C21
-o-o-o-o-
Deep in thought, Sam watched without really seeing as Dean, this time obediently pacing himself, helped himself to more water. Sam was looking inward, busily contemplating the different potential methods and which of them might be the better option for getting Dean, and himself, to safety. He had already resigned himself to the fact that, in whatever way the task was achieved, there was only one place that they were both going to end up, that being the nearest hospital. Sam's gaze re-focused on Dean. No matter how determined and stubborn his brother could be, and he could be the world champion for both, Sam doubted, no, he was absolutely certain that Dean had neither the physical strength or, indeed, the energy reserves right now that it would take before he could have any chance at all of successfully making the trek on his own two feet. And, although emotionally Sam was utterly willing, he had to accept the harsh fact that he, himself, was in no fit state of physical health to have the chance of being able to successfully carry his brother all the way back into the fresh air. This being the case, Sam was left face to face with his least favoured option, and the question of how he was going to make Dean understand. And how his brother was going to react.
-o-
Dean held out the bottle of water. Taking it from him, Sam slowly began to screw the bottle top back on, the newly activated stinging sensations throughout his wounds making what should have been a straight forward task seem much harder. Fortunately, Sam had managed to screw the lid back tightly enough to stop any spillage when one of life's little ironies took over and Sam accidentally lost his grip on the bottle when an acute and short lived arrow of pain unexpectedly shot right down his back. Once the heat of his own personal lightening bolt subsided, Sam reached to retrieve the bottle, freezing when he saw Dean gazing at it, his mind clearly occupied, the intense, thoughtful expression indicating that his brother was thinking something through, trying to work something out.
-o-
Sam watched sadly whilst Dean turned away and, over carefully, finally selected a lump of rock from amongst the debris that was within his reach. Still ignoring Sam, Dean lifted the rock, paused, then brought it down as hard as he could, smacking it against another lump of stone of roughly the same size laying within the nest. He repeated the action a second time. That done, Dean carefully replaced his rock in exactly the same spot it had been occupying when Dean selected it. Sam waited patiently, not interfering, simply being ready with his reassurances for when Dean decided he felt ready to face Sam again. So sure of how distressed his brother would be, Sam found himself completely caught off guard when Dean turned, and Sam saw the genuinely happy smile of discovery lighting up his brother's face.
"M' voice's ok S'my! ... Got wonky ears is all!"
With a burst of laughter Sam nodded, fully supporting his brother's self diagnosis.
-o-
It was against an inner turmoil of reluctance and regret that Sam began doing his best to explain to his brother his intention to get them both to safety, and what his plan entailed. Dean's reaction times were too slow to cover the fleeting expression of fear that crossed his face, an expression which very nearly broke Sam's resolve. Sam looked on in awe as he watched Dean swiftly take back control over his fear, internalising and burying it; replacing it with a nod of understanding and an outward acceptance of Sam's proposal.
-o-
Trying to offset his own feelings of guilt, Sam spent time trying to ensure that Dean was as comfortable as possible and that anything he might need, such as the remaining water, was to hand. Sam realised he was possibly overdoing things a touch when Dean began to push Sam's hands away and protest about Fussy, jerky brothers. Sam's final piece of preparation was to persuade his increasingly exhausted brother to swallow down some painkillers. It was only then that Sam allowed Dean to close his eyes and drift back to sleep. For a while, Sam simply sat quietly and watched the untroubled face of his sleeping brother. Sam felt a mixture of pride and anxiety at the complete trust and faith that Dean displayed in Sam's ability to make everything alright and to find a way to get them both safely back home. It was Dean's constant faith that spurred Sam on. Sam smiled. All his life, Dean had believed in him, in what he was capable of. That belief had encouraged Sam, made Sam unafraid to push himself, whether physically or intellectually, taught Sam to believe in himself. And now, again, it was helping to keep Sam going, despite his weary body's deep desire to lay down alongside Dean and to rest, if only for a short while.
-o-
The simple every day act of putting on a clean, dry hoodie that wasn't partially shredded or stiff and sticky with his blood was a pleasure, and somehow helped to chase away a small part of the tiredness Sam felt. Looking at his all weather coat, Sam was tempted to forego wearing it. Common sense won out however, along with the desire to stay as dry and warm as he could. It was time to go. Without disturbing Dean's sleep, Sam steadily got to his feet, pausing on shaky legs, waiting for the tremors to ease up and his body to accept the fact that there was more work to be done. Finally, and with a last look at Dean, Sam turned and walked to the edge of the nest mound, ready to begin his journey, with the re-loaded Taurus, two cell phones, and one hard working torch for company.
-o-
Sam was delighted to see the faint glow of daylight in far less time than he had expected. But then, he was following bends and turns that had some familiarity after having travelled them once already. He was also journeying lighter without the backpack, he was not having to detour to search each chamber and, most importantly, this time he had no need for the level of caution or stealth which had been necessary when he first made his way through the tunnel and chambers. Even so, Sam was still surprised by the fact that, according to his rough calculations as he made his way towards the light that was the outside world, he had covered less than a mile from the original cave entrance to where he eventually found Dean. Sam was soon able to turn off the torch as the light levels in the tunnel increased. It was hard for him to resist the temptation to simply race for the exit and, instead, to keep to a pace that allowed time for his eyes to gradually adjust. Finally though, he was standing on the edge of the bright light of day.
-o-
Exiting the cave felt something like stepping out from the back of an old wardrobe. The change that Sam found was dramatic. He turned his face up to clear sapphire blue skies, and the welcome warmth of the afternoon sun. The only wind was the ruffle of a warm plains breeze, and the air was alive with birdsong and the buzzing, clicking sounds of a myriad of industrious insects. As far as Sam was concerned, this, right here, could be Heaven. Activating both cells, he set off to find a signal.
-o-o-o-o-