Hi all

I'm glad you liked the last chapter, it was fun to write. I promise there's only a few more as I try to tie up the details. I wanted you to know that I have taken into consideration some of the comments that were made and this story is tweeked differently than originally intended. I think it's better because of your suggestions. Thank you!

Let me know what you think and I'll try and finish posting it this weekend (pending errors in my head and on the website). There are 27 total chapters - wow! Sorry it was so long!

You guys rock!

:D

Caroline

Chapter 24

The mood in the room was much lighter than an hour before. Now that Sam had "passed the test," there was much laughter and congratulations in the round. They let Sam know that Johnny was ok now, which he figured since he tried to save him, and how the demon seemed to move from one person to another. He listened to the stories and pretended to be interested, but he was still silent. He tried to be strong, but Sam felt nauseous and weak. He needed a moment with Dean, alone, to tell him what happened with the demon, and who it was. Dean finally caught the look in Sam's eye. He signaled back with his facial expressions. Sam took the cue. "Would you mind giving us a minute," Sam asked suddenly of the inhabitants of the room. "I just need a few with Dean. It won't take long." Jana and Johnny realized it was the first time that Sam had really spoken since he woke up. They were used to being kicked out of the room by now, so they were up and ready to go in no time. Missouri knew this was going to be extremely difficult for Sam. She hesitated but did get up to leave. She looked back at them as she closed the door.

"If you're gonna kick my ass about your hair…"

"Dean. I need to tell you something," began Sam trying to gather strength.

"No touchy feely stuff bro, you know how I…"

"DEAN!" Sam squinted his eyes and shifted his head. "Please. I promised, no more secrets." Dean sat at the foot of the bed. He never liked these things. Anytime Sam got into this mode, it was certainly easier to crack a joke then to deal with emotion. It was just his way. Regardless, Sam took a deep breath and began. "In my nightmare, whatever it was, the demon, the thing that was torturing me, it was familiar to me."

"Familiar how," asked Dean with intrigue, shifting slightly on the bed.

He paused. "It was the thing that killed mom and Jessica."

Dean was awestruck at the revelation. "What?" He didn't know what to say. His mouth went dry as he tried to gather the words. Finally he was able to get out his questions. "How? I thought dad was on its trail and was close."

"Maybe he was, I don't know. I can't explain it," Sam was beginning to stammer trying to find the words to go on. "It told me…. that it was there that night, 22 years ago, that it should have taken me then," his voice trailed. Sam tried to adjust himself up in the bed. He knew Dean wasn't going to like this line of detail. Anytime they talked about his "abilities," Dean freaked out, even though he said he was fine with everything. "It put me through some trails, to 'test' me, see what I could do."

Dean swallowed. "And what can you do, Sam?" Dean wasn't sure he wanted the answer to the question.

"I had no idea what was going on." Sam began to shake a little as he continued. "It was mostly reflexes, but apparently I can create some type of shield."

"We saw that here. I thought that was part of the possession," he nodded. "Great, so you can make shields. I can handle it." Dean looked up at Sam. "Is that it?" Do I want the answer to this?

Sam felt that he needed a little more brotherly support before he could tell him about how he killed the demon. He decided to go on with the story and what happened to him. "The demon told me I was the 'chosen one.' I have no idea what that means." His voice cracked as he remembered the torture of the nightmare. He kept going. "It downloaded things into my brain. Terrible things, to make me convert."

"Convert to what," cried Dean officially beginning to panic for both of their safeties. "What the hell happened to you Sammy?" He inches his way closer to Sam on the bed.

Sam was now visibly upset and having a hard time confessing these things to his brother. His eyes began to water. He fought back the tears and tried to be strong for the upcoming punches. "Dean, if it hadn't been for Johnny showing up when he did…."

"Sam? What is it," demanded Dean. Shit, shit, shit.

"I….think I would have..." The tears streamed down Sam's face, there was no controlling them now. "It was so intense, the images, the voice, the logic. It was beginning to make sense to me, what it was showing me," his voice cracked and he was having a hard time breathing. He paused to try and get some kind of composure. No more secrets. He forged on, "population control through floods and famine. Murder and chaos. The puzzle pieces seemed to fit Dean. And I tried to fight it, but I….."he was shivering all over. Missouri came back into the room and looked at the two of them. There was no way Sam could continue the story, and no way Dean could handle it unless she was there to bridge the gap.

