Chapter 20
6am came right on schedule. The sun was just peeking out on the horizon. It cast a touch of light on Sam's face, and his balding head. He didn't seem to mind. At least, not yet. In the bed next to him, Dean had just fallen asleep after tossing and turning all night. With everything in his head, it was no wonder. Dr. Stonewell wanted to give him a sedative, but he refused. Although he felt Missouri was right about an attack, he still didn't want to be drugged up in case something did happen.
Missouri made herself comfortable in the chair between the two boys. She had no intentions of leaving their side, especially in light of last night's news. She also sent Jana and Johnny home. It didn't make sense for all of them to be exhausted. Jana said she would come back in the late morning to see how Sam was doing. Then they would start their plan of action.
The orderlies entered the room to take Sam for his surgery. There was a peacefulness on his face that wasn't present before. Missouri noticed it right away, even though she still wasn't getting any thoughts from him. Dean did not wake as they entered. I'll let the boy sleep. She waved the men in to the room and she watched them unhook him from the machines. They were surprisingly quiet and did not disturb Dean. Missouri decided that she would walk down to the prep room with Sam, just to make sure there were no wrong turns along the way. It would seem odd to let him get this far and try to kill him now, but stranger things had happened to these boys. They left the room together and Missouri closed the door.
The sun was at full stream by 8am, and directed toward Dean. He squinted and wondered why the sun was out so early. He brushed away at the sleep in his eyes and looked up. They were all gone! He jolted upright and immediately regretted it. They took him, and I didn't get to see him. What if…
"He's in surgery now Dean," said Missouri as she entered the door. "I've been with him, to make sure he got into the right hands." She came to his side and sat on the bed and made an awful face. "Boy, you need to brush your teeth! That is some nasty breath you got there!" It's always something!
"I asked them how the surgery was going, but because I'm not family, they couldn't tell me," she smiled. "So I read his mind and it was going well. They should be done around 9am, then they will have him in an observation area for a few hours. I will make sure that I am down there to keep an eye on him."
"We'll be around too," cried Jana as she brought in fresh coffee for the pair. Dean's eyes grew wide as he got some real coffee, not the watered down crap they had been serving. She handed it to him and brushed his head. He took it quickly and had a sample.
"Now that's the coffee Juan Valdez likes! Thanks Jana," not noticing the extra attention she gave him. Missouri sighed.
"I think Johnny and I will take a walk to see how it's going," said Jana suddenly after being ignored by Dean. "Can you point us in the right direction Missouri?" He looked up at her questioningly and took another sip.
"Jana," he asked, "Can you ask the doctors if I can go? When he's in recovery. I want to be there." Dean sounded like a little kid. He knew this was it. If they didn't make a breakthrough with the surgery, he wasn't sure what the next step would be. She could hear the worry in his voice and realized she was being stupid.
"Sure. We'll find out." She turned and left the room with Johnny.
"If you weren't in so much pain already I'd smack you with my hand." Dean recoiled from her. "How can you treat that girl that way!"
"What way? What are you talking about?" Dean honestly hadn't a clue that he just did something bad.
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Jana knew how important it was for Dean to be there for Sam when he 'woke up' so she went out of her way to get him a visit – in a wheelchair. It was better than nothing, but Dean was not happy at being carted around like an invalid.
The rolled down the hallway toward the recovery room. People looked at them as they went by, smiling feebly at him. At least that's what it felt like in Dean's head. He hated being cared for like this. Why can't I just walk? They continued down the hall with their entourage.
"You know the doctor said wheelchair or nothing. Honestly Dean, you are such a baby sometimes," answered Missouri. She had been monitoring his thoughts since they walked out of the room. The boy is so proud, but so loving. Why does he always have to put up a front?
Dean was beginning to think that having a mind reader around all the time wasn't such a good idea. He couldn't have a quiet moment to himself. He quickly looked to Missouri so she wouldn't get mad at him again, but he knew that look.
They arrived in the family waiting area. The doctors would come in as soon as there was any news on Sam. It was now 10:30 and Sam just arrived in recovery. Longer than they said it would be. He looked to Missouri.
