John pulled out his gun and fired the entire clip into the shifter.
Dean groaned in pain firing the last of his clip into the shifter too. It didn't hardly slow as it lifted Dean and threw him 10 feet away into a couple crates which broke on impact.
Sam arrived then and with the machete he carried lopped of the shifter's head before it turned on John.
John watched as the shapeshifter fell to the ground before running up to Dean and quickly checking him over. "It's going to be ok son."
Dean coughed, blood splattered on the concrete. He groaned trying to get up.
Sam hurried over to him still keeping an eye on the shapeshifter to make sure it stayed dead.
John slowly helped Dean up and began to carry him back to the impala.
Sam got the back door and help Dean as he slide into the back with a pained grunt. "Damn," he groaned relaxing on the seat.
John ignored Sam as they quickly drove to the nearest hospital. John helped Dean out of the car and carried him into the emergency room. "My son needs help!" he yelled.
A gurney was brought over and Dean was put on it and quickly rushed to examination and X-ray.
Sam ran hand through his hair breathing heavy as he watched his elder brother get wheeled.
Just then all the rage John had been holding back bubbled up and exploded. "Where were you?" he yelled, turning towards is youngest son.
"I was looking for you," Sam replied tensing at being yelled. He had expected it though, whenever something went wrong it was always Sam's fault.
"I told you to stay together. You disobeyed me yet again and look what happened! You should listen like your brother does!" John yelled, getting right in Sam's face.
"Yeah well where were you? You said you would have the trap ready by 11. It was 12 and we hadn't heard anything we thought you'd been attacked."
"You don't need to be worrying about me! When I give an order I expect you to follow it!"
"Well I'm sorry for trying to think for myself dad," Sam said moving to sit in the waiting chairs.
"You should be," John said sternly before turning back to the doors they took Dean through.
Sam bit his tongue to keep from yelling at his dad again, this wasn't the place for their family squabbles.
Hours later neither of the men had moved. A nurse came from the doors they took Dean through and spoke in a loud voice, "Winchester?" John walked up to the nurse.
"How is he?" The nurse gave him a sad look.
"He is alive but he slipped into a coma. We don't know when, or if he will wake up. He is in room 203 if you would like to see him," the nurse offered. John nodded and began following the nurse, not even looking back to see if Sam was following or not.
Sam did follow but didn't say anything as they reached the room.
John stopped in the doorway of the room before taking the seat next to the still Dean. He put his elbows on his knees and interlaced his fingers before putting his head on his hands.
Sam swallowed looking in at Dean. Cautiously he stepped in stand at the foot of Dean's bed looking sadly at his brother bruised features, tube running down his throat to keep him breathing.
"Sam I'm sorry I snapped at you. Your brother and you are all I have. I can't lose either of you," John said suddenly after a moment of silence.
A week passed before there was any improvement on Dean's condition.
Sam and John sat with him as much as they could.
He groaned a week and a day after he had fallen into a coma. This was the first sound he had made the whole time.
"Dean?" John's voice cut through the haze surrounding Dean's mind.
He said nothing fighting the darkness.
"Dean can you hear us?" It was Sam's voice this time, Dean groaned again in reply.
"Dean, you have to wake up boy."
'Trying,' he thought struggling against the darkness that threatened to pull him under again.
Sam and John watched holding their breath as Dean twitched as he started to come to finally.
John released the breath he was holding. "Watch him. I'm going to go let the nurses know he is awake," John told Sam before leaving the room.
Sam sat down next to Dean's bed. "Come on Dean," Sam encouraged, "almost there." Dean stirred finally opening his eyes against the bright lights.
"What happened?" Dean asked, his voice hoarse
"What's the last thing you can remember?" Sam asked almost unable to hold in his smile. He had been so afraid his brother may never wake up.
"The shifter was above me. After that it's all a blur," Dean said as he tried to sit up.
Sam kept him down, "you got some broken ribs so try not to move," Sam told him. "It attacked you but dad and I killed and managed to get you here. You've been out a while Dean."
Just then John and a nurse came back into the room. John quietly spoke to Sam while the nurse checked Dean over. John chuckled quietly.
Sam smiled broadly. Dean watched them it maybe the fact he just woke up but they seem to be getting along better. That was never a good thing. Dean had a bad feeling something horrible was going to happen, and soon.