Author's Note: A big bouquet of thanks to hotshow for your friendship and inspiration.
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support of this story, it sure means a lot.
I wanted to let you know, that there are only a few more chapters left. However, hotshow and I would like to re-visit with the characters every so often and in particular for special occasions, so please keep us in mind when you see an update. Thank you.
I would also like to apologize for not being able to post as quickly as I would like. My computer has been in and out for servicing and it has really been wreaking havoc. I know how extremely frustrating it can be to wait on a chapter of an ongoing story. I'm hoping that my computer issues get resolved once and for all shortly. In the interim, thank you for your patience.
Leave Me Breathless – Chapter Twenty-one
When the two guardians had come to get her, they'd put their arms around her and told her she needed to be strong with the news they were about to tell her and about who had just arrived to see her. They also told her that she would be given one opportunity only to alter this matter if she so chose too. When the time came, she would have a big decision to make.
Her mind could not or would not accept what she had been told. She sat there between the two angels, looking blankly back and forth between them before rising and making her way to the arrival area.
"MOMMY!!" an excited voice called out when he saw her. There hadn't been a mark on David when he ran to her and threw himself into her waiting arms.
The infinite joy and profound sadness competed in Stephanie's mind and heart as she held her baby boy. It was too much. She lost her footing and collapsed onto the ground, pulling David with her.
"Umm hmm…Umm hmm" Stephanie tenderly cooed as she looked down at her youngest cradled in her arms.
"My Mommy" David sighed as he cuddled closer. "I love you. I missed you" David stated.
"I love, love, love you my darling precious boy and I've missed you so very much" Stephanie declared tearfully as she bent down and kissed him.
"And Joshie misses you too, Mommy" David explained. "Daddy Dean and Daddy Sam got mad and talked loud to us" David went on. "Joshie and me, we were walking to go where you're asleep and this bad man almost got us. Bobby helped us. I'm here now" David put forth as he watched his Mommy frown and do this funny thing with her throat, like she was trying to swallow something big.
"Mommy?" David whispered, the concern evident on his little face.
Stephanie struggled to pull herself together and reply to her little one. "Thank goodness Bobby was there to help you and Joshua. Is Bobby a friend of Daddy Sam's and Daddy Dean's?"
"Yes Mommy and he's great" David enthused. Reaching up his small hand to his Mommy's face, David patted it. "I love you so much Mommy" David whispered before yawning.
"Close your eyes sweet one. You've had a very big day today and you need to rest. You're safe now I've got you" Stephanie soothed as she rocked her little boy against her.
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Joshua pulled himself out of Dr. Sanchez's arms and ran down the hall and out the stairwell door.
Dean took off after him, slowing his pace briefly as he gazed into the horrified expressions on Amelia's and Bobby's faces. He knew what he feared to be true. "Fuck, NO!" he cried out as he ran past them and followed Joshua's path.
Entering the stairwell, there was no sign of his injured son. Dean glanced up when he heard one of the doors slam on the floor above him. Taking the stairs two at a time, he flung open the door and saw Joshua at the far end of the hall. There was no place else to go, the only way out was back past Dean and Dean had no intention of letting Joshua by.
Joshua was crying heavily as Dean came towards him and appeared in an almost trance like state. He was shivering violently. "Joshua, it's Daddy" Dean said in an even voice.
Moving slowly in the hopes of not scaring his son, Dean was now standing in front of his crying child, as Joshua went to run past him.
Dean grabbed him lightly around the waist and knelt down facing him. "I'm here Joshie, you don't need to run. I've got you" Dean soothed.
"You and Daddy Sam yelled at us, you hate us and you love Amy and Ronnie and now David is dead, Daddy. My brother is dead. We wanted to go visit Mommy and now…and now…I couldn't help him. I…I…he's dead and I helped do it" Joshua screamed as he began sobbing uncontrollably. His little body was tense in Dean's arms.
Dean moved to a sitting position on the hospital floor and pulled Joshua into his lap. "No you didn't Joshie. This was not your fault" Dean tried to reason as he stroked his son's hair.
"NO!" came an anguished moan from the darkened room. "NO!" the strangled cry pierced the air.
Dean cursed the fates and God and everything that was suppose to be good and decent and right, for what was happening. If there was a worst case scenario than this, Dean couldn't imagine what it could be. There was no fucking way that this should be happening.
"De-Dean" Sam cried out.
"Is that Daddy Sam in there?" Joshua questioned. Dean nodded. Joshua crawled out of Dean's arms and stood up.
Walking into the darkened room, Joshua found his way over to the bed. Dean followed quickly, closing the door behind him. He didn't turn on the light. The overhead bed light was on dim.
Sam's face was contorted in heartbroken distress as he looked at Joshua and then at Dean.
Dean came and stood beside the bed next to Joshua.
