Hey, guys! This week's chapter is a bit late so I really apologize. Had some nasty wi-fi troubles at home and couldn't risk using my phone because last time I tried managing form it, I freaking deleted a whole story I had to later recover. If I remember correctly, it was the first chapter of this one... :D
Anyhow, here's the next chapter. I'd hope you'll like it. Happy reading! :)
The specific smell of medicine and medical antiseptics, this curious mix so typical of every hospital, hits me right away. I freeze, memories rushing through my mind... the same smell, but another hospital, I'm running down the hall, the monitors are loudly beeping, Bobby's heart stops and then there's only pain and despair, and darkness... I shake off of the nasty thoughts. We're here for Ben. I can't freak out, Sam and Dean need me. Especially Dean.
I barely manage to keep up with the Winchesters' huge paces, I'm running after them. Dean frantically looks around, searching for someone to tell us where's Ben. A nurse shows up, trying to catch up with Dean's hurry.
"How can I help you?" she asks but Dean never slows down "Where are you going? That's the ER, you can't just..."
"We got a call our kid's here," I say before she gets pissed off enough to call the security "He's been in a car crash. Ben Braeden."
"He's here" the woman quickly says which makes Dean stop dead in his tracks, "I'll ask you to be patient and go to the waiting room"
"Where's he?" Dean harshly asks, fear evident in his voice; he marches down the hall, Sam, the nurse and me rushing after him
"You need to be scheduled" the woman squeaks after him, out of breath
"Well, then, schedule me! He was in a car crash. Why the hell can't we see him?"
"Sir, please." the nurse is panting
"Dean!" both Sam and I manage to grab him, making him face us "You can't just march in."
"What do you want to do? Just sit here with our thumbs up our ass..."
"Be rational" Sam calmly says
"Look, let's just see how's he" I suggest softly and cup his face "Let the doctors check him up, okay?"
He nods, leaning his cheek against my touch.
"I just need to know that he's..."
"I'm sorry," the nurse gently mutters "but he's in surgery"
"What? Oh, god..." I look at her expectantly; Dean froze next to me and I see the worry overtaking him.
"It was pretty bad when they got him here. Please, I can't tell you more. Dr. Kadinsky'll tell you everything. After the surgery" she guides us back "The waiting room's there" she points us to it and with that leaves.
I barely manage to avoid the collision with a rushing nurse and keep the coffees in my hands untouched, while holding the phone with my shoulder. It's been hours since we came to the hospital, so I was out for a quick supply run.
"Duncan Moore, you're the man of the year!" I say "I owe you big time"
"You owe me nothing, Sweetness." his deep voice comes through the phone "Just take care and be careful"
"I always am" I sigh "Gotta go now. Thanks again for covering this up"
Somehow I manage to hang up and put the phone in my pocket. After the last hour, I feel like a secretary - I talked to Garth and Jody to see if they had something on the disappearings, then I checked on Kevin and Charlie, and spent good fifteen minutes persuading Cas to keep low and that we will be fine without him, while Meg was being all sarcastic and bitchy. My head hurts.
I push open the waiting room door with my foot and slide inside. Only then I notice the doctor with his whitely shining overall, his voice making me come to a halt.
"He sustained serious injury. Broken leg, not to mention the blood loss, contusions to liver and kidney." he's explaining to the Winchesters, "He's got a punctured lung, I managed to remove the access air and..."
"But he's gonna be fine, right?" Dean interrupts him.
"He'll recover completely, yes."
"When can we see him?" I ask, making them all turn to me, a surprised look on their faces, they didn't hear me coming in.
"You're Ben's stepmom, I guess," the doctor says and I just roll with it, shaking his hand "I'm Dr. Kadinsky"
"Pleasure." I mumble, still a bit confused "So, can we see Ben now?"
"He's still under anesthesia but I'll make sure to inform you when he wakes up."
"Thank you," Sam says while the doctor's leaving the room.
Dean sits on the closest chair, rubbing his face. Exhaustion radiates from him but I know he will not leave or get any rest until he's completely sure Ben's fine. And I get it. Knowing Dean, he feels responsible for the kid. I gesture to Sam and he comes closer. I hand him a key and his confused look almost makes me laugh.
"I found a motel just a block away. That's for the room" I nod to the key, "Take the car and get some rest. You'll change me in the morning."
"Braeden..." he casts a worried glance at Dean, who's absentmindedly staring into space.
"Don't Braeden me" I cut Sam off "It's past midnight. We're here all day. Go, get some sleep. Eat, shower... at least one of us should be rested. I'll stay with him."
"Fine." Sam nods and heads for the door, "Call me if something's up"
"Sure thing, Winchester" I wink at him.
My whole body is numb, though I can feel a stiff pain in my neck and my back. Something is savagely digging into my ribcage, and I hear quiet voices in the distance. I sigh deeply and sense the refreshing scent of sage and sandalwood. The sent of Dean that I love so much... I lazily open my eyes, his jacket wrapped around me to keep me warm. I don't even remember when I have fallen asleep. Carefully I stand up, the chair's armrest finally detaching from my ribs. Trying to suppress a yawn, I rub my eyes and look up to Dean who's talking to a nurse. He's sleeve's up, a little patch on his arm.
"What's going on?" I groggily ask.
