Legalities, as always Sam and Dean and all things Supernatural do not belong to me. They are the property of the CW and Kripke Enterprises. I wish they would share, but I don't think that is going to happen so I guess I will simply play in their sandbox for a bit.

Rating MA: For language and injured Dean and Sam throughout the storyline, they will also be M/M pairing although they are not brothers in this story. Pairings won't happen till later chapters, so be sure to review the warnings before reading.

If you don't like this type of thing, then don't read this story I am sure there are ones that would be more pleasing to you.

Author's Note: This story will follow Sam and Dean they continue their lives and try to deal with the challenges of their own pasts and tragic past of a child named Adam Milligan. This ride will get bumpy before it gets smooth, so be prepared.

Chalked full of angst and hurt Dean and worried Sam

Please keep in mind that I do not have a Beta, so if there are errors, I apologize ahead of time.

Chapter 7

Waiting

Sam waited in the alcove, searching every face for the one that was Dean's doctor. He had been brought out of surgery more than twenty minutes ago and Sam was still waiting for an update on his prognosis and the outcome of the surgery. Anna and Cas were in the waiting room, since only one person could be in the back at a time, Dean's sister had allowed Sam to fill that slot. Thank God, I don't think I could handle sitting in those chairs for too much longer. He thought as his eyes were drawn to a short Hispanic women walking purposefully toward him.

"Sam Wesson?" she asked in perfect English, looking at the chart in her hand and then pulling her large brown eyes all the way up his tall body to meet his concerned blue-green gaze.

"Yeah…that's me. How's Dean?" he asked, the words catching slightly in his throat as he tried to keep the emotions at bay. The smell of the antiseptic in the hospital was bringing back too many memories of his last stint in the hospital and the imagery was almost overwhelming for him. He was struggling to keep the nausea down as he tried to think about anything but the last time that he and Dean had been in the hospital because of the accident.

She smiled and held out her small hand, the woman barely came to the middle of Sam's chest, she was so short, but he gripped her hand and was surprised by the strength he felt in her handshake. "Doctor Maria Alverez, I'm Dean's surgeon." Her voice was pleasant and strong and she didn't seem to be waiting to drop a bomb on him, like Dean hadn't made it through the surgery…so Sam decided he liked her immediately.

"Doctor, how's Dean?" he asked again, pulling his hand back and stuffing it into the back pocket of his jeans, making him look all of five years old to her. She smiled and glanced back at the chart in her hand, "He's doing remarkably well considering the location of that metal rod."

Sam nodded as his hands slipped out his pockets and unconsciously wrapped around his middle almost like he was holding himself together as he listened quietly.

She inhaled deeply and smiled up at him again, "Sam, he has a long road to recovery, infection is now the most notable concern. The metal missed his heart, God only knows how…but it did slice into his left lung, puncture his liver and kidney, and it perforated his diaphragm. Ther is a slight knick to the left ventricle, which we will keep an eye on. We repaired that in surgery. But there could be some complications later. There is some pretty major bruising along the internal organs and there were some major bleeds that had to be dealt with, but all in all, he is very lucky. Since we had to cut three of his ribs to remove the metal rod, he will be in quite a lot of pain for a while, so we were planning on keeping him in a medically induced coma, but because of his head injury the neuro-surgeon does not think that's a good idea. He's currently in recovery, but he has yet to wake up." She finished the list of injuries and watched as each new one looked like a physical blow to Sam. Sam's face was reflecting all his fear and intense concern for the other man.

"How close are you and Mr. Winchester?" she asked. Maria figured that she already knew the answer to that question, judging by his intense emotional reactions, he was either family or a lover…She would bet next weeks' salary that it was the latter.

Sam pulled his dazed gaze from the floor and looked at the doctor with devastated eyes, "We're…pretty close. He's the love of my…life." Sam finished as his throat closed off making speech impossible. His arms were still wrapped around his chest and he was trying desperately to control this growing ache that seemed to be emanating from his very soul. The small doctor nodded and reached out with one hand, patting his forearm in silent support. Sam's eyes stared into hers as he nodded and then looked down again. This was the one part of the job that Maria hated; she hated it when she had to tell loved ones about the prognosis. While Dean's was in a positive place for the amount of damage done to his body, she was not confident that he would make it through the next couple f days. If he did, then she would give him a pretty good shot at a full recovery…but there was no way that she could say that to this obviously frightened young man.

"Sam. I will do everything in my power to return him to you." She said and squeezed his arm before she turned to walk away.

Sam watched the doctor round a corner at the end of the hallway and he finally slid bonelessly into the chair as he struggled to control the panic that was welling up inside him. He knew that Dean had been grievously injured, but to have it laid out so medically was about the worst thing that he could imagine. Dean might have handled it better, since he understood all the ins and outs of the medical world, but Sam was a lawyer…and this scared the holy living shit out of him. He dropped his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees and struggled to simply breathe for a few moments. Once he felt that he had sufficient control, he stood up slowly and walked the few steps to the recovery room, looking through the glass window and wanting to throw up as he took in all the different machines that were simultaneously hooked up to Dean. There were so many colored wires going out to so many machines that he wasn't honestly sure where one started and another ended. The bed was stark while, but for the multi-colored wires, and the green electronic waves that represented his heartbeat flashing on a monitor near his head. Dean's forehead had a bandage wrapped around it, and his chest was bare except for the white gauze and the compression bandage securing the white pads in place, covering the nasty injuries. Dean looked small in the bed, which was interesting because he was nearly 6'2, with a large muscular frame…but right now in this light and situation, he looked all of five years old.

