Thank you so much ShadowHuntingDauntlessDemigod for beta'ing and Ncsupnatfan and VegasGranny for pre-reading.
This time I have an ask for you to go with your chapter. I am now on 12 week self-isolation to protect myself as a vulnerable group. I'm struggling a little already, so I was wondering if any of you have any fic recs for me. If you do, and I sincerely hope you do, drop them to me in a review/PM. Also, if you enjoy the chapter or have thoughts on it, please review. I have lost WiFi and only have access of my laptop thanks to a lovely neighbour but can't watch my TV streaming services so I'm stuck with recorded and DVDs which I don't have many of thanks to the advent of streaming services. Review really do mean a lot to me and I love hearing from you. Anything you can give, review or rec, would be most appreciated.
Chapter Seventeen
Sam's eyes were filled with the view of a white ceiling and his ears with voices, footsteps and something being rolled with a squeaky wheel that made his aching head pound. He puzzled over it for a moment before turning his head on the pillow and looking around. He was in a small room with white walls, a window covered with a slatted blind, and a second bed where a familiar person reclined with his eyes closed. Zach.
The memories of how he'd come to be here rushed at him: the vision, Michael, the demon, the brick, Zach. It all came together to tell a complicated tale that made him groan. It was a mistake. The sound reached Zach who opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Sam.
"Oh, hey," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"Got a hell of a headache," Sam said. "You?"
"Right there with you," Zach said. "Luckily it wasn't worse. I think that's down to you. You saved me, right? The cops thought it was you anyway."
Sam's hands clenched into nervous fists. "The cops were here?"
"Well, yeah. They came with the ambulance. They arrested that crazy goth guy. They'll be back soon. They'll want your statement." He frowned. "What were you doing there anyway? I thought you'd gone home."
Before Sam could think of a lie to answer with, the door opened and a man in green scrubs came in clutching a clipboard. "Ah, Mr. Winchester. You're awake. I'm Doctor White. How are you feeling?"
Sam shuffled up the a little higher, realizing that his shirt and boots were gone, though he was still his jeans. He looked around for a sign of the rest of his stuff, but they were nowhere in sight. That worried him. The hex-bag was in his coat which meant, if he looked now, Sam would be visible to Clark.
"I'm fine," he said, "Where's the rest of my stuff?"
"Your coat is at the nurse's station as we were looking for your ID. Your boots are here." He opened the locker beside the bed and Sam saw his boots placed neatly inside. "I'm afraid you lost your shirt. We had to cut it off to ascertain whether you had additional injuries to your head injury. You had bled a lot."
That didn't matter, Sam thought. He could get his coat on and no one would know he wasn't wearing a shirt. It would do until he could get back to Sacramento and change. That was his priority.
"I'd like to get out of here now," he said.
"Soon," Doctor White said. "We need to observe you for a while. Your head injury is not serious, and the CT we ran was clear, but there are signs of a concussion that we would like to observe overnight and you have been unconscious for over an hour."
Sam shook his head, regretting it at once as it made his headache spike. "I can't stay. There are things I need to do."
He needed to get back to Jessica and away from here before his family showed up. There was still a chance he could get away without being found. They would be coming to Palo Alto, not Sacramento.
The doctor frowned. "I can arrange paperwork for you, but you need to understand you're leaving against my professional advice and I urge you to stay."
"Got it," Sam said. "I take full responsibility."
"And you will need to speak to the police," he went on. "They have been waiting for you to wake so they could take your statement. I will arrange the paperwork and let them know you're awake."
Sam managed to keep his expression neutral as the blow was dealt. He didn't want to talk to the cops, but he thought he was going to have trouble getting away before they showed up to speak to him.
The doctor turned and left and Sam leaned back against the pillows for a moment with a sigh. His head really was pounding, but his vision was clear, and he thought he would be able to make the ride back to Sacramento without a problem if he was careful.
"So…" Zach said awkwardly when the door had closed behind the doctor. "What were you doing here, and how did you even know where to find me to launch your rescue mission. I woke up in that place and you were pitching forward on top of me. That guy that grabbed me off campus looked messed up, but the EMT's couldn't find a mark on him. What happened?"
Before Sam could cobble together a suitable lie, the door opened and two cops came in. They acknowledged Zach and then turned to Sam and the taller of the two said, "Mr. Winchester, we've been waiting to speak to you. Your doctor said you're looking to leave, so I assume you're fit enough to give a statement."
"Sure," Sam said, pleased that his nerves didn't find a place in his voice. "What do you want to know?"
