Hey all! Here is the next chapter for you all. My dinner and visit with my dad was really fun and now I'm back at the hotel. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Cindy.
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Warehouse-5:45 AM
"We've looked everywhere Dad. We covered the warehouse top to bottom, the trees all around. We looked in any and every place he could be hiding. Sam's not here, and for that matter, neither is Wilcox," Daniel stated wearily.
John looked at his son, feeling every ounce of despair that he saw in Daniel's eyes. Dean stood beside Daniel, his head bowed, eyes on the ground and shoulders sagged in defeat. Dean's low voice brought John's attention to his middle son.
"All of that blood…Do you think it was Sammy's?" the young man asked, his breath hitching as if he were on the verge of tears.
" I don't know Dean. I do know that boot print didn't belong to Sammy, but what that means, I have no idea," John answered, wishing he could take his boy's grief onto himself so they wouldn't look so absolutely miserable.
John turned his attention away from his sons when he saw movement to his right. Bobby, Caleb and Joshua emerged from the trees behind where their vehicles were parked. They hurried to the Winchesters, their eyes expectant as they came alongside the three exhausted men.
"Anything Johnny?" Bobby drawled tiredly.
"No, nothing. I take it you all had the same luck?" John answered.
"Yeah…since I split with you and met up with these two, we searched deep into the overgrowth to the west of the warehouse. There's nothing out there," Bobby replied dejectedly.
"Same here…we searched the east end and behind the warehouse. Maybe when the sun comes up we'll be able to see more," John said.
"We've been searching for hours, if there was something to find we would have found it by now," Dean said softly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Dean, you're the one who told me not to give up. We're going to keep looking until we have a reason not to," John said.
"You mean until either we or the police find Sam's body…" Dean whispered, barely holding in a sob.
"I'm sorry kiddo, but yeah. It could come to that. I pray it doesn't but…"
John was cut off by the ringing of Caleb's cell phone and the men watched as Caleb took the call, walking a short distance away, his back turned. Caleb talked for a few minutes while the other men waited in uncomfortable silence, their thoughts returning to Sam. They were brought out of their musings when Caleb returned to the group, his features guarded.
"Who was that Caleb?" Joshua asked, not liking the look in Caleb's eyes.
"Uh…a buddy of mine. He's been keeping track of the police investigation for me," Caleb answered, holding up his hand to silence more questions. "Don't ask how, just…he has his ways. Anyway, a 911 call came in about an hour ago. A kid matching Sam's description was found…"
"What!? Where?" Daniel cried as he reached out and grasped Caleb's arm.
"Uh…Jordan Road. It's not far from here according to Mac. You guys can follow me…" Caleb answered.
"Is he okay Caleb? Did your friend say if Sammy was okay?" Dean queried, his eyes wide with hope.
"He didn't really say Dean. Just said that some guy and his dog were out for an early morning run and found a kid on the side of the road," Caleb replied, keeping the more distressing information his friend had given him to himself.
"Well, let's hightail it then! Caleb, lead the way…" John commanded, already sprinting for the Impala.
The other men complied and soon the two hunter filled vehicles were speeding back toward the main road, any worries of speed and safety discarded from the two drivers minds.
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Jordan Road-6:00 AM
A silver newer model Chevy eased around the police cruiser that blocked half of Jordan Road and pulled in behind an older Oldsmobile. Once the car came to a halt and the engine was cut, the drivers door opened and a woman in her mid fifties exited the front seat, her face set in neutral, eyes moving to where several people stood watching over whom she had been summoned to examine. Amongst the congregated crowd was a uniformed police officer, two EMT's, a man in a crumpled suit and the coroner's assistant, Rachel Cummins. Rachel smiled grimly when she noticed the woman walking her way.
"Evelyn, hello," the assistant greeted.
"Miss Cummins, in the office when we are alone you can refer to me as Evelyn, but out in the field you refer to me as Dr. Spencer," the woman replied tersely.
Properly chagrinned, Rachel turned her reddened face away and mumbled her apology. Dr. Spencer nodded in acknowledgement then looked down at the boy she had been pulled from bed to see. She shook her head sadly, never used to seeing a child abused and thrown away as it appeared this one had been. She pulled latex gloves from her pocket and slipped them onto her small hands, her eyes moving to the man who stood nearby dressed in the crumpled suit.
"And who are you?" Dr. Spencer queried.
"Detective Casey," the man said, extending his hand, only to draw it back when the coroner didn't offer hers.
"Sorry, I'd shake your hand but I just put my gloves on," Dr. Spencer explained.
Detective Casey nodded and stepped back, watching as the woman dropped down next to the still boy and gently brushed his hair away from his closed eyes. She sat crouched next to the boy for several moments, staring at his lax face with saddened eyes.
"Miss Cummins, give me the rundown please," she said finally, dropping to both knees.
"Uh…we have a male, aged seventeen according to Detective Casey, height approximately 70 inches, weight approximately 170 pounds. Ligature wounds on both wrists and ankles. Strangulation bruises on his neck, two inch section of scalp missing, a deep bite mark on the left pectoral region, what appear to be electrical burns on the bottoms of both feet and his left side, puncture wounds covering his entire back, chest and abdomen, and marks that indicate he was beaten with some sort of strap over his back, torso, groin and thighs," the assistant replied.
