Chapter 11

'Goddammit, where is he?' Sam exclaimed yet again as he stepped out of the fourth bar. The clock had just ticked over to nine fifty- five and there was still no word from Dean. His phone was turned off and there was no way to contact him other than going out to look for him. He didn't know if Dean had paid anyone off or what but no one was giving him any hint of information regarding where his brother might be. Surely someone must have seen him in their travels. Surely! But no one was talking and it was beginning to stress Sam out.

'Anything?' Sam asked once again calling Bobby who was waiting at home.

'Nothin'. I've called around all I can. Nobody knows nothin'. Maybe he drove out of town.'

'Looks like.'

'Come back Sam. I've got people primed to call if anyone sees him.'

'I'm just gonna go to the next town.'

'In which direction? Bobby questioned sarcastically.

'Every direction.'

Knowing there was no talking him out of it; Bobby sighed and said, 'I'll call you if I hear anything.'

'Please.'

Hours went by and Sam continued his search, constantly checking every nook, every bar, every school and every park he came across. Bobby hadn't rung, Dean hadn't rung and still nobody had seen anything. The younger Winchester was just about out of his mind with worry. Thoughts of Dean doing something stupid; whether it be drunk driving, getting into another fight, being involved in an accident or even just passing out in a ditch alone kept running through his head. He had to get to him and had to get to him quick, but he just could not find him.

So he kept on driving and swearing and stressing.

It was after three-thirty in the morning when Sam's phone lit up signaling a call. He didn't look at who was calling, just answered with a 'Bobby?'

'Sam.' That wasn't Bobby's voice. It was Dean's….Dean's drunk voice.

'Where are you? Are you okay?'

'Rock.' Was all he said.

'Rock? What? Dean what do you mean?'

'Rock.. Split.'

'Rock Split? You're in Split Rock? The town?'

'No.' His voice was getting smaller. 'Yes. No. I dunno.'

'Dean?'

'Street. Road-'

'What?' Sam frowned. 'You are in a street in Split Rock? What Street?'

Silence.

'Dean, are you there?' Silence. 'Dean?'

Sam dropped his phone on his lap and pulled over into a side street and placed Dean's call on hold. He called Bobby and became frustrated when the phone rang out. He tried again with the same result. He then connected to the internet and waited for Google to load. He was so intent on waiting for the page that he didn't even hear the group of teenagers stepping up to his car.

When they banged on the hood, he almost jumped out of his skin. Oh for God's sake this was the last thing he needed. The very last thing. He gave them a quick, dry smile to say 'very funny' and then hoped they would keep passing. When they didn't, he rolled down his windows and said to the five of them 'Hey guys, Split Rock. '

One of the teenagers pulled a face that told Sam he was amazed at his nerve. He wanted to scare him and this guy didn't seem very scared. Another guy answered. 'What about it?'

'A street?' Sam replied, his mind swirling. He took his eyes off the guys and turned his attention back to the phone. The page still hadn't loaded.

'My brother said something about a street?' He knew he sounded ridiculous and most of them just glared at him in confusion but he had to try. One answered.

'You mean Split Rock Circle? Split Rock Road?'

'There's a road?'

'Yeah in Sioux Falls.'

'That would be it.'

'Got a pen?'

When Sam had returned to Dean's call, the same silence greeted him. He had tried Bobby again but he hadn't picked up. He was a bit confused at this street and needed some help other than a rough pen sketch from a stranger and Google maps. What was with the Road and the Circle bit? Maybe it wouldn't matter; it looked like it was the same road anyway. It would just help if Bobby would answer the phone so he wouldn't have to worry about him as well.

Within half an hour he was back in Sioux Falls and turning into the road. He had no idea where Dean would be so kept an eye out for one of Bobby's old beat up cars. Half way down he came across what he was sure would have to be it parked out the front of a two storey house. Sam pulled up right behind it and jumped out of the car and over to Dean's. The driver's side door was open but Dean was not in there, he was nowhere to be seen. Great! Sam pulled out his phone and dialed Dean's number hoping the ringtone would locate him. Silence.

'Dean!' Sam called not sure what else he could do. He was sorry that he was probably waking up the neighborhood with his booming voice but he really didn't have another choice. 'Dean!'

He scrutinized the area. It was more built up than he thought it would be which in a way made it harder. Was he really going to have to search people's homes? At least, he hoped, it would have been a safer area for his brother than the inside or outside of a bar.

'Sam.' Finally he heard his name. He spun around and when he couldn't see his brother, waited.

'Sam.'

He followed the sound with his eyes and spotted Dean stumbling and almost tripping down a drive way of a house two doors down. Sam bolted over to him, conscious that his own heart was racing faster. He looked okay, thank God. Drunk but okay.

'Couldn't start the car.' Dean welcomed him with a slur.

'Good.' Sam said helping him towards the Ford. 'That's really good. Come on.' Once Dean was belted in, Sam locked up the other car but not before noticing the too many empty bottles littering the inside. His brother had definitely gone on one hell of a bender that was for damn sure.

Before Sam even started the ignition, Dean was out cold, his body slumped and his head leaning against the window. His shirt and jeans were patched wet and dotted with blades of glass. Sam guessed he had passed out on someone's lawn sometime during the night. What a nice surprise that would have been for someone to wake up to in the morning.

Once Sam entered Bobby's house with Dean in tow he saw the reason why Bobby hadn't answered the phone. Bobby was out himself, sitting upright on Dean's bed and an empty bottle of whiskey fallen at his feet on the floor next to him.

'Sit' Sam said to the half asleep Dean. 'Bobby, wake up. Bobby.' After the third strong shake Bobby came to.

'You found him.'