"Donating blood." Dean nods to the nurse who approaches me as I roll up my own sleep
"For the car crash" the girl shrugs and I look away while she pushes the needle into my skin
I see Dean shaking his head. He can't understand how comes I can't stand these kinds of procedures. I'm a hunter, after all, I've seen some real shit...
"Shut up" I warn him
"I said nothing."
"You were thinking it."
The nurse tries to hide her smile and hands us chocolate bars, then leaves us alone.
A couple of hours pass. I'm starving but don't want to leave Dean alone. With a sigh, I open the chocolate the nurse gave me and take a huge bite from it, my eyes on Dean. He looks even more tired if that's possible. He's pale, dark circles around his eyes and he's too nervous and jumpy because of all the coffee he's devoured in the last 24 hours. He's got that worried look I know too well. He's on the edge. I sigh and approach him.
"You didn't sleep, did you?" I ask, making sure for him to notice my disapproval.
"I couldn't" he shifts on his feet, his voice hoarse and tired.
"Oh, Dean..." I quietly cry and snake my hands around him, hugging him tightly, doing my best to reassure him I'm there for him; and I know he understands "It's gonna be ok."
"How do you know?" he asks, his nose buried in my hair, his arms enveloped around me.
"I know" I mutter and he squeezes me as if to make sure I'm still there
"You're awesome..." he sighs into my hair.
We stay like that, wrapped around each other. I know this won't help Dean, won't ease his worries, but at least he knows he's not alone which is a bit of a comfort.
"Excuse me."
The unfamiliar voice catching us off guard makes Dean and me to jump, pulling us out of our little peaceful bubble and putting us on edge. I realize my hand automatically has reached for the gun on my waist that is not there now, 'cause we're in a freaking hospital. I notice Dean has taken the same defensive posture as me before realizing it's just a nurse, staring at us with a bewildered look on her face.
"Uhm... You're here for the boy from the car crash, right?" she asks, doing her best to hide her confusion, switching her professional mode on.
"Yeah," I say, relaxing my body and taking a more casual posture "Why?"
"He's awake."
Ben looks tired and a bit pale, but besides that and his leg covered with cast up to his knee, he's fine. After chatting for a few minutes with him, Dean went to the nearest cafeteria to get him some real food. And Sam's about to be here any minute. So I'm alone with him. For now. The kid's really grumpy for being stuck with me, his arms crossed over his chest and eyes landing on everything else but me. I watch him for a couple of seconds, and then something in me just explodes. All the worry, the anger, the fear...
"That's it" I state harshly, trying to control my anger as I approach his bed "I had it up to here with your crap" I raise my hand above my head, Ben looks surprised by my outburst "Do you realize what you did? Got any idea what your little stunt caused? The stolen car, now smashed... Duncan had to lie for you so you won't be pressed any charges. And going through Penny's computer? You've got any idea how offensive this is for someone like her? The hospital expenses!? And going after the Stynes alone!? You've got a death wish or what?!" my voice rises with every word, so I am practically yelling at him "You know what? I don't care if you wanna die. I don't give a rat's ass about you. But you know who does? Dean! You might hate him for abandoning you and Lisa, but he did it so you could be safe. Away from the supernatural crap a hunter's life is. You've got no idea how heartbroken he was. It was so tough for him to move on without you... The year he spent with you and your Mom..." I shake my head, trying to find my words, "It's been the happiest he's ever been. It's been the best time of his life. And he left it all. For you." I clench my jaw, my nails digging into my palms "You don't like me. Fine. You hate me. I can't care less. But you know what I care about? Dean. So if you try to pull out something like this ever again... getting him worried sick for you... I swear, I'll hunt your little's prick ass down and I'll make sure to give you a good reason to hate me" I head for the door, but say over my shoulder "And have you thought what your mother could say if she could see you now?"
Ben's all shaken up, in complete shock from my rage speech. But I can see the little flames of anger in his eyes. Though, he doesn't say a word. With a surprise I see Sam and Dean on the door, their jaws almost hitting the floor. By the stunned expressions on their faces I know they heard what I told Ben.
"What?" I ask innocently and Dean wraps his arms around me.
"You're awesome" after giving me a quick peck on the lips, he goes to Ben.
Sam's got a strange, knowing look on his face.
"What?!" I exclaim
"For someone smart as you, sometimes you are so oblivious"
"What?" I say for the third time, barely hiding my irritation
Sam arches his brows, ready to give me some revelation, but we're interrupted by Dr. Kadinsky who comes towards us.
"Hi, doc" I greet him as the younger Winchester nods at him
"I'm really sorry," he says "but there's some mistake with the blood you donated"
"Wait, what?" I blink in confusion "What do you mean?"
"By some mistake, the nurse gave it for a DNA testing" he carefully explains
"And?" Sam furrows.
"That's the result" the doctor gives me some paper and I look at it dumbfound, not understanding what I am supposed to see "I don't get it" I shake my head, looking up to the doctor
And then Dr. Kadinsky explains.
Oh, my god... I meet Sam's bewildered eyes, both of us in complete shock. Then we simultaneously look to Dean, who's next to Ben's bed, both of them chatting. They have to be told. They need to know. I'm worried how Dean's gonna take it... It echoes through my mind over and over again. Ben is Dean's son.
So, how about that development? I always thought it was a shame Dean wasn't Ben's biological dad, so I just... I HAD to fix that! :D I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Drop me a review and tell me what you think :)) Until next week.
