Hey everyone! Again, thanks for all the reviews, hope you continue to enjoy this story :)

This chapter was written by: AnastaziaDanielle

Chapter Fourteen

Dean had cursed angrily over the whole air horn debacle, but once he'd seen the grin on his brother's face he had immediately decided to forgive Bobby. It took quite a bit to make Sam smile these days.

The younger Winchester was beginning to regain his strength. Sam was able to walk from room to room by himself, but still needed help with the stairs. His head continued to ache, however, and his speech had not really improved. He'd only had one session with a therapist since leaving the hospital. His next session would be tomorrow. Sam dreaded it.

Sleep was still an issue for him as well. Except for the first night at Bobby's when he had slept well, his rest had been plagued with nightmares. Sometimes they were about the accident and Dean was thrown through the windshield of the Impala to die a painful, bloody death. At other times, he dreamed of hell-the burning fire and frigid cold. Exhaustion tugged at him most of the time these days as did depression and anxiety.

Sam fretted constantly about the future and "what ifs" swirled around his brain. What if he could never talk again? What if he could never hunt with Dean? What if the wall collapsed and he went crazy? What if he didn't have his brother's back and something killed Dean? Sam sometimes felt as if he wanted to jump out of his own skin. He wished his brain had an off switch just so he could have some relief from the constant repetitive thoughts that refused to leave him alone. He found himself pacing Bobby's small study and chewing obsessively at his fingernails.

The anxiety led to depression. It was hard to think of a time in the future when things would be better. Instead, it seemed he would always be trapped in a voiceless body, always afraid that the wall protecting him from memories would come crashing down and the sheer horror of what he had done would drive him insane. Was there any hope that things would ever be better? Sam was beginning to doubt that there was.

Dean was constantly fussing at Sam to get his fingers out of his mouth and to sit still. He knew his little brother well enough to tell that something was eating at him. It was hard to have a discussion right now when Sam had to take the time to write everything out. The princess notepad had run out of pages, so Bobby had picked up a small whiteboard and dry erase markers when he'd made a grocery run.

Dean leaned over the Impala's engine, satisfied that his baby was going to purr like a kitten now that he and Bobby had repaired the damage from the accident. He gazed across the yard where his younger brother sat aimlessly on Bobby's porch with a book propped open in his lap. Dean knew Sam's head was bothering him. He watched as his brother pinched the bridge of his nose and winced.

With a heavy sigh, Dean wiped his hands on a rag to rid them of grease, put his tools away, and closed Baby's hood. Sam didn't need to be concentrating so hard on those books. He was getting around better, so there was no reason he couldn't leave the house as long as he took it easy. A grin quirked Dean's lips up at the corners; it was time to get his geek boy brother to have some fun.

Dean reached the porch and dropped down onto the top step. "Don't overdo it, Sammy," he cautioned as he ran a hand over his sweaty hair.

Sam grunted at him and tossed a sour look his way.

"Come on, Sam, let's go somewhere," Dean encouraged.

"N-," Sam mouthed at his brother as he tried to pronounce the word "no," purposely refraining from shaking his head. It still ached from the accident and his surgery.

"Sam, you can't stay holed up here forever. I need to pick up some things for Bobby at the auto parts store. We can go to the bookstore in town. Maybe you can get something new to read."

Sam sighed heavily. The idea of the bookstore was very tempting and he was tired of sitting in Bobby's house day after day.

He jumped when Dean poked him in the arm. Sam hadn't even realized that his brother had moved from his place on the steps.

"Come on, dude. You need to move around a bit. Maybe it will help that egg head of yours finish healing," Dean prodded.

Sam sighed once again, but pushed himself slowly to his feet and waited to make sure he had his balance before moving. He knew Dean would make his life miserable until he agreed to go. Sam took his time washing up and looked into the mirror to adjust his hat before following Dean out to the car. He had to admit that the Impala looked good. Her black paint shone brightly in the mid-day sun.

Dean ran his hand reverently over her smooth finish. "Lookin' good, Baby," he murmured. "Don't worry. Pretty soon me, you, and Sammy will be back on the open road again."

Sam's stomach clenched at his brother's words. Dean couldn't know that for certain. There was no way Sam could have Dean's back when hunting if he couldn't speak. His mood sunk lower as the "what if" questions worked their way to the forefront of his mind. Sam had been hoping this trip would allow him to break away from his anxiety even for just a little bit, but he couldn't seem to escape his thoughts. The idea depressed him even further.

Dean turned on the radio and rolled down his window, singing along happy as he steered the Impala down the two lane road towards town. He kept glancing toward his brother in the passenger seat, hoping that Sam would allow himself to relax. Instead, Sam's shoulders tensed and his body language suggested that he was very uncomfortable.

Dean frowned. "Is your head bothering you?" he asked after turning the music down slightly.

Sam shook his head slightly to indicate that it wasn't.

"Then what is it, dude?" Dean asked with frustration.

Sam just turned his head and stared out of the passenger window without answering.

Dean parked in front of the auto parts store. "Want to come in with me? It shouldn't take long."

Sam again gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

"Fine," Dean ground out through clenched teeth as he shut the Impala's door and headed inside to get the parts on Bobby's list.

Sam shifted in the Impala's front seat as his brain went round and round. He tried saying several simple words now that he was alone in the car, but other than beginning sounds, and sometimes not even that, he didn't have much success. Frustration bubbled up inside of him, and he flung open the door of the car and stepped out into the bright sunshine.