Dr. Spencer looked up at Detective Casey questioningly. "You know the victim?" she asked.
"Yes. He's central to a case I'm working on," the detective answered.
The doctor nodded and turned back to her assistant. "All vitals have been checked? We're sure this child is dead?" she queried.
Rachel nodded as she replied. "No pulse or breath sounds, body is cold and there is no response to painful stimuli."
"Okay then, let's get started so we can get him out of here. I think the poor kid's been on this cold ground long enough," Dr. Spencer said, nodding as Rachel began to take pictures.
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Caleb saw the flashing lights of the police cruiser and slowed to a stop on the side of the road. He, Joshua and Bobby climbed from the SUV and waited as John and the boys exited the Impala, which had pulled up right behind them. The six men met and began to walk toward a crowd of people they saw about fifty feet ahead. Once they skirted the police cruiser they were stopped by the officer who stood guard over the crime scene.
"Uh…sorry, this is a restricted crime scene. What exactly is your interest?" the officer queried.
"Our interest is that may be my son. Now, let us through," John spat, his eyes glued to the portion of the body that was visible.
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't let you in there. You'll need to wait here. I'll get the detective on the scene for you to speak with," the officer replied apologetically.
"That may be my brother! You can't keep us from him!" Dean cried as he tried to push past the police officer, growling when strong hands held him back.
"Dean! We can't go barging in there when we don't even know if it's Sammy or not!" Joshua said, his hand wrapped tightly around Dean's good arm.
"Let me go Joshua!" Dean hissed, trying to break the larger man's hold.
"John, boys…what are you doing here?" a familiar voice queried.
John turned from the altercation and his heart sunk when he saw Detective Casey standing a few feet away.
"We heard on the police scanner that a boy matching Sam's description had been found. What are you doing here?" John answered, sensing his sons and fellow hunters move around him.
Detective Casey dismissed the officer then turned to John. "Got a call and headed right here when I heard the description," the detective replied.
"Is that a coroner's vehicle? Does that mean th-that he's…dead?" Daniel asked fearfully.
"Daniel…I…" the detective started.
"Just tell us…is that Sammy? Is he dead detective?" John said, his stomach in knots.
Detective Casey glanced at each man who stood before him before turning his eyes back to John. His heart pounded in his chest and his throat felt suddenly dry. This was not the outcome he had wanted to inform this family of and he dreaded what he had to tell them.
"John, boys…I'm so sorry…" he started, not needing to say anymore as the men before him crumbled.
Daniel cried out and dropped to his knees, his hands covering his mouth, his widened eyes wet with tears. "Oh God, nonononono…" he chanted over and over, rocking back and forth, not noticing Caleb beside him or his friend's comforting touch or words.
Dean turned and slowly walked toward the Impala, his hands clasped behind his head, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.
"Oh Sammy. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you. We didn't protect you…" he whispered, his heart filled with anguish and self loathing.
Joshua trailed after Dean, his own grief pushed aside as he sought to comfort his young friend. One look from Dean though halted his progress and he stood a few feet away, ready if the young man should need him. Dean's quiet sobs broke the man's heart and he wondered how he and his family would ever recover.
John stood like a statue, his eyes staring blankly ahead as the weight of his grief bore down upon him. His baby, the light of his dark life was gone. He had failed to protect his youngest son and now his sweet boy was dead. John barely acknowledged Bobby's presence when the man stepped up to him. He cast a broken, empty glance to his friend, his ears not hearing what the man was saying. He knew he should go to his boys, but he couldn't make his limbs move. He didn't hear as a female voice called from a short distance away and he didn't see Detective Casey give him a worried look before rushing away. The only thing that John could see was Sam as a baby, happily cooing and laughing as his big brothers played with him. Tears flowed over John's eyelids as he realized he'd never hear that beautiful laugh again. Suddenly his knees gave way beneath him and he dropped to the ground, barely aware of the strong hands that held him.
"I'm so sorry Johnny. I'm so sorry."
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Evelyn Spencer sat back as she watched her assistant prepare to take a liver temp reading on the boy who lay before her. She would never understand how a person could be so cruel as to abuse someone as badly as this young man had been abused. She watched as Rachel began to press the liver temp reader into the boy's abdomen, the tip just breaking the skin when Dr. Spencer cried out for her to stop.
"Rachel! Stop…stop right now!"
Rachel jumped back, the temp reader dropping from her hands. She stared with startled eyes at her superior when the woman pulled a pen light from her pocket, pried the boys eyelid open and shone the light into his eye.
"Dr. Spencer…what are you doing?" the young woman asked with confusion.
Dr. Spencer looked up, a look of shock on her face. "This boy isn't dead Rachel. How the hell did everyone miss the fact that the dead boy wasn't really dead!?"
"Wh-what do you mean? Dr. Spencer, he's dead…" Rachel sputtered.
"Since when do dead bodies bleed Miss Cummins? And cry?" Dr. Spencer queried.