"I can't let you continue this without my help baby," she said as she entered the room and scootched Sam over to sit next to him on the bed. She held him in her arms and gingerly stroked his stubble filled head. Dean's mind was racing a mile a minute. Missouri looked at Dean who was shell shocked. "Sam was in bad shape Dean. I'm not going to lie to you. The demon was working overtime, and he didn't want to loose. I don't know how long he had been fighting it, but it was a battle." She stopped to look at Sam who was a quivering mess. "You were holding your own boy, but everyone has their breaking point." She ran her hand down his arms as she held him. Missouri squeezed him and looked up to Dean, who was still trying to wrap his head around what happened to his baby brother. "What you are missing in all of this is that you are a team," she stated matter of factly. Dean furrowed his brow at her sudden change in logic. "You are two halves of the same being. You need each other, live for each other." She pulled Sam back and looked at his tearstained face and reached for Dean's hand. "This was a test for both of you. What you don't know Sam is that your brother was worried sick over you. He knew something was wrong, when none of us felt it." She gave an approving smile to Dean, who was startled at the accolade. "It was his quick thinking that got you back to the room and into the circle of protection. That was when the grip of the demon broke and Johnny and I made our move." Sam looked to Dean who was still working out the whole 'dark side thing in his head.

"Well, someone had to save your butt," spat out Dean, trying to sound calm yet macho. Sam was still noticeably concerned over the whole thing and not able to shake it from his mind.

Sam looked to Missouri with a fear in his eyes that she had never seen. "Missouri, were you able to… sense any of what was going on in my head? What would have happened, if I …" He trembled at the thought.

She brought him in close again. Missouri knew exactly what was happening to Sam, which was why she was having a hard time focusing on him during the dream walk. This wasn't the time to let Sam know how close he was to failing. "Thankfully, we'll never have to find out," she blurted out trying to avoid what she knew. "It's sure that there are more demons out there for you to face together, but this one seemed the cause of all your recent grief. If you were the 'chosen one,' I think it is pretty clear that you are choosing to stay on this side of the game." How did she know I was the chosen one?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

The atmosphere seemed to clear a little between the boys so Missouri went and retrieved Jana and Johnny in the hallway. There was no need to keep anything further from them. They reentered the room and the group continued to compare notes over the last several days. Jana told Sam how Dean saved him in the basement, then how Sam saved Dean from the psycho nurse. It was unclear how much Sam remembered of the events.

"So you're saying I channeled mom? You're kidding me, right," Sam demanded, looking better than he had earlier. They all looked at him and nodded. He was still very pale, but the twinkle was starting to return to his eyes. Johnny came and sat next to him on the bed. Sam stroked his head. It's nice to know that he's just a normal kid again.

"Sam, she was the one who said all of this was a test and it started in Lawrence. Through you! There was something about dad being close and that we had to look out for each other." Dean paused to let it sink in with Sam, who shook his head in disbelief. "I'm telling you, she was here, in this room, plain and simple." Dean was insistent. "Man, you even looked like her, with some of your facial expressions. Well, minus the bandages and black and blue marks." Sam fidgeted and grabbed for the water on his table near the window. "And you don't remember any of that?"

Sam shook his head. "I did have a déjà vu when the demon called me a pawn. I wasn't sure what that was about." He threw out the comment hoping to fish out something.

"A PAWN! Yeah, that's what the hot nurse said." Jana moved uncomfortably in the chair. Dean didn't notice. "We were pawns in the game," shouted Dean. "You actually remember that?"

Sam closed his eyes as if looking for something in his head. He furrowed his brow, then opened his eyes to recite "Crein dol bodhaig bith ni fil? What the hell does that mean?"

Jana's mouth dropped open. "Oh my God, you remember that?" She turned to Dean. "How could he remember that, but not your mother?"

Missouri added her two cents of intuition. "I think that Sam was Mary. He was almost brain dead at the time so that allowed her to take control."

"He's always brain dead. Have you met my brother," shouted Dean ready to jump on the first moment to give Sam crap and make this whole thing seem more normal. Sam gave Dean a dirty look.

