Summary: Tag to 1x12 - Reverse 'Faith' where Sam is the one given a few weeks to live and Dean is determined to save his little brother.

'Lying B-A-S-T-A-R-D' Sam signed. 'You said we seeing a doctor'

"Technically I said a specialist." Dean answered.

'So you brought me to man in tent?...' Sam retorted, sarcastically.

"I found an old contact in Dad's journal and he said this guy was the real deal. It's a shot, and I'm taking it."

"Oh yeah 'cause Dad's journal is the height of reliabil..." Sam's sentence broke off as he began coughing violently.

"Sam?!" Dean's eyes widened as he closed the distance between himself and his little brother before offering a reassuring yet firm pat to try and end the coughing fit.

Once the coughs had ceased, Dean looked to Sam with watery eyes.

"I know this all looks awful, and Dad isn't always right, and that the last place you want to be when you're sick is in a muddy field in the middle of nowhere after a six hour drive, but please..." His tone was reduced to a beg. "...this guy could actually help. He could genuinely cure you, and I won't walk away until we find out whether that's true of not." Dean paused. "Please, Sammy..."

Sam was silent for a few seconds before he finally nodded.

Dean smiled. "Come on." He placed his hand on Sam's back and led him towards the tent.

They had been very early to the morning communion and so the choice of seats was not an issue. Picking the front row, much to Sam's dismay, Dean sat down and held out an arm.

Knowing exactly what this meant, Sam sat down too before leaning closer to his brother as they waited for others to begin arriving.

Dean looked down at his little brother. Sam's head was resting against his shoulder, eyes half-lidded as he stared at nothing in particular. He was in pain, the observation clearly an understatement from the distance between Sam and the world around him.

Dean heard the light whimper that escaped Sam's lips, the one that he probably even realise was audible. Tightening his hold on his little brother, hand wrapping further around Sam to bundle him even closer against his side, Dean lightly traced the letters 'O' and 'K' on his arm.

Hearing aids long discarded into the glove compartment of the Impala, Sam was in a world of silence. His little brother hadn't been doing so well on the auditory front, with even the whisps of sounds making him feel sick, so Sam had quickly elected not to wear them.

Everyone around them began to cheer and clap before an old guy walked out onto the stage.

"Welcome. Welcome, friends." The Pastor paused. "Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?"

The audience agreed.

"Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But, I say to you, God is watching. God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt. It is the Lord who does the healing here friends. The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

"Oh dear, god..." Dean mumbled under his breath.

"Not impressed, young man." The Pastor commented.

Sam furrowed an eyebrow, following the Pastor's gaze to his brother. He offered a smack to his arm.

Layla in the row behind them chuckled.

"You are not here to be healed, but someone you love very dearly is. I am right?" The Pastor asked.

Dean cleared his throat. "Yeah, my uhh, my brother."

"Your brother." The Pastor nodded with a smile before his wife positioned him slightly so that he was looking at Sam. "Oh my...So much plagues you, young one. Deafness, convulsions, a brain injury, and now your heart. Our Father has been most brutal upon you."

Sam's head dropped in embarrassment at the Pastor's proclamation to the crowd around him, cheeks flushing pink as anxiety flooded through him.

Dean felt his heart tear at the sight. His little brother has always been the religious one of the two of them. He had caught him praying a few times over their childhood, mostly for the safe return of their Dad, but it was obvious that Sam found some kind of reassurance from it, despite everything that they knew.

"I'd like you to come up here with me."

Dean's eyes widened before he turned and looked down at Sam, trying to find his gaze.

'Hey' He signed. After a few seconds, Dean followed this with Sam's sign name.

Sam slowly looked up.

'Go.' Dean pointed to the stage. 'I right here. Not going anywhere'

Silent for a few seconds longer, Sam eventually spoke up. 'Promise?'

Dean smiled with a nod. 'Promise.'

Sam took a deep breath before slowly getting up from his chair, wincing slightly in pain as he did so. Making his way across to the stage, the Pastor's wife came to help him up the steps.

The Pastor walked over to Sam and gently placed a hand on his sleeve.

"I can heal it all, friend." He stated. "In a few minutes, you will be free of your burdens. Awakened once again to experience everything our Father's Earth has to offer us, his children."

"Not hearing." Sam stated.

The Pastor furrowed an eyebrow. "What, son?"

"You can heal me if you want, but that not need healed. I not broken. Just like you not broken either' Sam's voice cracked and wavered as he briefly glanced at the crowd, feeling sick as he did so. Hundreds of faces were staring back at him. Sam knew that he should've made that statement with strength and pride, but he was finding it hard to locate and convey any emotion other than pure fear.

The Pastor smiled softly and nodded. "Pray with me, friends." Raising a hand, he placed it down abruptly on Sam's cheek.

Sam turned to Dean with an anxious expression, soon noticing how green around the gills his brother also looked.

The Pastor continued his address of the congregation but Sam was unable to see his lips meaning he had to just stand there and wait as the Pastor continued to hold his face.

A minute or so later, he began to feel weird. Something was wrong and he soon found himself falling down to his knees, hissing in pain as he did so.

"Gah..." Sam cried out, voice trembling.

"Sam!" Dean shouted, jumping up from his seat with so much speed that it tipped backwards before running over, ascending the steps of the stage, and kneeling down next to his little brother, gathering him up in his arms.

Sam was shaking, the Pastor's hand still against his cheek. In a few seconds, it withdrew and Sam dropped, flopping further against his older brother in exhaustion, eyes fluttering, so very close to unconsciousness. He gasped.

'Sam? Sam?' Dean signed, frantically.

Sam was still, breathing slow before his eyes rose to meet his brother's looking down at him. 'Okay' He signed in reassurance.

'Can you walk?'

Sam nodded. 'Help me?'

Dean smiled, placing his hands under his little brother's armpits to help him upright with the utmost care before wrapping his arms around Sam to take his weight.

"We need a hospital."

Sam furrowed an eyebrow.

"Well, this religious healing stuff has been great, but I'm not gonna' open the champagne until a Doc gives me some cold hard proof." Dean stated.

Sam smirked.