A/N: Thank you so much everyone who has been reading and commenting on this story. I'm so glad you like it!
Chapter 21: Handled
The following morning, early, and without much sleep for his troubled and betrayed mind, Fox Mulder awoke to find that the Impala was gone. A moment of panic set in as he knocked on the brothers door and no one answered but the desk manager assured him that they had not checked out. Returning to his room he caught Scully by surprise, she was dressed and ready for official business and he still looked scruffy and half asleep; delusional even.
"Scully, they're gone!" Mulder stated the obvious in a near panic. "We shouldn't have left them alone!"
"Mulder, I'm sure if they really wanted to escape they could have avoided this motel all together when I met them yesterday during my autopsy. I wouldn't be too worried about it because I'm going to assume they spent the night working the case," she tried to calm him down but her speech only seemed to make him more anxious.
"I wanted to work the case. I want to go on the hunt and help people. I want to see a real life werewolf with my own eyes to believe it!" Mulder protested passionately.
"Castiel's speech yesterday meant nothing to you? An angel couldn't convince you of truths that are in the world. Why do you need to see the werewolves?" Scully asked for argument sake. There wasn't a bone in her body that didn't believe what the angel had told them, and she was generally seen as the sceptical one, but truly it has been Mulder this whole time.
"Castiel looks like a man, and men lie!" Mulder countered. "My own eyes do not deceive my brain and I will be the judge of what is truth or fiction in my own world."
"Because you haven't been fooled before," she accused sarcastically.
"Low blow, Scully," he countered.
"Face it Mulder, you're the rookie here and they know what they're doing. You'd probably just get in their way, or worse, killed," She said with a sigh as the rumble of the classic car's engine could he heard coming around the bend in the road and it caused the duo to turn and witness the arrival of the beautiful work of engineering.
Looking haggard and filthy, Sam and Dean exited the vehicle after returning to their parking spot and stopped to the accusing glares of Agent Mulder, and the apologetic eyes of Dana Scully.
"You look like you could use some medical attention," Scully said at the sight of a bloody gash in Sam's forearm and a still glistening cut along Dean's neck.
"Nothing a good stiff drink and some dental floss can't fix, right Sammy?" Dean asked optimistically, overly so, for a man who looked like he'd been through hell - again.
"Don't trouble yourself, Doctor Scully, we deal with these kinds of wounds all the time," Sam added reassuringly. "We really are all right."
"I'll just drink till I pass out and then Sammy can stitch it up," Dean laughed and leaned on his car. "All in a nights work for us," he grinned at his brother because they had accomplished what they had set out to do.
"And who is going to deal with this?" She asked as she stepped toward Sam and observed his wound without touching it.
"I will," Sam answered. "Dean isn't lying, I've gotten really good at it. Lots of practice on myself and my brother, and many of our hunting buddies."
"He could pass the MCATs with flying colours, I'm sure of it, and the LSATs, my baby brother got all the smarts," Dean said pridefully as Sam reddened at his brothers speech.
"Or you could let a real surgeon patch you up with proper tools and techniques," Mulder said bitterly. "Scully has a kit in the car," he added after she shot him a disapproving glare. "And I am clearly of no use to you right now."
"They have a right to refuse medical treatment," Scully scolded here partner. "And you should shower."
"We don't wanna be any trouble," Dean added.
"It's no trouble," Scully countered insistently as she got a better look at Sam's arm as he removed his jacket. "That is in need of attention now, Sam, you're losing blood fast," she added an steered Sam toward his room.
"Here," Mulder huffed as he tossed the kit he'd retrieved from the rental at Dean. "She's top notch and won't take long," he added and sulked back toward his own room.
"What's with Mulder?" Dean asked as he entered the motel room and Scully had already managed to strip Sam of his shirt.
"He's upset that you left him behind last night," She answered as she took the kit from Dean and spread it out on the dining set that was in the hotel room. "You should wash that and I'll deal with it after this one," she added as she motioned to Dean's wound and then turned back to Sam. "His looks deeper and infected, and I'm worried he's nicked a vein," She explained as she snapped on a pair of latex gloves and her entire demeanour changed to that of serious business.
"I'll never protest putting my little brother first," Dean said obligingly. "You seem to be in good hands, Sammy," Dean added with a wink and disappeared into the washroom.
"Really, I can handle it myself," Sam protested but was hushed by the doctor. "Why would Mulder be upset that we handled the situation without him," he asked rather then protest further and let her work.
"Because Mulder is on a personal quest to experience all the paranormal phenomena that the world has to offer. Basically, he wanted to see the werewolves with his own eyes to believe they exist because he doesn't argue internally ever," she explained but her tone turned to sarcasm by the end of it. She disinfected Sam's wound and prepped it for stitches as she because silent and brooding.