Missouri shushed him and continued. "She came here to protect you, to help you." She looked between the two of them. "Something called her back to you after everything that happened in Lawrence. Even though we thought she was gone, she knew it started in Lawrence and you two were going to go through some type of test." Missouri tried to piece everything together. She continued with her line of thinking. "When she 'possessed' you Sam, she must have flicked on something in you that was hypersensitive to Dean, and only Dean, as a way to protect the both of you," she inferred. "You sensed Dean was in danger and you sprang to life. Even though you were not really conscious, you made yourself help him. This might be part of your new 'powers.'" She continued trying to make sense of the situation. "You must have residual memories from the second time you were awake because it was you that helped Dean. That phrase must have stayed in your memory through it, because of the importance of the moment."

There was a knock on the door and the gang looked up. It was Dr. Stonewell. She entered and perused the room and its guests. Her final glance landed on Sam and she smiled. "So, is it really you Mr. Jones, or have you been possessed by something new altogether today," she asked with a chuckle. Sam narrowed his eyes to get a grasp of who this person was and why she knew about the situation.

Dean saw the confusion in Sam's eyes and jumped in to distract. "Dr. Stonewell, this is officially my brother, Sam Jones. He seems to be of sound mind and body, thanks to you," he added with a nod and a smile. She returned it.

"Thank you doctor," said Sam with a slight tickle in his throat. "I know that I owe you for helping me get the hell out of my head." He reached for the water to ease his cough. She seemed a little uncomfortable and not quite sure what to make of the whole situation. Sam picked up on it and suddenly felt very self conscious. She seems a bit off but I can't put my finger on it. He smiled quickly at her to try and bring the situation back.

"I'll have to get back to you on what you owe me," she said with a laugh. "In the meantime, I want you to meet someone else. Come in Susan," she called. Dean's hot nurse entered the door. Everyone, including Sam, jumped at her entry. "No, no, don't worry. Everything is ok." Susan looked confused.

The woman timidly stepped further into the room. "I'm really sorry about earlier," she began with her Southern accent. "Apparently I blacked out for some time today and tried to hurt you," she said as she looked at Dean. "I can't explain what happened, but I have been given a clean bill of health – for the record." Sam and Missouri looked at each other and both had the same verdict that she was ok. They relayed that to Dean who was ready to continue with the moves.

"Well, you did a shotty job of giving me a sponge bath before. If you wanted to come back and make that up to me, I'd be ok with it." Sam threw darts at him with his eyes. He never stops. The nurse blushed.

"Actually, I wanted Susan to meet Sam since she will be taking care of both of you. I figured she could take your vitals and check your chart," she said to Sam affirming her presence. "I'm here mainly for your comfort level, Indy." Dr. Stonewell smiled at Dean as Susan went to Sam.

The blood pressure gauge was on the wall next to the window. Susan made her way over and pulled it off the wall next to Sam's bed. The pump part fell from her hands and knocked over the water to the floor. She quickly gathered the cup and went to clean up the spill under the bed. "I'm so sorry. I guess I'm still a little nervous."

"It's ok Susan," said Sam swiftly. "It's not like anyone goes that way to see me. It'll be fine." His voice was reassuring and she suddenly felt at ease.

"Sorry." She continued taking his vitals and marking everything down. Dr. Stonewell was checking over Dean who was still watching the nurse. He wanted to believe that she was ok but he watched her like a hawk over his brother, just in case. "Mr. Jones does still have a temperature. How would you like to handle that doctor?"

"Let's get some antibiotics for the IV. It will be quicker," the doctor stated as she made some checks on Dean's chart. "I would actually like to do a more thorough exam of Sam, just to make sure everything is working." Sam started to squirm. He hated doctors.

Dean saw Sam's uneasiness and pounced. "Pussy."

Sam smiled and played the game. "Jerk."

"Boys, boys! Can you behave for two minutes? My Lord what is with you," Missouri said to stop the bantering. Dr. Stonewell smiled and turned for the door. Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"Susan will just do a little more checking. I'll be back in a few moments and we'll take a look, ok?" She exited, leaving the nurse behind to continue checking out Sam.

"So, do you know why you blacked out," asked Dean, starting the inquisition. He was curious what her answer would be.