"What do you think? How long will it be before the anesthesia wears off," Dean asked of anyone in the room who might have the answer. No one replied.
The time ticked on and there was little to say. Even Johnny was quietly sitting next to his aunt, wondering how Sam would be. Dean imagined his life without Sam. I knew you would leave me too. It was just a matter of time. Missouri shot him a look, but he ignored her. He couldn't help it. There was too much left to do. He had to be alright.
"Are you the brother," asked a doctor suddenly from the entrance.
"Yes!" Dean tried to rise from the chair, but came back down hard. He grimaced from his bruises and breaks. "Yes. Is he awake? What happened? Is he going to be ok?"
The doctor looked at him with sympathy. "No, he is still in recovery. We won't know until the anesthesia wears off in another two hours or so. You are welcome to come sit with him for a moment if you would like."
Dean nodded anxiously and Missouri got up to wheel him. She looked at Jana and Johnny and gave them a reassuring smile. They did not move. "Would it be alright if I brought my friend with me? We'll only stay for a minute."
"Hospital policy is family only," the doctor looked at the young man. Why was this case so unusual? "I think we can sneak her in for a few moments though." He smiled at the two of them. Missouri looked back to Jana and winked. They went across the hallway. There was a prep room that the doctors and nurses used as a station. This was to give the patients some privacy. They wheeled through there to the recovery room.
Sam was not the only patient in the space. Two others were in different areas with their loved ones huddled about them. As Dean saw Sam across the room, his heart sank. He was so pale, even with all the black and blue marks, and bald. Why did I do that to him? The right side of his face was bandaged with fresh dressings. They had an IV and a small bag of blood attached to him. For the moment, the EEG was not a part of the equation. Missouri squeezed his shoulder and he felt better. They moved closer.
Dean grabbed Sam's hand. He tried to be strong but tears poured down his face. "I'll be back in a few moments," said the doctor as he took his leave.
"Sam? Sam, can you hear me. Please Sam." He used his feet to get closer to the bed. He touched his brother's face. It was cold and clammy. His lips were chapped and his boyish good looks were nowhere to be found. Is this really my brother? "Hey Bitch, are you there?" Dean found a force inside him. A couple of the other families turned to look at him. He didn't care. Call me a Jerk Sammy, come on! There was no response.
Missouri stood over the two boys. Such love for each other, such a burden. She opened herself to feel for Sam. She felt darkness, confusion. Missouri touched him and took a deep breath. Dean looked up at her, not wanting to disturb her. She wasn't sure what she had latched onto. A few of the other people in the room were curious what she was doing and turned. She had to shoe their energy away. Sam? Are you there Sam? She continued to stretch out to find him.
Dean was getting nervous. It shouldn't take this long. She would know right away if he was there. Maybe it's the drugs. They're suppressing his ability to be… free? Dean shook away his thoughts and focused on Missouri again.
There was still darkness. It is definitely the drugs, but I should have something. Sam? I know you're in here. Answer me baby. Then she felt it. It was so small she wasn't even sure it happened. It was a feeling. He couldn't answer, but he was there. She felt his love.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait outside ma'am." The doctor came back in. "I don't want to get into any trouble, if you know what I mean."
He distracted her enough that she lost it. But it was there. Sam was definitely there. "Of course, I wouldn't want to go against hospital policy." She turned from Sam. "Do you want to stay Dean," she looked at him and he knew she had something to say.
"I'll come back when he is a little more awake, if that's ok," he said quickly to get his answers. Missouri grabbed the wheelchair and they headed out the door across the hall. The doctor opened the door for them and Jana stood up. There was no one else in the room.
"Well, what happened," she cried excitedly.
She came around the front to Dean. "He's there," she said quickly to alleviate the tension. They all cheered. "It was very difficult to find him. The drugs are still weighing heavily in his mind." She sat on the nearest chair and continued. "I didn't actually get him, I got a feeling. It was so brief and then the doctor came in." She looked to Dean. "I felt his love for you."