"I can get seeing to believe, but this wasn't just observation, this was a battle. These wolves were waiting for Dean and I, and had a plan in place to get revenge. The mass killing in the tavern was to get our attention. Mulder isn't prepared for that kind of battle ambush. Not in our line of work," Sam said to ease her mind.
"I agree with you, but he doesn't see it that way. How did you two get out alive if this was a plot against you?" She asked as she worked.
"Castiel found them and helped out. We hit them before they had even confirmed that we were here and we caught them off guard. If Mulder wants to investigate further he can go to the farm where we found them. All the evidence is still there but Dean and I burned the corpses as is our general protocol. It's so that we're one hundred percent certain they are dead and not going to hurt anyone else," Sam explained.
"Do you do that kind of clean up all the time?" She asked.
"If there is time, yes," Sam answered.
"Nice work, Doc," Dean commented as he came out of the washroom and watched over Scully's shoulder as she sutured his brother's wound. "Maybe you could learn a thing or two from her Sammy," he added as a jab to his brother's ego. "She's a pro!"
"She's a real doctor, Dean. I'm just a hack that does it out of necessity," Sam retorted.
"We do end up bloody a lot, but damn it feels good to be back at it," Dean said and smiled. "And now I'm starving."
"Of course you are," Sam laughed.
"So where do you go from here?" Scully asked to bring herself back into the conversation.
"Well, we were making our way to DC, solving cases and helping people, all with the underlying purpose of finding Mulder but you've beat us to it. So what now, home?" Dean asked his brother.
"You wanna take Mulder back to the bunker and let him raid the library?" Sam asked.
"He wants to know about the Men of Letters, and that's probably the best place for him," Dean responded.
"You'd be back on his good side," Scully commented.
"Well, the Men of Letters are giving us some trouble at this time, so with a whistleblower like Mulder to call them out of the shadows, maybe they will get off of our case," Sam reasoned.
"They should just stay away from the USA and all will be well," Dean huffed his displeasure and annoyance as Scully finished with Sam.
She bandaged his arm and then shoved Dean into a seat next to his brother and maneuvered his chin with one hand so that she could get a better look at his wounds.
"Woah Doc, take it easy," Dean laughed in protest.
"Why do I get the feeling this is normal for you boys?" She asked sarcastically as she observed scars on Dean's neck and shoulder under the wound that was still bleeding.
"Because it really is normal, or our brand of normal," Dean answered. "It's just all part of our family business and we were brought up in it."
"You poor boys," She said with a sigh, slapped a few butterfly bandages onto Dean's neck and stepped back. "Those should hold, but what kind of a life is this for you?"
"The only one I've ever know," Dean said honestly. "It's not all bad, we save lives, we keep the darkness in the shadows and I do it all with my brother. Sure it's dark, and at times all there is to do is self medicate to chase away the inner demons, but sometimes it feels good knowing that people can still be oblivious to that which should remain in nightmares and ghost stories. I mean, I know we're different but I wouldn't give it up for a civilian life where my brother and I don't talk or even see each other."
Scully sighed heavily in though over the revelations of Dean Winchester. She rarely saw her own family, her parents were now gone, all she had was Mulder, and here were these two men, closer then anyone she'd every known, and yet risking everything for the greater good. She sighed again before before she spoke once more. "I think you boys could do with some rest," She said and turned away to brush the tears from her eyes.
"And food," Dean added seeing the emotion in the woman and wanting desperately to save her from it. "I'm starving!"
"Yes, and that. I'll take Mulder over to that farm to give him something to feel connected to and I'll pitch the idea of following you to the Men of Letter bunker. He'll likely say yes, but I want to give you some time to recuperate before we hit the road again. Don't pick at the bandages Dean!" She said as she batted his hand away as he began to scratch at them. "You really should eat too, Sam, you've lost a fair amount of blood, and take it easy with those sutures. You can shower and whatnot, but give them some time to settle. You look like you're gonna be fine," She added to the both of them.
"Is he going to be really upset about the werewolves, Mulder I mean?" Sam asked.
"He'll get over it," Scully smiled, packed up her kit and turned to the door. "Well done boys, get some rest," she said and then fled.
"I like her," Dean said to his brother.
"Yeah, I know," Sam responded with a sarcastic laugh. "But there is something troubling her. I hope she's okay with this whole thing," he added more seriously now.
"It's the weight of the world, Sammy. It weighs heavily on anyone who is new to the truth and has the heart of a helper like she does," Dean reasoned. "She knows what it takes to save lives, or at least she thought she did until we came along and told her the truth."
"But it's not new to her," Sam said with concern. "I think we hit a nerve. I think she feels sorry for us. The mother in her is heart broken."
"We'll keep an eye on her. I guess she's got to be the compassionate one, being a doctor and all. For the most part, I'd give her an A plus for bedside manner," Dean mocked but became serious again when his brother shook his head. "She'll be okay, Sammy, and so will you. We just gotta get some food into you!"