"What happened," the second cop asked. "How did you find Mr. Warren and his captor. How did you disarm him? Mr. Warren said he had a knife but it was across the room when Mr. Warren regained consciousness and the suspect was dazed but apparently without injury."
Sam drew a breath and launched into the lie that had formed as he'd listened. "I came back to Palo Alto to see my friends. I had decided I wasn't coming back to school so I wanted to tie up some loose ends. I was almost at campus when I saw Zach. I was going to offer him a ride when I saw a van pull up and a man drag him inside. I thought it was probably a frat prank, so I followed to see if I could help Zach. Those frat things can get a little crazy. I followed the van to the harbor and to the site after them. I realized it wasn't a joke when I saw the knife, so I went in after him."
"And you didn't think to call for help?"
"I was acting on instinct. I saw the knife and didn't want to waste time. I got in there and managed to disarm the man holding Zach but not before he threw a brick at me. I don't remember clearly what happened next. I went to help Zach and then I must have passed out."
The cop that had been making notes looked up and said, "And you didn't hurt the suspect?"
"No," Sam said. "We kinda wrestled for the knife and I won. I was bigger than him. Why? Is he saying I attacked him?"
The cops exchanged a look and then the taller shook his head. "No. He is claiming to have no memory of the incident at all."
Sam forced a smile. "I guess that's as good a defence as any."
He felt bad for the man that the demon had been using as a meatsuit, but there was nothing he could do for him. He couldn't tell the truth about how he'd been possessed. He had to chalk him up as a victim and hope he got a lenient judge.
"Yes, I suppose it is. Okay. I think we've got enough from you for now. I will need contact details from you if we need further information, but we will leave you in peace now."
Sam gave them his old phone number and Bobby's address as one jotted it down in his notebook and then thanked them and watched as they left the room before breathing a sigh of relief.
"You really saved me then," Zach said. "Thanks, man."
"It's fine," Sam said, smiling slightly. "I was just lucky I saw it happen and managed to follow."
Zach shuddered. "Yeah. It could have ended a whole other way if you hadn't." He was silent a moment and then said, "Are you really not coming back to school?"
"No," Sam said. "That's finished for me now."
"I can't imagine what you're going through, losing her like that, but do you really think that's what Jess would have wanted, for you to give it all up?"
"No," Sam said. "I think she would have wanted to be there with me. She can't be though, so I've got to do what I've got to do."
That was true. In an ideal world, Sam and Jessica would be in school together, but it wasn't an idea world. Jessica was dead. The fact he still had her in his life didn't change the tragedy of it. Sam couldn't go back to school while she was in Sacramento. She needed him there with her.
Sam got up from the bed, careful at first and them more confident as the dizziness was minimal, and took his boots from the locker and sat on the bed to pull them on. The door opened as he was tying his last lace and a young woman in pale green scrubs came in carrying a clipboard and Sam's coat. He took the coat from her at once and then reached for the clipboard.
"We need a couple signatures from you," she said. "This one here is for your insurance, and the other is your AMA release form."
Sam scrawled his signature in the indicated places and handed it back. "Thank you."
He stood and pulled on his coat and made for the door.
"Sam," Zach called after him.
Sam turned and saw Zach was holding out a hand. Sam shook it, feeing a wave of sadness at the knowledge that this would be the last time he would see his friend. His life in Palo Alto was really over now.
"Take care of yourself," Zach said.
"You, too," Sam said.
He started for the door again and then stepped back as it flew open and a couple walked in with features that made him sure they were Zach's parents. The woman made a pained sound and rushed to Zach's bedside, "Zach! What happened to you?"
"I'm okay, Mom," Zach said. "Really."
Leaving Zach to the thankfully distracting presence of his family, he followed the nurse out of the room and into the hall, feeling guilty relief that it had been as easy to deal with the cops as it had. He could have them he didn't remember anything, but it would be easier for him to get away without needing to. He didn't like to lie or hide things. He was keeping a big secret from his family with Jessica's presence and that was enough guilt to deal with for now. It was only because it protected her that he was able to do it.
He would get out of Palo Alto and then contact Clark to reassure his family that he was okay. He'd say what he had to in order to evade them, he would hide, he would lie if he had to, and he would do it for Jessica.
She was what really mattered.
Mary knew she should sleep, but she needed to go a little longer before they could switch off behind the wheel. Dean had only fallen asleep a couple hours ago, and she wanted him to get some rest more than she wanted it for herself. He had been on a knife-edge of worry ever since they'd left Sioux Falls—as they all had—and he needed the break of sleep to ease it for him. It mattered more to her that he had peace than she did. She would always put her son's wellbeing first, before her own.