Chapter 21
Sam was on the floor, alone. No light, no noise, nothing. He struggled to pull himself upright, to look around. At what? He started to walk, the direction didn't matter, he just needed to walk somewhere. There had to be something in the room with him. "Dean," he called. No echo, no response. Where the hell am I? He tried to figure out how he got there, and nothing was coming to him. Think! Sam took a deep breath; that always seemed to help him focus. What is the last thing…..He remembered a nightmare, with a little boy and a white house. Yes! They went to see him, the house was filled with demons. The satchels….the basement. I got hit with something. Dean? Oh no, if I got hit….He started to panic. He needed to find a way out of the room to make sure that Dean was ok. And Jana. Johnny was lost to them….
He heard a sound behind him. Sam whipped around expecting to see something, but there was nothing. "Hello?" He walked toward where he thought the sound was coming from. He felt a presence, but couldn't pinpoint it. It was as dark as the room. He shivered suddenly. He had no weapons and no idea what was going on. Sam heard a noise that sounded like a knife coming out of a sheath. He threw his arm up instinctively for protection, but he wasn't sure why. He heard it hit something close to him and drop to the ground. What the hell was that? It came again from another direction. Again, instinct kicked in, if it worked the first time, it should work again. THUD.
"Very good," said a deep voice from far away. Sam listened with all his might to try and get an idea where it came from. His eyes were still seeing pitch black. "You have developed that talent quickly Sam Winchester."
"Who are you and what do you want?"
A backlight came from nowhere and enveloped a tall figure in the distance. It was just an image, no face or features. There was guttural laughter before the man answered his question. It made all of Sam's hair stand up. "You!" The light went out.
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"But you did sense him in there. It was him, right," asked Dean for the tenth time. Missouri was getting tired of these questions. "Yes Dean, he was there." She looked to the ceiling for guidance. "I wish I could go back and see how he is now that more of the drug has worn off. I don't want to push my luck."
"Maybe we can convince them to allow Sam to recuperate in the room. That way we'll have the protection he needs," stated Jana. Johnny jumped at this idea.
Dean shook his head. "Not for a coma patient with this kind of surgery. They want to make sure he doesn't have any relapse. Sam needs to be close to the operating room in case they have to take him back." Dean sighed heavily. He looked to the clock. It was almost 11:30, an hour into the wear off. "Do you think they hooked him back up to the EEG monitor yet? Maybe that will give us some answers."
Jana wheeled Dean into the hallway again. He looked into the prep room window and tapped on the glass to get the doctor's attention. He was in the prep area. The man came over to Dean. "Is there any word yet? Will you be hooking my brother back up to the EEG machine?"
The doctor could see how agitated the young man was. "We are actually hooking him up now. We should be able to get a read soon." The doctor turned to go back into the room. "Give me fifteen minutes and I'll come get you across the way. Then you can spend some more time with him. If everything goes well, we'll get him back to the room in an hour or so." He left Dean in the hallway.
Jana grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. "That is great news Dean! Let's go tell the others."
He didn't say anything. Dean didn't know why, but something felt terribly wrong.
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The darkness enclosed Sam again as the light clicked off. The only things he had were his instincts and this new ability to stop knives. That was a mystery to him. It was time to take this conversation to the next level.
"It has been a long 22 year wait for this day Sam Winchester," the voice said unexpectedly. "I should have taken you then, but I had to know if you were the one."
"The one what," said Sam, taking the bait.
"The chosen one," he answered. Sam could hear the figure moving. He wondered if he could find the knives on the floor. "You and your brother think you are heroes, but you pillage and destroy things that you do not understand. At least, not yet." Sam didn't like the sound of that. He found one of the knives and put it in his pants. "You will understand why we are here – why YOU are here. You have been mine since that day, Sam Winchester. The day your mother died for you." He found the other knife. "I waited patiently until I knew it was the right time." He could hear the voice getting nearer and nearer. "Now is the time. Now you will come to me."