"David's dead, Daddy. He's gone" Joshua sobbed.
"Give…him…t-t-to me" Sam said slowly as he patted the side of the bed and shifted painfully closer to the other guard rail. Dean lowered the opposite railing and Joshua climbed in and laid up against Sam.
The beeper sounded and the door opened. One of the on-duty nurses popped her head in and took in the distraught scene. Word of the tragic events had already begun to spread throughout the hospital. She looked on in compassion before closing the door.
Joshua squeezed tighter against Sam. "You too, Daddy" he said to Dean. Dean climbed in behind Joshua and extended his arm over Joshua and Sam.
Three sets of heartbroken tears mingled together. Gulps, words of disbelief and attempted comfort were whispered.
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Joshua blessedly had fallen asleep. Any respite from this unfathomable nightmare was welcome.
Dean had his face buried in Joshua's hair, but his eyes were watching Sam, as Sam looked down at Joshua and his casted arm and then at Dean. His eyes were filled with so much pain and sadness that Dean caught his breath.
Sam's mouth turned downwards and his lips trembled. Reaching up, Dean tenderly cupped the side of Sam's face, rubbing his thumb over Sam's tear streaked cheek. Sam never took his eyes off of Dean.
Sam eventually joined Joshua in sleep. Dean slipped out of bed and re-connected the guard rail. Making his way out of the room and closing the door softly behind him, Dean went searching for the men's room.
Standing in front of the mirror a few minutes later, he took a good look at the haggard and red-eyed face staring back at him. "I'm coming, David. Daddy's coming" he whispered. He had one stop to make before he went to see his little boy.
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Bobby finally found Amelia outside, leaning against the hospital wall, her back towards him. He closed off his cell phone. He'd just finished speaking with Deacon and Etta. It hadn't gone well. No one wants to convey or hear such tragic news, particularly when it involves a child.
Feeling strong arms engulf her waist, Amelia leaned back against the warmth.
"I had no business doing that to Joshua. My God that boy is still a child and I should have maintained my professionalism. The last thing that little dear needed was a Doctor breaking down while telling him his younger brother had just died" Amelia cried as she turned and buried her face against Bobby's shoulder.
"You're human, Melia" Bobby soothed, using his pet name for her. "That's what makes you such a marvelous Doctor and human being. It's your ability to show your human side" Bobby consoled, stroking her hair before kissing her.
Dean walked out to the Impala and got Henry from the front seat. It seemed like a life time ago that he had picked it up from the boys' bedroom floor. Dean slammed the car door shut and made his way back into the hospital. He had seen Bobby and Dr. S. on the other side of the entranceway, but he just couldn't bring himself to talk to them.
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The door to the room bore a big red "Do Not Enter" sign, pinned right to the middle. Dean opened the door to the almost empty room. They'd had the decency not to cover little David's face.
Clutching Henry firmly in his hand, Dean made his way to the bed that held his youngest son.
Dean looked at David's face and then paused before he pulled down the sheet and viewed David's injured body. "OH GOD!!" Dean sobbed. In terms of injuries, outwardly, there was significant chest and leg bruising, clearly something wrong with David's left foot and his face had two deep forehead gashes.
Pulling the sheet back up, he used the end of it to dry off the tears that were falling on David.
"David, Daddy Sam and I, we're so sorry little man…we…we didn't mean to yell" Dean choked out. "If we could only take it back. Henry's here now to be with you. We all love you so, so much David" Dean keened as he bent down and placed Henry beside David's head and then covered himself over David's still body.
Crying in deep and ragged tones, Dean laid his head on David's chest. "I'm so, so sorry buddy. I'm so sorry" he sobbed and sobbed until he was dry heaving and weak. Giving his son a kiss, Dean staggered out of the death room and stood dazed in the hallway.
Turning, he walked slowly, with the stance of an elderly person towards the nursery and Amy and Veronica. He needed to make sure they were doing okay.
The managing nurse unlocked the door to the nursery and allowed him entry. "I'm very sorry for your loss" she sympathized. Dean managed a slight nod.
"Well, here we are. Your two little ones are the only ones here right now, so we placed them together in the same holder, so they wouldn't be lonesome. They have on little wrist tags with their names. I'll be right outside if you need me" the nurse said before leaving.
Dean gazed down at the two little pink bundles all wrapped up warm and tight.
One was sound asleep, but his other little girl was stirring. He picked up the little bundle very carefully. She was so tiny and small. Dean took her over to the big white rocker and sat down.
Smiling down at his daughter, he pulled back the blanket and looked at the name bracelet. He was holding Amy.
"It's Daddy Dean, sweetheart. Hello my baby girl" he cooed, looking avidly at every aspect of her crinkled little face.
