Hey guys! Happy New Year! Thank you all for the reviews you've been giving me. I hope that you'll like this chapter.
Sam looked at his brother, sleeping in his chair. They had been there for a little over two weeks now, and he'd only left maybe eight times, including the two times that he'd left to call their father. It had to be horrible for him to sit there and watch this, and he wished he'd leave. There was only so much a person could take, and if he didn't take a longer break, then he'd resent even the memory of Sam.
It looked like it was only about four or five o'clock outside, but they had a hard morning. He hated putting them through this, but needed them there. He made a decision and put his arm toward Dean, trying to wake him.
"Dean," He called. His brother was awake immediately, looking at him with wide eyes. His voice sounded quiet even to him. He couldn't raise it though, because his chest hurt.
"What's the matter?" Dean asked him.
"I want you to leave for a while." It tore at him, because he didn't want him to leave him. He almost hoped that Dean told him 'no.'
"Not happening." Dean said, clenching his jaw shut. Save for the times calling their dad and after he had slapped Sam, it had been a struggle to make him leave. Their father had left so many times, but Dean was always there. Dean knew that something could get Sammy, even if the nurses were there. He couldn't leave him like that. Especially since their father was gone now.
"Please, Dean. You need to have some breathing room. Remember the last time we didn't have any breathing room, we got so upset with each other that I was able to get possessed and tried to kill you." Sam tried to argue with his big brother, but all he heard was his baby brother's voice barely getting the strength to lift above a whisper.
"That was a different situation altogether. Plus, I doubt you'll be able to do much damage right now, anyway. I'm not leaving you." It was said with a laugh in his voice, teasing his brother to get him to drop it. Dean was being stubborn and Sammy got that look on his face, the one that told Dean that Sammy was frustrated. He smirked; this could make Sammy fight, and hell, anything that did that was a good thing.
"Look, Dean. I'll be fine. Dad will be back soon and he can take over your 'guard duty.'" He paused for a moment before saying slowly. "I will be okay."
Dean didn't like it, but he finally gave up. "Fine. Two hours."
"Six."
Dean sighed, frustrated now as well. "...Fine." He got up and left the room. Once out in the hall, he walked down to the lobby area where he had sat a couple of times that he had been told to leave and picked up one of the "Car and Driver" magazines that were in a pile on the table. He'd sit out here until their dad came back, keeping an ear out for Sammy. Then, he'd go get something to eat and maybe play a game of pool. That should make Sam and his dad happy.
Sam felt the anger rise up in him. He knew the familiar cadence of his brother's footsteps and he had been doing his best to listen to him and for the chime of the elevator as his brother got on it. He heard him walk only a little bit and then the sound stopped. 'Okay, so either my hearing's going or he found somewhere to sit just down the hall' He tried to call, and found that his voice wouldn't go passed a harsh whisper. "Dean."
Dean heard the voice of his brother, but it sounded tired, not scared. He debated letting Sammy know that he was out here, offer his help, and then get told that he had to really leave or keeping quiet and being allowed to stay out here. He flipped another page in his magazine, looking at the 1974 Trans Am on that page. Nice car. When his baby finally gave out, he would have to find a way to get one.
"Dean, I know you're out there. I heard your footsteps stop." Sammy tested again.
Dean once again ignored the voice. Sammy was definitely not in danger, and maybe if he just kept his cool, he would be able to stay right where he was, protecting his brother. Besides, this was a fun game.
Sammy tried once more, finally figuring out a way to bait him out. "Dean, I don't feel good. I need you to come back. Call the doctor for me."
Dean almost started laughing, shaking his head. Did he really think that he was that stupid? They had been playing a game, whether Sammy knew it or not, and he wasn't just about to give himself up. It worried him, though. Maybe he could go tell the nurse to check on Sam in a few minutes, make sure everything was fine.
Maybe Dean really had left. Good; maybe he would finally start listening to him. Sam laid his head back on the bed, and allowed his eyes to drift closed. Nurse Emily came into the room as he was drifting off, and told him that she was doing checks and asked if everything was all right. He told her that he was fine, and asked if he could get something for his headache. His vision had been blurry the last week or so and it made his head hurt after having his eyes open for so long. She smiled, and walked off to get him the Ibuprofen.
"Dean" she whispered as she walked up to the young man. "He's fine. He just told me he had a headache."
"Okay, thank you." Dean told her just as quietly. He had stressed to her the importance of Sammy not knowing that he was here. Of course, he'd lied a little as to why they had been fighting. He couldn't risk her sympathizing with Sam.
