When Two Worlds Collide Ch. 12
Disclaimer: See Chapter one
Author's Note: Oops, accientally reposted ch. 11. Thanks for letting me know Sylvia!!!!!
Previously: "My Ehart, I have the results of Sam's tests." Tom stated as he held up the manila folder for all to see.
The doctor couldn't help but notice the apprehension on the faces of the three gentleman standing before him, each one of them afraid in their own way for what the news might be. Scanning their faces, he was nearly bowled over by the emotion that shone in their eyes. It was obvious that his young patient meant the world to these men and it broke his heart knowing what his words were about to do to them. Sometimes, he really hated being a doctor.
"And what do the results say?" John questioned, his voice cracking on the last few words from nervousness.
"The tests have confirmed my suspicions, I'm afraid. Your son does have Aplastic Anemia." The doctor answered somberly.
"Damn it to hell" John seethed as he clenched his fists so hard, his fingernails bit into his palms. "Why does everything always happen to Sammy? Why is it that the kid can never seem to catch a break once in a while?" John thought to himself as he glanced at his youngest to see that his eyes were drooping shut. Sammy was in that state just before sleeping where his mind drifted on the edge of sweet oblivion, his mind totally unaware of the tension filled room around him. He didn't have the time to contemplate the thought however as he watched his oldest struggling to deal with the news, while trying to remain calm for Sammy's sake. John couldn't help but be worried about his eldest with seeing the way that the veins in Dean's face and neck were bulging. His son was about to lose it. Placing a hand on Dean's shoulder and giving it a light squeeze, he hoped it would have a calming effect on his oldest. Sam deserved to have at least one more night of peaceful slumber before his world fell apart around his knees.
"How...how bad is it Doc?" Dean stammered as he gripped the steel bar on the side of Sam's hospital bed with a ferocious force.
"I wish I could tell you that we caught it early and that everything would be fine, but that's not the case. The disease has progressed a further than we would have liked." Tom admitted. "Sam's case is advanced enough where we won't be able to cure it with a regiment of medications. If Sam is going to have a chance at fighting this thing, he's going to need a bone marrow transplant just as soon as we can possibly do it. Without the transplant, I would say that he has six months at most to live."
Walking over to the far corner of the room on shaky legs that could barely support him, Dean slammed his fist into the wall before sliding down it to land in a heap at the bottom. Pulling his knees to his chest, he lay his head on his arms and sobbed silently, his shoulders trembling with emotion. He had tried to prepare himself for the worst while hoping for the best, but the news still hit him like a ton of bricks.
Striding over towards his oldest, John knelt down and palmed the nape of Dean's neck, pulled his oldest towards him, and wrapped him in a strong embrace. He didn't care how much his son hated these so called dreaded chick flick moments, he just knew Dean needed comforting right now and that was what he was going to give. It still surprised him however when Dean leaned into his hold and willingly accepted what he had to offer. That alone told him just how shattered his oldest son was.
Clearing his throat to try and speak around the huge lump forming in it after witnessing Dean's emotional breakdown, Bobby asked the question that they all would need the answer to. "So what happens next Doc?"
"We start looking for donors, most preferably a sibling, while also starting Sam on a course of radiation or chemotherapy to deplete the diseased bone marrow in his system." Dr. Tom James answered the gruff hunter.
"What are the chances of this working?" Bobby asked as he ran a finger through his salt and pepper colored hair.
"With a sibling donor, his chances are very good. In most cases, the disease is cured in four out of five cases with no recurrence. But there could still be a risk such as Sam's body rejecting the donor marrow or a systemic infection setting in such as sepsis or septic shock." Tom replied wanting to be totally upfront since the family had been through so much upheaval lately.
"So when do you want to start testing. You've got three donors right here in front of you." Bobby informed the doctor as he motioned to himself and the two oldest Winchesters sitting on the floor. I know Dean is his best choice for a match, but just in case, John and I will want to be tested too.
"I can set things up as early as tomorrow or we can wait a day or two to give the family time to adjust to the news. I suggest you all talk it over and give me your decision by tomorrow morning," the doctor stated.
"If I know those two as well as I think I do," Bobby said as he nodded towards John and Dean, "you'll have your answer by tonight."
"I'll be waiting for your decision then." Tom stated as he walked over to the corner of the room where the other two members of Sam's family were conversing together. He had witnessed how hard Dean's hand had hit the wall and wanted to make sure he hadn't broken any bones in it. "Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude into your private conversation, but I would like to get a look at Dean's hand before I leave if that's okay."