Rachel looked down and gasped as sure enough a small, slow trickle of blood trailed from the puncture from the temp reader. She looked at the boy's face and saw a single tear trail down his cheek from the corner of his closed eye.
Rachel ran toward the ambulance and found the EMT's sitting in the back waiting to transport what they thought was a dead body.
"We need you now! The kid isn't dead!" Rachel cried, startling the two men.
"What? But he…" the first EMT started.
"Is not dead! We need you…Now!!!" Rachel shot before rushing away, expecting the men to follow.
Rachel hurried back to Dr. Spencer to find the older woman had moved Sam so he was flat on the ground. The doctor looked up as the EMT's rushed over. She glanced at Rachel and instructed her to call for Detective Casey. Rachel rushed away, calling the detective's name. Dr. Spencer turned back to her victim and the EMT's who were examining the boy. They looked at her nervously as she moved closer to Sam, who had went from being her dead body to her patient.
"What the hell are you looking at me for? This kid needs oxygen! His throat is probably swollen so he's going to need to be intubated before it closes completely. He barely has any blood pumping through him…Look, you guys get him intubated and I'll do CPR to try and get blood moving through his veins. Get to it…now!"
The EMT's jumped to their feet and rushed to the ambulance while Dr. Spencer began chest compressions. Detective Casey rushed up and stared down at he doctor in confusion.
"Dr. Spencer…what…"
"He's alive. Barely, but he is alive. I need blankets. They should have some in the ambulance. Hurry detective, we need to warm this kid up."
Detective Casey hurried to the ambulance, passing the EMT's as they rushed back to Sam and Dr. Spencer. He found a pile of blankets and quickly grabbed them then hurried back to find Rachel had traded places with Dr. Spencer and was now performing CPR. Dr. Spencer was helping the EMT's prepare to intubate. Detective Casey glanced around and sighed when he saw the Winchesters and the other three men rushing toward him. He handed the blankets to Rachel, who had stopped chest compressions to allow the tube to be threaded down Sam's throat, and turned toward the approaching men.
"What the hell's going on!? What are they doing to Sammy?" Dean cried as he tried to get around the detective.
"They're trying to keep him alive Dean. Please…let them work," the detective replied.
The six men stopped in their tracks and stared in shock at the man before them.
"What do you mean? You said he was dead…" John said, his voice hoarse and filled with pain.
"They thought he was. I'm not sure what's going on myself, but Dr. Spencer says he's still alive."
Dean pushed past the detective and rushed to his brother's side, dropping to his knees beside him and grasping Sam's cold hand. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he took in Sam's battered body.
"I'm here Sammy. You hold on kiddo. You fight Sam so you can come back to us," he cried softly, squeezing Sam's hand gently.
The other men stepped behind Dean, John and Daniel dropping down next to him. They looked up when Dr. Spencer spoke.
"Detective, who are these people?" she asked with annoyance.
"This is Sam's family. They've been looking for him," the detective replied.
Dr. Spencer looked at each man, taking in the anguish and relief on each face. The two younger ones who were kneeled beside Sam she deduced were his brothers and the older man must be his father. Her heart broke as she witnessed their distress.
"We need to move him. We need to get him to the hospital. You can follow the ambulance, but we need to move him now," she said with urgency.
The men looked and noticed for the first time the tube that was down Sam's throat and the blue bag attached to it that the woman was squeezing. The younger woman was once again performing CPR and continued even when the EMT's arrived with a gurney. Dean and Daniel stood and helped the two men lift Sam's limp body and place it on the gurney. Once Sam was secured and wrapped in blankets, the gurney was raised and the EMT's began to quickly wheel it to the ambulance, the doctor and her assistant never missing a beat as the boy was loaded into the back of the vehicle.
"Do any of you know CPR? Nick here will need an extra set of hands once transport has started. Rachel and I need to take our own vehicles," Dr. Spencer queried.
Dean immediately jumped into the ambulance and pushed in, taking over chest compressions from the younger woman.
"Okay…I guess that answers my question," Dr. Spencer said with a slight smile.
Dr. Spencer left the bagging to Nick and exited the ambulance, followed closely by her assistant. She looked into John's expectant eyes and smiled warmly. "We'll do everything we can for your son," she said before slamming the doors shut and moving to her vehicle.
John, Daniel and the other hunters stood for a moment, still in shock at the events that had transpired. They soon snapped out of their stupors when the ambulance started to pull away and they rushed to their vehicles. They pulled in closely behind the rig once it had turned around, intent on staying as close to the vehicle and it's precious cargo as they possibly could.
John drove in silence, Daniel beside him on the front seat, his eyes glued to the back of the speeding ambulance. He sent up a silent prayer to whomever may be listening, thanking them for bringing his baby back to he and his family. He had his Sammy back and he vowed that no one would ever hurt him again.
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Told ya I didn't kill Winchesters! Now, you may be wondering how it is that the medical crew thought Sam was dead, what with his vitals being non-existant and his body cold, no reaction to pain. That will be explained. Okay, please let me know what you think. I'll post more tomorrow. At least one chapter.
Cindy.