"You know, since you guys are fighting anyway, why don't you take this time to go get some rest, do something you want to do. I get off my shift in about half an hour, and I could come with you." She offered.
He raised his eyebrows and got the memory of that Hailey girl on the Wendigo case a few months earlier asking him if he must go there pass through his mind. It wouldn't hurt anything to have some female company. Maybe he could just go for an hour or so. Behind him, the elevator dinged, and he tensed up. His dad had told him that he needed to go make a few phone calls and take care of some things and he would be back. It shouldn't take too long. This could be him.
"Dean, why aren't you with your brother?" John asked in a harsh voice. His helpless son had been left alone so that his oldest son could talk to some woman.
"He asked me to leave for a while. I just came out here to sit until he was asleep."
They heard a bed creak as if someone was getting up, and the two Winchester men took off running. He couldn't get up, and it wouldn't be anybody else on this whole floor. Nobody in the oncology wing would be that healthy. Coming back into the room, they were greeted with Sam trying to lift himself off the bed. He glared at Dean, and Dean felt as if the look had shot daggers through him. With how sick he had been, this could be their last few months, weeks, or days together, he'd been caught lying to him.
"Samuel, you shouldn't be getting out of bed. Lay back down!" John Winchester yelled at Sam and Dean felt guilt that almost drove him to tears. It had been a game and now Sam was getting yelled at.
Sam laid back and looked defeated. Dean came over to him to try to take care of him, but Sam shook him off. "I just wanted to not be a burden. I want you to remember me and not be relieved that I'm finally gone."
Everything in Dean's world went cold and his breath caught for several long moments. This felt worse than when Sam had shot him at the Roosevelt Asylum. His baby brother thought he would be relieved if he died. "No. Sammy, no. I don't care how long I have to stay here, you're gonna be all right and I'm never gonna be relieved if you don't make it." He spit the word out of his mouth like it was poison.
"You say that now." Sam said, and turned his face away from Dean. He knew he wouldn't make it if he tried to get up and walk away from Dean, but he could at least turn his head.
Dean grabbed his face as hard as he could, eliciting a wince of pain on his brother's face, and made him look at him. "Look, I'm gonna say that now and forever. Now, listen to me: I am never going to wish you were dead or that I didn't have to deal with you anymore. You're my brother, and I would gladly take your place if I could!" His jaw was clenched and it hit him then that he was hurting Sam. He hadn't meant to and he backed up a little. "Sorry Sammy."
Sam looked at him and nodded his head. He understood. Dean was ready to leave, to give Sam some space, knowing that he had hurt him again when he heard the quiet voice. "Dean."
Dean came back to the bed. Sammy had given up. He could see it in his eyes, in his words, and had seen it there for days now. Anything Dean did wouldn't make a difference. Sam was convinced that he was going to die, and it was Dean's job to make him smile again, to fight. That idea hadn't been the brightest, but he could do better.
He just stood there, waiting for Sam to talk. It took a few minutes, but he finally said, "I'm cold, Dean. Where did my quilt go?" Dean grabbed it, putting it over his little brother. He slipped back into the role of protective older brother, and Sam forgot that he was supposed to leave. Their dad had called Sammy his little shadow most of the time they were growing up, and he felt it now. They would be okay, had somehow worked it out.
Dean sat down in the seat that had become his, looking at his father with huge eyes. He was gripping onto Sam's hand with zeal, trying to hold onto him. He could hear his brother's breathing getting worse, and he didn't know what to do.
"What are we going to do?" John asked him and he looked at him incredulously. How was he suppose to know what to when his dad didn't even? "His dinner's going to be coming soon. After how sick he was from chemo this morning, I don't think he'll want anything they give him. He needs to eat so that he can keep up his strength. What do you think we should do?" His dad had clarified himself when he saw the look on Dean's face.
"Um, why don't we go get something? How about some...I don't know, maybe..." He was drawing a blank. Nothing would really be good from a fast food place.
"Subway. You can get him a salad or something." Their father suggested. Dean wondered why his dad got it when he didn't. His brother and father were always the ones that ate healthy stuff, though.
"Okay. I'll just..." Dean started by his dad cut him off.
"So, we'll be here when you get back." His dad gave him a stern, no-nonsense look and he folded.
"Fine. I'll be back." He told him and left the room, looking back at his baby brother.
Hope you guys like the chapter. Please, as always, feel free to leave any constructive criticism or praise.
Kaewi- I've noticed that a lot of the "Supernatural" writers have been updating really fast. I think they know that people are sitting at the edge of their seats waiting. lol.