Taking his index finger, he lightly rubbed it over a very tiny mole on her chin. "Just like your Daddy Sam" he whispered before tilting his head to the side and viewing his daughter from a different angle.
Without warning, the tears started again. Thinking about all that had been taken from them with David being gone made the tears fall harder.
Closing his eyes and rocking Amy, Dean tried to hum something for her. His mind couldn't hold a tune, so he held her in silence, close to his beating heart and just decided to be.
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One of the Guardian Angels placed her hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "Have you decided dear one?" she asked gently.
Stephanie looked up and into the kind eyes staring down at her before turning her gaze back to David.
"I love you and Joshua with all my heart my little darling. Godspeed my precious little boy" Stephanie cried softly as she pulled David to her chest, whispered something in his ear and gave him a big kiss.
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"Tickle, tickle" a tiny voice broke through Dean's haze. "My little sister" the small voice was full of awe. "Daddy Dean is holding my other little sister and your sister too" the child's voice exclaimed. "This is Henry. He's mine, but I'll share k'ay" David explained.
Dean's eyes flew open. He was sure he was hallucinating. His heart rate accelerated rapidly and he broke out in a cold sweat.
"Hi Daddy. You still love Joshie and me, right?" David asked. "Daddy?" David called out as he came and stood by the rocker.
"Don't be scared Daddy. Mommy said you might be but Mommy said I should tell you and Daddy Sam that I'm a special miracle and I have another chance" David said proudly as he leaned his face on Dean's bicep.
"Miracle? Another chance?" Dean's mind was reeling and fragmenting.
"Hey buddy I'm going to put Amy down and then I'm picking you up" Dean said softly as he stood slowly and placed Amy down beside her sister.
Turning quickly he reached down and pulled David into his arms and smothered him with kisses and hugs and squeezes. "Daddy, I can't breathe. Can I get down?" a squirming David advised.
"Never, never, never. I'm not going to let you go and I'm going to keep hugging and kissing you" Dean laughed with sheer delight and wet eyes, as he blew a raspberry on David's neck.
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It was a hard call for Dean to make, given Sam's state, but Dean decided the risk was worth it. An alive son was better than a son who had died, at anytime.
The room door was open. Bobby and Dr. Sanchez were in with Sam and Joshua, seeing how they were and offering whatever comfort they could.
The bed was raised and Joshua was snuggled deep against Sam, Sam's stomach protected by a pillow. Joshua was eating a red popsicle.
Dean was standing in the doorway. Everyone was staring at him. He was grinning like a mad man from ear to ear and laughing and crying at the same time. "Dean, are you alright?" Dr. S. asked gravely. "I am 100 per cent so alright" he advised and let out another deep laugh. "Dean?" Sam called out.
"Who here believes in miracles of the living and breathing kind?" Dean asked. The room occupants looked at each other in concern. Bobby started to make his way over to Dean. Holding up his hand, Dean stopped him.
"Standing right outside this door is a living and breathing miracle, freshly returned from Heaven" Dean said in his best salesman voice.
"Dean, enough!" Dr. S. said sternly.
Then, they all heard the giggle and saw a little hand extend Henry into the doorway. "That's right folks" the little voice laughed.
Joshua dropped his popsicle and hurriedly climbed out the end of the bed and ran out the door. "DAVID!!" the scream was joyously loud and full of pure shock.
The grownups initially reacted with stunned silence as Joshua pulled his living and breathing little brother into the room.
David waved at Dr. S. and Bobby and bee-lined it for Sammy.
"Daddy…Daddy…Daddy…I came back" he shouted as Dean lifted him up and onto the bed. Sam was crying heavily as he used his good arm and hugged David to his side. "We're so, so glad you came back" Sam sobbed into the little boy's hair.
Everyone crowded around the bed and bent in for hugs and kisses. David explained his story again and then one more time.
"I'll be right back" Dean exclaimed suddenly. True to his word Dean re-appeared quickly, but not alone.
The two newest members of the family were with him.
Joshua came over and Dean introduced their oldest to their youngest. Joshua smiled shyly and asked if he could hold one of the girls. "Me too" David said from the bed.
"Okay guys. Joshua how about you get up on the bed too" Dean said.
Once both boys were properly seated beside Sam on the bed, Dean brought Amy over first and placed her in David's arms. "This is Amy" Dean advised. Bringing over Ronnie, Dean then placed the other little darling in Joshua's arms. "And this is Ronnie" Dean said.
Tears began to fall from each of the adults in the room at the joyous sight before them.
Dean came and stood beside Sam at the head of the bed. Bending down he wrapped his arms around his little brother and leaned his head on Sam's shoulder all the while listening to the twinkling sound of David's voice.
"I'm David and I'm your big brother" David introduced himself. "But, we all have the best biggest brother and that's Joshie" David explained as he looked up into Joshua's face and smiled.
To be continued.