"I don't think so." Sam leapt in the direction of the voice, knife at the ready. He slashed forward hoping to hit something, anything. He felt a cold rush come over him. Sam was near the thing, he just couldn't find it. It was in front of him, then gone.
The laughter began again, only much longer this time. "Do you think I would have allowed you take the knives if they could hurt me?" The knives were seized from his hands and flew to opposite corners of the room. In front of him, the silhouette he saw from a distance abruptly burst into flames. "Do you recognize me now Sam Winchester? You have searched for me for so long. Here I am. Take your revenge – if you can."
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It was the longest 15 minutes of Dean's life. He couldn't wait any longer. Missouri knew he was upset, but she couldn't tell why. What she was getting from him was erratic and didn't make sense.
"Dean, what is going on? Why are you so agitated," demanded Missouri. "I've never seen you like this. You're like a caged animal. I can't read you at all."
Dean was in the corner and he wheeled himself, with his feet, back to where they were. "I can't explain it. It's like a Luke and Leia thing. He's calling to me. He's in danger and I can't do anything about it." Jana looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Missouri knew not to mess with intuition, especially when it was this strong and from these two brothers. She went to him. "How is he in danger? Is there someone in the room with him? What is it?"
Dean was being tormented. "I don't know. There is something going on and I know that I can't help him," he looked at her with fear in his eyes. "We need to go see him, and you have to find a way to come with me."
She couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed the back of the wheelchair and sped him to the hallway.
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Sam stood face to face with evil. This was the thing that killed his mother and the love of his life. The rage grew in him, it devoured him. He raised his arms and threw them forward. He felt the energy leave from him and surround the flaming creature. Sam kept driving the energy into him. He made the invisible cage smaller and the flames began to diminish. His wrath took over and there was no stopping him. "This is for my mother," he said as he made the area smaller. "And this, is for Jessica." The gap closed and extinguished the flame. Complete darkness surrounded him again. He fell to the floor, exhausted, tears streaming from his eyes. Silence.
"Oh yes, you are certainly the chosen one," came the voice from far away. "There is no longer any doubt."
"No." Sam lay on the floor. He thought he had finally gotten the revenge he had been seeking for his entire life. Now he realized he was a pawn in this game… why was that familiar to him….He didn't know what to do. "What do you want from me, from us? Why?" He could barely talk.
The figure appeared from nowhere towering above him with just enough light in the room for Sam to see. "I want you."
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Dean caught the same doctor's attention. He could see the man was irritated that he was back. He came to the door. The doctor was about to go off on Dean, but he could see the panic in his eyes. "Listen, give me a few minutes and he'll be ready, I promise."
"I really need to see him doc," Dean begged. "I think something is wrong."
The doctor wasn't sure what to make of it. "Hold on." The man left and went into the back room. He had propped the door open, so Dean could see he was talking with someone. He nodded and pointed to a few things in the room. "Ok," Dean heard him say. The doctor came back to him. "I can take you back, but your friend has to stay." He looked to Missouri.
Dean glanced at the doctor. "But she is my family, other than Sam. Please, I need her to come with." He begged him with his eyes.
"I'm sorry. Look, I shouldn't even let you in here right now. You can only stay a few minutes." He grabbed the back of the wheelchair and brought him in. Missouri was sick for Dean. Whatever had happened, he was not handling it well.
They entered the room and there were several people around Sam. The monitor was back on. Dean struggled to get close enough to see the reading. One nurse was in the way, then another. The doctor pushed him to Sam's side. "He really just needs a moment. He is very concerned for his brother." The nurses understood and backed away from Sam. Dean inched his way closer to him. Sam was still very pale and rigid. What concerned him was the EEG monitor. He followed the cords to make sure that they were attached to Sam and not someone else. The lines on the screen were all over the place. Sam went from almost nothing to unpredictable spikes every few seconds.
Dean looked to the doctor. "What does that mean," he asked apprehensively.
The doctor crossed his arms and addressed Dean. "If I had to fathom a guess, I would say he's having a nightmare."
Dean's stomach dropped to his feet with the sudden realization of what was going on. "This is the test…"