"My hand's fine, it's Sammy you should be worried about." Dean mumbled, his voice sounding a little rough.
"You slugged the wall pretty hard Dean, let the doctor have a look at it." John voiced with concern as he moved out of the way. "Besides, you know Sammy will inquire about what happened when he notices it and he'll be upset if you haven't had it checked out."
"Yeah, guess you're right." Dean said as he held his hand out for the doc to look at while leaning back against the wall and closing his bloodshot eyes. Sammy had enough to worry about without him adding to the mix.
Grasping the hand after kneeling down to Dean's level, Tom could see the bruising around the knuckles along with some slight swelling. Breathing a sigh of relief, he said, "I doesn't look like you've broken anything, but the hand is contused, so I am going to send in a nurse with an ice pack. Make sure you keep it on the hand for a little while and it should relieve the pain and swelling."
"Thanks Doc, I'll make sure that he does." John voiced gruffly as he tugged his fingers through his hair with a deep sigh.
Pushing himself to his feet, the doctor excused himself to finish making his rounds. He knew the family needed some time to discuss their options as far as Sam's disease was concerned and he needed to give them the privacy to do so.
Awaking a few hours later from his drug induced slumber, the first thing Sam became aware of was that the room was incredibly quiet and that someone was holding his hand. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the hand intertwined with his and then followed it up the arm to see Dean sitting at his side.
"Hey there kiddo, how you doing?" Dean questioned, plastering a fake smile on his face.
"I'm okay I guess, just a little sore." Sam answered as he pushed himself up in the bed, groaning from the pain it caused in his hip.
"You want me to get the nurse and have her give you something for the pain?" John asked as he walked over from the chair where he was resting and took a seat on the side of Sam's bed.
"No Sir, I can handle it." Sam replied automatically knowing that Winchesters were supposed to suck it up when they were hurting.
"Sammy, I don't want you to lay there hurting when you don't have to. If you're in pain, you need to let them help you." John retorted with worry.
"Dad's right Sammy, let them help you." Dean iterated as he reached up to brush the stray bangs away from Sammy's eyes.
"Something's wr-wrong isn't it? What aren't you telling me?" Sam asked as he looked from his Dad to Dean. His family was acting weird, not like themselves at all and it was creeping him out.
"Sammy, you need to rest, just let us…"
"No Dean, I can tell something's wrong by the way you and Dad are acting and it's scaring me. Did the doctor tell you something about what's wrong with me while I was sleeping?" Sam queried anxiously, panic beginning to set in.
"Just calm down Tiger, and I'll tell you everything." John replied as he placed a hand on Sam's chest in comfort. "That's it kiddo, slow and easy, in and out, in and out" John encouraged as he watched Sam take a few deep breaths to curtail the panic he feeling.
Once he was sure that Sam was as calm as he was going to get, John decided it was time to tell him everything since the kid had a right to know what he was up against. "Sam, you need to know that while you were sleeping, the doctor did come in to talk to us about your case. He finally got the test results back from your bone marrow biopsy and they showed that you do indeed have Aplastic Anemia." John informed his baby boy as gently as he could.
"Oh god, I'm gonna die aren't I? That's what you and Dean were trying to hide from me isn't it?" Sam gasped as tears started rolling down his cheeks once again.
"No Sammy, don't even think that!" Dean replied vehemently as he shivered at the thought of losing his baby brother. "That is NOT going to happen, do you hear me kiddo? The doc is going to fix this and everything will be fine once again."
"You don't know that Dean. What if…"
"I don't want to hear the what if's, Sammy. You're going to beat this thing with a bone marrow transplant and that's all there is to it. Me, Dad and Bobby, we're all signed up to have our bone marrow tested to see if we can be donors and the doc is going to test us bright and early tomorrow morning." Dean stated as he cut his brother off mid-sentence. "And just think, you could have some of my awesomeness running through your body soon." Dean said, hoping to relieve some of the angst his brother was feeling at the moment.
"Dean, I'm scared, I don't want to die." Sam whispered, his voice breaking on every word.
"And you won't kiddo, I swear on Mom's grave you won't." Dean stated determinedly as he pulled Sammy into his arms and began to rock him in a comforting motion that he used to use when Sam was little. He didn't care if he had to move the Heaven and Earth himself, he was not losing his baby brother.
TBC