Bobby turned on the blinker of the Jeep and Mary did the same, seeing the rest stop ahead. She would have been happier to keep driving, but she needed to stretch her legs for a moment and get some fresh air. She also wanted to check if Clark had spoken to Sam.
Sam had come before, when Clark was driving the Jeep, and by the time they'd found a place to stop so Clark could go to him, Sam was gone and didn't respond to Clark when he went looking for him. Disappointed but relieved that Sam was obviously now conscious if he was astral projecting, they had all agreed that Clark wouldn't drive any more. Mary, Dean and Bobby would take the wheels in shifts so that Clark would always be free to meet Sam if he came.
She pulled into the lot and stopped the Impala beside the Jeep. She examined Dean for a moment, wondering whether to wake him so he could stretch his legs and use the bathroom or whether to let him sleep while he could, but before she could decide, Dean's eyes opened and he looked around blearily. "Are we there?"
"Not yet," Mary said, seeing his disappointment. "We're in Utah. We have about five hours to go still. Are you hungry?" She looked out of the window. "There's a burger shack."
Dean shook his head and opened his door. "No, I just need the bathroom."
He climbed out and Mary did the same.
Bobby and Clark were walking towards them, and Mary called, "Anything?" to Clark.
He shook his head. "He's not coming when I'm there. He's probably sleeping. I'll keep trying."
"Thank you," Mary said.
Dean sighed and walked towards the small brick restrooms and Bobby followed. Mary hesitated a moment before going into the ladies' side. She used the toilet and then washed her hands, avoiding looking in the mirror above the sink. She knew what she would see. Shadowed eyes, pale skin, a tight brow and eyes that held all the worry and sadness she felt. She had already seen it in the mirrors of restrooms she'd already visited on the way.
When she got out, Bobby was waiting with four paper cups of coffee and a brown paper bag spotted with grease.
"They do churros," he said, holding out the bag. "I figure we need to eat something. We haven't had much."
They had bought sandwiches and soda from a gas station in Western Colorado and eaten them and some of the food they'd brought with them on the road, but that was hours ago, and Mary was hungry so she knew the others had to be, too. She thought Dean might be persuaded to eat something like a churro as he could eat it and move at the same time. As worried as she was for Sam, she was just as worried for Dean. He was a man that preferred action. This cross-country drive was a nightmare for him, especially as Sam was the one waiting at the other end, needing them.
Mary took one of the coffees and sipped it. Bobby had doctored it just as she liked for her, and she felt a wave of affection towards her old friend for the simple gesture.
"Was Clark looking much on the drive?" she asked.
Bobby nodded. "He didn't seem to do much but look, can't fault his dedication. He's not slept yet. He's got to be running on fumes. How's Dean doing?"
"He slept a little," she answered. "Not enough. I'm not giving up the wheel yet. He can have a little more."
Bobby huffed a laugh. "Yeah, you can try that."
The door opened behind them and Clark came out. He lit a cigarette and drew deeply on it them blew the smoke out of his nose. "That's better," he said.
None of them had told him he couldn't smoke in the Jeep, though Mary wouldn't have wanted him to, but he was uncharacteristically respectful to not try. Mary appreciated it.
"Bobby says you haven't slept," Mary said. "You should. You've got to be exhausted."
"I am," Clark said with a frown. "But I figured you were all about me looking for Sam."
"I am," Mary agreed. "But I want you to take care of yourself, too."
Clark grinned. "Aw, Mary, that's sweet. I'll grab a few hours when we get going again. If he comes while I'm out, he might do us all a solid and come talk in person again. He knows how to do it now. He's just got to concentrate."
Dean came out of the bathroom, running a hand through his hair and yawning. "We ready to go?" he asked.
"Soon," Bobby said, handing coffees to him and Clark. "Drink these and eat something."
He held out the bag and Dean took a churro with a word of thanks and then began to eat it quickly. Mary wasn't sure if it was real hunger or if he just didn't want to waste time eating when he could be driving.
Clark refused the offered bag and drew on his cigarette again. Bobby handed it to Mary with a pointed look and she took one and began to eat, not realizing how hungry she was until she started.
Mary was finishing her first and reaching for another when her phone rang. Hoping it was Sam, she pulled it from her pocket and checked the caller-ID and saw it was Jessica's father. Her eyes widened and she connected it quickly and said, "Michael?"
"Michael!" Dean said, his tone stunned.
Mary held up a hand to silence him and put the phone of speaker as Michael said, "Hello, Mary. I'm sorry to call you like this, but I wanted to speak to Sam. I tried his cell but it went straight through to voicemail."
