Chapter 14
Those three quiet words were like a punch to the throat. Sam stared at his brother, horrorstruck.
"Dean… it's me," he said, gripping his brother's shoulders tightly. "It's Sam."
"… Sam?" Dean tilted his head as if trying to look at him from a different angle. His eyes were completely devoid of life.
"Yeah, your brother."
"I… don't have a brother."
"Yes, you do!" Sam cried, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm your brother!"
Dean's eyes dropped to the ground, his brow furrowing as if he were trying very hard to remember something. Another crack appeared near his jawline. He was on the verge of disintegrating completely.
"My brother's dead…," he mumbled. "Sammy died a long, long time ago…"
"I didn't die in the fire that night, Dean!" Sam said pleadingly. "That's a false memory that Michael planted in your mind, and it's tearing you apart. Somewhere deep down, you know it's not true! You have to remember!"
Dean's eyes flickered closed, and his knees buckled. Sam caught him just before he collapsed, easing him to the ground. Both brothers fell to their knees, Sam helping to support Dean's weight.
The tears were flowing freely from Sam's eyes now. His brother was barely clinging to consciousness. Sam held his brother's face in his hands.
"Dean, look at me," he begged.
Dean stirred, then opened his eyes just a fraction. He looked at Sam, all life fading from him like a dying flame.
"You saved me," Sam told him. "You've gotta believe me. You saved me from the fire, you saved me from Lucifer, from the Trials… You've saved my life over and over again, I don't even know how many times now. You've always been there for me. After everything we've been through, after everything we've lost, you've always been the one thing I could always count on."
Dean listened, Sam's voice the only thing still anchoring him to life.
"Please," Sam continued. "Please. Believe me. You're my brother. Remember me."
Dean blinked heavily, his eyes fading shut.
"Dean, it's me!" Sam cried, pulling his brother to his chest.
He held Dean, arms wrapped protectively around him. The construct of Dean's mind was disappearing into oblivion all around them; only a few more feet remained between them and the abyss. Time was up; there would be no chance of escape.
"I've got you," Sam promised. "I'm not gonna leave you."
Sam gripped Dean tighter, burying his head in his big brother's shoulder. He shut his eyes against impending doom as the walls of Dean's mind crumbled closer and closer around them.
"Remember," he whispered.
At first nothing happened.
Then he felt one of Dean's hands clutch the back of his jacket and hold on tight.
"Sammy…" Dean's ghostly voice whispered.
And then everything disappeared into darkness.