Sam leaned against the window, his elbow resting above his head and his head pressing against the inside of his elbow. His eyes slid closed as he focused on getting control and then he pushed away from the window and walked to the door, cautiously opening it and slipping quietly inside and sinking into the padded chair near the bed. His mind latched onto the slow beeps from the monitor and he inhaled slowly as he was reminding himself to breathe…just breathe. Sam knew that he should go out and talk with Anna, but he also knew that the doctor would fill Dean's sister in on the details…and honestly, Sam just couldn't face them yet. He needed to be here with Dean until he woke up and at least recognized Sam.

Nearly two hours later, after Anna and Cas had come by to check on both of them and then had to leave to pick up the baby, although Anna said that she would be back later that night, Dean's eyelids finally flickered slightly causing Sam to sit straight up and lean against the bed for a better look. Sam nearly sobbed his intense relief as Dean's green eyes came into view. The glassy gaze rolling around as he searched for something to focus on, his eyes finally connecting with Sam's as they stopped and he blinked several times very slowly. Sam leaned forward and gently traced his chin, avoiding the oxygen cannula that was just under Dean's nose. There was a plastic tube that had been inserted above the fourth rib and was running into Dean's injured lung; the sucking sound was making Sam slightly ill as he tried to ignore it. He smiled, but the action didn't reach his eyes and Dean frowned slightly, his eyes taking on a confused concerned look as he tried to pull his fractured memories together.

"You're in the hospital Dean. There was an explosion, you were injured." Sam tried to keep the information at a minimum as he recounted why Dean was lying in a hospital bed, and looking a bit like a piece of conduit, there were so many wires connected to him.

Dean's eyes widened as he both heard and understood Sam's explanation, he moved his right hand and reached slightly for Sam's limp fingers. Sam saw the action and immediately reached to take the searching fingers in his own warm embrace and leaned in to put his forehead on Dean's forearm, knowing that this might be the only place that he could touch Dean without causing him more pain. Dean's eyes were slightly unfocused as Sam lifted his head and he was able to look into Dean's beloved green eyes. Sam couldn't help but return to the hospital room all those years ago when he had woken up and not known Dean's face. Dean had explained to him later that it had been the scariest moment in his life…the thought that he had lost Sam. Sam had understood to an extent…but not like he did now. He knew what it was to think that Dean was gone and then pray that there was a way to get him back. That was what had driven him to continue trying to break through that damn door, he couldn't give up that little thread of hope that he could get to Dean before it was too late. And then the door gave in and he was able to see the 'condition' that Dean was in and he had nearly broken.

Dean's mind was fractured at best, he remembered going to work that morning, but that was about it. He thought he might remember Sam talking to him through a door…but he couldn't be sure. His head seemed to be disconnected from his body, so he wasn't really feeling too much pain…but he could see that Sam was scared and that in turn scared him. He tried to move and that was when the pain shot through his chest and caused his fingers to dig painfully into Sam's hand and wrist. Dean's face scrunched as he tried to breathe through the searing agony that radiated from his left side, his breath coming in ragged little pants as he tried to keep from moving again.

Sam's eyes went wide at the instant and intense reaction to the pain; he gently held Dean's hand and allowed him to nearly crush his own fingers in the process. Whatever Dean need, Sam would give him. "Shh…Dean. It's okay. You're gonna be okay. Just calm down. Can you do that?" Sam spoke slowly and clearly as he leaned in so Dean could easily see his face. He tried to mask the tears forming in his eyes at the distress that his partner was obviously in. It hurt to see Dean in this much pain…and he knew that there was nothing that he could do to alleviate it.

Dean opened his eyes to small slits and then nodded slightly as he tried to breathe through his nose and force his iron grip to release Sam's brushed flesh. "That's good Dean." He said as he smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Dean's arm.

Sam wondered if he could distract Dean? "So Anna and Cas were here, but they had to go pick up the baby. Anna is coming back later this evening, after they get the baby home. She was so worried about you Dean. I thought that Castiel was going to have to drag her from the hospital." Sam watched as Dean assimilated the information, his face getting softer and less pained as he focused on listening to Sam.

Dean knew that his sister would be more than a little concerned about him…she always blew everything out of proportion…but there was a part of him that wondered if, at least this time, she might actually be right on the money. He felt his mind start to wander and his eyes slid shut as he was suddenly unable to keep them open a second longer. They felt gritty and painful as he allowed them to filter out the light and he was plunged into darkness as he lost his battle with consciousness.

Sam looked down and saw the moment when Dean's eyes started to unfocused and he slid into sleep…not the restful kinda sleep. But the kind that happens because of medication and injury. Sam leaned back in the chair again, refusing to release Dean's hand, he hadn't spoken, but he seemed to understand where he was and why he was there. So that was something at least.

TBC…

Author's Note: Dean will recover…and he and Sam will get their happily ever after. The ride will just be a bit bumpy for a little longer. Promise.

Please Review, it lets me know if you have any ideas on where you want to see the story go.