"Oh, uh, we're not with him right now," Mary said awkwardly, wondering why Michael was looking for Sam.
"Ah, I did wonder. Well, I saw Sam yesterday and the encounter has left me a little concerned."
Mary gasped. "You saw him?"
"Yes. He came to our house asking to borrow a car. He seemed very upset, anxious. He wasn't in a position to answer questions, so I gave him the keys to my car and he left. Elizabeth stayed home today in case he came back, but when he did, she didn't see him. The car was returned and the keys left in the mailbox, but he didn't come to speak to her. She didn't even realize he'd been there until she saw the car was back."
"Sam was in Sacramento…" she said slowly.
"He was an hour ago at least," Michael said. "The car wasn't there when Elizabeth let the cat out, but it was when she checked a little after. I just came home from work and found the keys where he'd left them. There was a note of thanks, but nothing else." He hesitated and then said, "When did he come to Sacramento? Flynn said he saw him at the cemetery weeks ago and he seemed… distressed. He didn't tell us because he didn't want to worry us. We thought he would have come to us if he was here though?"
"I'm sorry he didn't come to see you," Mary said. "Sam left weeks ago. He's been in contact, but we didn't know where he was. He came there though…"
It made such perfect sense that she didn't know why none of them had thought of it sooner. With the whole country to choose from, Sam would have wanted somewhere that felt like home to shelter in while he was upset. The place where what remained of Jessica was would have felt like home to him.
"I see," Michael said. "What would you like me to do? Should I look for him?"
Mary was torn. She wanted someone to check on Sam, but she didn't want to drag Michael and Elizabeth any deeper into this than they already were.
"No," she said. "We're on our way to California already. We will find him."
Michael sounded almost relieved as he said, "Okay. We will leave it to you. Please call us if you need help, though, and ask Sam to call if he can. We're worried."
"If he can't call, I will," Mary promised.
"Thank you, Mary. Take care of yourselves."
They exchanged goodbyes and Mary ended the call with a slow breath.
"Sacramento," Bobby said thoughtfully.
"He went back to Jess," Dean said, sounding angry. "This whole time he's been there, and we didn't even think to check."
"That doesn't matter now," Bobby said. "We know where to find him."
"Do we?" Clark asked. "It's a big city."
"He'll be close to the cemetery," Dean said confidently. "We start with the closest motel and work out way out from there."
Bobby nodded. "Yeah, okay."
"We need to go," Dean said eagerly, taking the lid off his coffee and taking quick sips. "I'll drive."
"Are you sure?" Mary asked. "You should sleep a little longer. We've still got hours to—" She cut off as Clark swiped a hand through the air and shushed them. Mary had a moment's confusion before Clark's eyes closed and he stilled and she realized Sam was had arrived.
"Don't say a word," she whispered and Dean and Bobby nodded.
She didn't want Sam hearing that they knew where he was, though he would know they were on the road now. She hoped that he would assume they had heard he was in Palo Alto from Ash and would be happy to have gotten as far as Sacramento.
She waited for a sign that Sam was going to speak to them in person, but there was no shimmer in the air so she assumed he had chosen to speak to Clark alone.
It took a long time before Clark came back to himself and when he did, he held up a hand and remined silent for a while before sighing and saying, "He's gone."
"How is he?" Dean asked urgently.
"He seems okay. I can't get a read on him physically when we're in the astral plane as it's not his body that's there, but he was calm. He knows we're on the road looking for him, but I don't think he heard any of that phone call, so probably thinks we're headed to Palo Alto still. He seemed resigned but I think it was more relief than anything. He didn't even seem pissed that we knew as much as we do. He still seems…" He shrugged. "Happy isn't he right word, but he's not upset."
"Did he tell you what happened with the demon?" Bobby asked.
"Just said it was exorcised," Clark said. "He wasn't exactly open to questioning."
"We'll find out on our own," Dean said dismissively. "We've got to go."
Mary dropped her half-drunk coffee into a bin and then walked to the Impala. Dean was already behind the wheel, so she slid into the passenger side and made herself comfortable in the seat. She was wired now and didn't think she would sleep, but as the car pulled out of the lot and onto the road, her eyes grew heavy almost at once and the familiar sounds and motions of the Impala lulled her to rest.
She let sleep come, knowing that when she woke, she would be closer to Sacramento and her reunion with Sam.
So… They're almost there. The reunion is coming. Sam, Dean, Mary, Bobby, Clark and… Jessica. How do you think that's going to go?
Until next time…
Clowns or Midgets xxx