When Dean exited the store a while later, he found Sam lounging against the front of the Impala and bit back a pleased grin. "Sorry it took so long. Guy couldn't find one of the parts."

Sam merely grunted in response.

"The book store is just across the street. Let's walk," Dean encouraged. He started walking slowly toward the corner to cross the street and glanced back to see if his brother was following him. Thankfully, he was.

Dean slowed down to accommodate Sam. A ding from his cell phone made him pull it out of his pocket to check for a text. He glanced both ways before stepping out into the street and then looked down at his phone again. He didn't see the car that was coming up the side street. The driver turned the corner without really paying attention just as Dean stepped off of the curb.

"D-!" Sam choked out, already running forward and ignoring the pounding in his head. He broke off as the bumper of the car tapped Dean's leg and his brother fell to the ground. Panic thrummed through Sam and he could barely breathe. Dean was lying unmoving on the ground. "D'n!"

Dean must have had the breath knocked out of him because he stirred and slowly sat up. He was rubbing his leg when Sam reached his side and dropped to his knees on the ground next to him. "I'm okay, Sammy," he promised. "Just bruised and sore."

The driver, a frazzled red-head with her cell phone in her hand was sobbing by the time she reached Dean. Mascara made black tracks down both cheeks and her hair was mussed like she had run her hands through it in frustration. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. I turned around to yell at my kids. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Dean assured her as a crowd of people began to gather around.

Sam's breath came faster and his heart pounded. His brother could have been killed and Sam could have watched it unfold right before his eyes. He felt useless and broken and the thought of losing Dean all because a woman was distracted and fussing at her children made his stomach churn. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he trembled all over; his brother could have died because Sam couldn't have his back. "D'n," he managed through chattering teeth. Black spots swam before his eyes as someone, maybe the red-head woman, helped Dean to his feet. The world spun dizzily around him and Sam gulped as a wave of nausea rolled through his stomach. His head throbbed painfully at his incision site.

"Sir, are you all right?" the man standing next to him asked as he put a gentle hand on Sam's arm.

Sam flinched at the touch.

Dean's attention was drawn to his brother. "Sammy, what is it? What's wrong?"

The younger Winchester's heart fluttered in his chest and he was finding it harder to breathe.

"Sammy?" Dean asked again as he hobbled toward his brother. He watched in horror as Sam collapsed in a crumpled heap to the ground, the man beside him catching him just before his cap-covered head hit the pavement. "SAM!"

Dean shrugged off the hands on his arm and dropped to his brother's side with a gasp of pain as his wounded leg protested the movement.

"Is he all right?" someone asked. "Should I call for an ambulance?"

Dean's first instinct was to say yes, but he bit his lip and rubbed a gentle hand over Sam's cheek. "Sam, come on, buddy. Open your eyes for me."

A moan escaped his younger brother's lips and then Sam's face screwed up as if he was in pain. His arms flailed out toward his brother and Dean grabbed at Sam's hands, capturing them in his own.

"It's okay, Sam. You're all right," Dean soothed.

"N-NO!" Sam managed to form the word very clearly. He was panicking, but still hadn't opened his eyes.

"SAM!" Dean yelled.

"What's wrong with him? I'm calling the paramedics," the same person informed Dean.

"NO!" Dean responded. "Just help me get him to my car. He's dealing with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. I'm going to take him to the hospital myself." Dean's voice was forceful enough that several people moved to help him lift Sam. Dean made sure he cradled his brother's head carefully against him.

"You're okay, Sammy," he continued to soothe.

"NO!" Sam began to thrash just as they got him settled into the back of the Impala.

"Thank you all," Dean told the people that had helped with Sam. "I'm going to get a blanket out of the trunk and get him settled. Then we are going to the hospital." He stroked his brother's face as the crowd dispersed.

"Sam, buddy, don't climb over that wall; do you hear me?" Dean ordered firmly as he squeezed his brother's shoulder. "I need you to wake up for me."

Sam tossed his head from side to side and then groaned in pain.

"Calm down, Sammy," Dean pleaded as he held Sam's head still and gently patted the younger Winchester's cheek.

Sam's eyes opened to tiny slits and hope sliced through Dean. "That's it, Sam. That's my boy," he encouraged.

Sam blinked rapidly. "D'n?" he groaned.

"Hey, Sammy, welcome back," Dean grinned. "What was that fainting spell all about, Princess?"

Sam rubbed a shaky hand over his face and sighed heavily. Pain lines bracketed his mouth and his lips turned down in a frown.

Gently, Dean adjusted the hat covering his brother's head and tucked the blanket around him more securely. "Okay, Sammy, let's get you home and then you can tell me and Bobby what happened."

Dean slipped out of the backseat and shut the door gently before hurrying to the driver's side and climbing in. He glanced over the seat to see Sam wide awake and pale, his hands still trembling. Dean had no idea what had happened, but worry twisted sickly in his stomach. Had Sam's wall cracked? Was his brother teetering on the brink of insanity? He gunned the Impala's motor and drove as quickly as he dared back to Bobby's house.

To be continued...

Just a little shameless self promotion…I just posted the first chapter of my new story which is an AU tag to "On the Head of a Pin" called "The Breaking" Much Dean whumping and Sam and Cas working together. So check it out if you want to :)