A/N: as promised here is the next chapter :) I hope you're enjoying this one so far-any comments are welcome.
Do you think we should call an ambulance? He looks like shit..."
"We done all we can for him-an ambulance would make this worse. Trust me. We just need to wait for him to come around."
"Todd's right-the authorities wouldn't believe any of us about what happened here tonight, I mean, Christ! Vampires! I'm not even sure I believe it and I saw it with my own eyes!"
Sam groaned as voices floated around him, their words just beyond the reaches of his understanding, yet demanding his attention. He tried to focus on them, knowing the fear and helplessness in their tones, but his mind could only concentrate on the pain lancing throughout his battered body; piercing, stabbing, throbbing...
He let out a tiny moan again, this time attracting the attention of one of the familiar voices nearby.
"He's waking up! Get some water..."
A hand found its way onto his shoulder and Sam tensed, waiting for the pain to subside a little before he managed to force open his eyes. Dim light flittered across the beamed ceiling above him, little clouds and motes of dust drifting sluggishly across his line of view before it was obscured by a bruised and concerned face.
"Jason," he croaked in confused recognition before his brain caught up with reality. "God...is everybody okay?" Sam asked, his husky voice laced with concern and something akin to pain as he forced himself upright. Soft, gentle eyes tracked around the faces of the men hovering beside him gratefully.
"Yeah, we're all okay Sam. How 'bout you?" Jason asked, directing Sam's gaze back to meet his own.
The young Winchester gave a noncommittal shrug promptly followed by a wince.
"Alright, I've been better..." he admitted with a rueful grin. Jason's stern visage forced a more explanatory answer. "My arm hurts from the bullet wound but it's mostly my wrist-dislocated joints tend to feel swollen and sore for a while...I'll be okay."
A bottle of whiskey suddenly appeared before him, brandished knowingly by Todd, "Take this son, it oughta help."
A tiny smile found its way onto Sam's bruised face as he accepted the proffered bottle with a grateful nod. He swallowed a few large mouthfuls before he downed the small glass of water that had also been settled beside his prostrate form. He sighed in momentary contentment before his reverie was broken.
"So...eh...what do we do now Sam?" Jason asked uncertainly, and Sam noticed he was hunched slightly in pain.
"Now you let someone look at your ribs before you pass out. Sit down." He ordered.
Jason gawped at him for a moment as Sam struggled to his feet, blinking owlishly to clear his spinning head, before he promptly sat down, knowing that he shouldn't have tried to fool Sam. Five minutes later he was bound tightly across his middle to support his bruised ribs and Sam sat down once more beside him with a weary sigh. A large hand scrubbed across the light stubble beginning to line his strong jaw as he stared into the middle distance, lost in thought.
"Listen, Jason...I think we should wait until morning to attack the nest. Our chances are better in the daylight-it hurts them." Sam explained softly, barely looking at the young cop for fear of reading betrayal and disappointment in his gaze. "I'm sorry," he murmured quietly, his head dropping into his hands in a dejected manner.
I don't know what else to do...
"Sorry? You're sorry?!" Jason suddenly exploded with anger and Sam flinched, knowing he deserved this, that he had to face up to the heart-broken cop. "What about Hannah? About Dean?! We're supposed to just forget about them until morning-how can you say that! If you won't help me then I swear to God I'll find Hannah by myself! She could be hurt or-" he trailed off without warning, his anger deflating instantly to morph into unabashed pain as his brain continued the line of though his body couldn't voice. Tears burned in his eyes, fighting for release.
Silence reigned for a few heartbeats as the men in the bar turned to stare at Jason in shock and disapproval. Everyone was tense, awaiting the young hunter's response.
"She's not dead Jason. I promise you that." Sam whispered gently, voice full of empathy and compassion, not holding even a trace of anger at his outburst.
"How can you know that?" Jason said quietly, allowing his tears to fall now without shame.
Sam smiled at the child-like tone to the young man's voice before his face darkened. Memories flooded his consciousness, images flickered behind haunted eyes as those victims he and Dean had saved when hunting with their father resurfaced in his mind. He shook his head once in reluctance but forced himself to answer.
"They eh - the vampires - " he cleared his throat awkwardly, "they don't like to turn their victims straight away...if they do it at all...they prefer to – to - bleed them over the course of days or even weeks...they need them alive in order to feed."
Jason stared at Sam in horror and yet couldn't stop the hope from flaring anew in his breast. He could hear the plain disgust in Sam's tight voice, his own mind revolting at the images his imagination threw at him, knowing from the look on Sam's face that such images may not be the things of nightmare or movie.
"Okay," he replied.
Sam looked up in confusion, eyebrows pinched above dark, chocolatey orbs.
"I'm sorry Sam-I didn't mean to snap at you."
"I know Jason, it's alright. I get it, really I do. Go and get some rest, you look rough." Sam smiled.
"We okay?" the young cop asked uncertainly.
"Yeah we're good Jason. Go on-get some sleep." Sam repeated.
"What about you?"
"I'll be alright...I have some things I need to see to before morning." Sam saw Jason's eyebrows quirk in an unspoken question. "There's some herbs I need to burn over a fire in order to protect us from detection-it'll cover our scents when we smear ourselves in the ash."
"Oh...wow, okay..." Jason stammered in disbelief and awe...his life made no sense anymore...better to just accept that Sam knew what he was talking about...
...Me and my brother...this is kinda what we do...
"Hey, Sam? Promise me you'll get some sleep too," Jason said as he laid himself out on the floor, jacket under his head as a cushion.
The young Winchester smiled at the concern.
"Okay," he lied, knowing that he wouldn't have the time-there were too many confused and scared people that needed talking to.
God, Dean, hold on...I'm so sorry...I'm coming for you, hold on...