'Yeah, no thanks to you.' He picked up the bottle. 'What the hell is this? You too?'

'Yeah, me too.' Bobby said sarcastically standing up. 'That bottle was half empty.'

'Not anymore.'

'Need any help with him? Is he okay?'

'No, it's fine, he's fine. I've got it.'

Only nodding, Bobby pulled himself over to the stairs and made his way slowly and not so straightly up to his room.

Undressing Dean and getting him under the covers was the easy part. Cleaning up his vomit time and time again; not so easy. It seemed just as he cleaned one lot, Dean would just throw up all over again, most of the time missing the damn bucket. Sam was out of towels, serviettes and furniture cleaner. It just wouldn't stop. All night. The fustration, the job and the never ending effort was almost bringing Sam to tears.

'You get any shut eye?' Bobby frowned at noon when he entered the room. Dean had finally fallen asleep properly and Sam had just finished washing his hands… again.

'No.' He ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the floor. He was beat.

'You should have called me.'

'You wouldn't have been much help.' He didn't say it meanly, just resigned to the fact that a drunk guy couldn't really help another drunk guy.

'I wasn't that bad.'

'I was trying to call you last night.' Sam rubbed his eye, 'You didn't pick up.'

Bobby's frown indicated that he was surprised at that. He hadn't heard the phone at all. 'I'm sorry, I didn't hear it.'

Sam nodded, depressed that the two most important people in his life were drunks. Bobby picked up on this and spoke. 'Sam I was just drinking for the sake of it. You don't need to worry yourself about me.'

Sam looked over at his sleeping and pale brother. 'Bobby I need your help on this one. You know that right?'

'I know. I'm here.'

'You can't be writing yourself off when we are trying to clean him up.'

'You want me to stop drinking? Done.'

Sam closed his eyes knowing that was as impossible as getting Dean to stop just like that. There was no miracle switch.

'I mean it. Done.' Bobby continued, not feeling too great about himself. He prided himself on always being there for these two boys , he loved being there for these two boys, there was nothing as important to him than that and to think he had not been, even for one night tore at his guts. 'Let's go pack up this alcohol and get it out of the house.'

'He'll just do what he did last night. Make up any excuse and go out and get it.'

'So you don't want to?'

'Yeah I want to. I just have to think of something else as well.'

'One thing at a time. Come on, help me load this and I'll drive it over to Jack's. Then you can get some sleep.'

'I can't sleep. What if he wakes up and does it all over again?'

'Sam you need to sleep. I won't be gone long and I can look after him.'

Sam didn't say it but Bobby knew what he was thinking. A big fat 'No you can't'. There was no way Sam was going to risk that after Bobby had drunk himself to the point of passing out as well. No, instead he was going to take it all on himself and play Superman all over again and try to save them both at the same time …even though he didn't quite know how to. Bobby knew exactly what he was thinking. These two boys were like his sons and these two boys were so alike they were readable.

'Come on.' He pushed, causing Sam to finally move.

oOoOoOo

'Sam.' Dean had woken while Bobby was still out on his delivery. Sam had heard him from the kitchen, instantly stopped making their salad sandwiches and moved to check on him. Dean was sitting up at least but his face was in his hands, his elbows on his knees. Sam grabbed the aspirin from the window sill on his way past and handed him the rest of his can of coke. Dean took them without argument and without looking at Sam, handed back the can.

'How're you feeling?'

'Like crap.'

Sam sat on the chair and shook his head. Yesterday they were finally in sync again. Now, today, there was a tension back in the air. He hated it more than anything but he was so angry, upset, annoyed and let down that he just couldn't control himself.

'It stops now, okay?' Dean promised still not looking up at his brother. 'I swear.'

Sam didn't answer, he didn't move. He wasn't waiting for Dean to continue; he was just at a loss as to what to do and what to feel. Where was his determination, that willpower he had? There was no way he was giving up; he was just too damn depressed to locate the drive at that moment.

'I don't even know how it happened. I was on my way to get a burger-'

'No, don't even.' Sam finally spoke. 'No you weren't. You were going out to drink and you know it. Don't lie about it Dean.'

'Not that much.' He managed to lift his head and make eye contact with his tired and worn out brother and felt even worse. 'Did you eat? Last night?'

'That didn't worry you then, why should it worry you now?'

'Sam, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say.'

'I made us lunch. I'll just bring it out.'

Dean's hangover was hell. A form of hell, however disappointing Sam like that felt even worse. He wasn't feeling guilty as much for drinking, but more for telling his brother he was going out for twenty minutes to get him some food and instead put the beer ahead of that. At the time he justified it by knowing Sam wouldn't go hungry. Bobby's shelves were stocked as much as a single guy's shelves could be stocked. Sam could eat. That wasn't an issue at the time…but now it was. Sam had been waiting for him and then looking for him and then caring for him all while Dean had done whatever the hell he wanted to do. That wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Dean couldn't live with that. Especially with the way Sam was looking at him now.

He took hold of the plate with the sandwich and said a soft; 'Thanks.'

Sam simply took a bite of his own and glanced out the window his focus landing on a smaller bird chasing a larger one.

'Where's Bobby?'

'Getting rid of all the alcohol that was in the house.' Sam said before shifting his eyes down to his stunned brother.

'You're kidding?'

'Why would I be kidding?'

'I just told you I was stopping myself didn't I?'

'Yep.'

'So I don't need you to do that.'

'It's done.'

'So Bobby can't have a drink either? Nice Sam.'

'Bobby doesn't need a drink, just like you don't.'

'I said I'm giving up.'

'Great, so no alcohol in the place shouldn't worry you then.'

'It doesn't.'

'Awesome.'