She added a few last notes onto Sam's chart and put the instruments away. "Honestly, no! They found me in the hallway in the chair outside your room. I don't remember much of anything from yesterday," she declared.

Sam looked to her and urged her to continue with the story. "What is the last thing you remember, Susan? What can you tell us?"

There was something about his voice. They won't think I'm crazy. "I remember a police officer." Sam and Dean looked at each other. "He looked injured and I went to grab him. He was, I don't know…different." She looked to Sam for reassurance and got it. She continued, "I felt weird and a coldness came over me. I guess I blacked out and woke up in the chair." She seemed embarrassed by how quickly she revealed the information to them. I haven't told anyone that.

Sam smiled at her and touched her arm. Susan felt a warming wave from him. "You're not crazy. We're just glad you're ok." Missouri looked at Sam, impressed at this new ability. The nurse gathered her things and made her way to the door. She paused before she left to look at Dean, and then lingered on Sam. They locked eyes and she shivered leaving the room.

"Boy, when did you start doing that? She was just oozing information," cried Missouri. She went to Sam and felt his face. "Does that expend any energy to do?"

"That started back in Peculiar with the desk clerk. We had no idea what was going on," Dean blurted out. He suddenly realized his mistake. "Damn, you should have asked her for her number!" Missouri looked at Jana who seemed self conscious. Dean looked up and realized that he hurt Jana. "Sorry, I was just kidding Jana," he paused. "It's my nature."

"Sorry," asked Sam dumbfounded. "Did you really just apologize? They say that I'm the one going through changes?" I think he might actually like this girl.

The group continued to exchange verbal jabs at each other. During the timeframe, they had gotten Dean up into the wheelchair and decided that he needed to spend some time in the cafeteria since he kept abolishing everyone there. They were just getting ready to head out when Dr. Stonewell entered the room again.

"We're on our way doc," Dean announced. "How long do we need to stay away? I'm itching for a burger from the cafeteria. I hear the food is to die for." Jana looked at him and slapped him on the top of the head. "Ouch! What did you do that for," cried Dean.

"It won't be long, but Sam could use some rest," she said sweetly. "Use your judgment." She made her way toward Sam and injected the antibiotic into the IV. "That should help bring that fever down."

"Ok, we'll grab some food and come back in a while. Do you want anything Sam," they called back as the convoy headed into the hallway.

"Can I get a pop and a bag of chips?" Sam looked at the doctor for approval. She nodded.

"Got it. We'll be back," shouted Dean as they closed the door behind them. "Let's have wheelchairs races down the hall," they heard Dean saying in the hallway.

Dr. Stonewell chuckled and smiled at Sam. "He is something, that brother of yours," she said to try and ease the moment. "I know that exams are always uncomfortable. I promise to make this quick," she flipped through the chart. "Can you undo your gown so I can get a good listen to your heart? We want to make sure that there are no irregularities since your coma." Sam did as he was told.

It took a little effort, and it was painful, but he was able to let it down. As the gown dropped, he noticed that he had some additional bruising on his chest. He raised his hand and touched the spots. Sam was surprised at how sore he was now that he was partially upright. The bruises were tender to the touch. The doctor looked at him as if reading his mind.

"From what I understand, you were propped up against a bench when they found you. You must have fallen hard into it after the brick made contact." She continued with the stethoscope on his back. He nodded, understanding that line of logic. "Breath in. Out." Sam obeyed and was very relaxed. "In. Out" He continued to breath. The doctor made her way to the front and tried to avoid the bruised areas. She noticed that he was not the only brother who had a nice shape. She smiled to herself. "In. Out." Dr. Stonewell leaned to the side and raised the bed higher so she he would be more comfortable as she checked his skull. She helped him back into the pillows.

"So what's the verdict," said Sam lazily. "Do I have any heart issues, or is it just with my head." He smiled at the irony of that statement.

Dr. Stonewell grabbed the mini light and began to check the reaction in his eyes. His pupils were a little slow to react, but that was normal in his state. She peeled the bandage from his forehead carefully and looked through the stitches. Everything seemed in order. "You still have a concussion, obviously, and that will cause drowsiness but the incisions look good." On cue, Sam started to yawn.

"That was pretty good timing," he said feeling like he needed a rest. "What else do I need to do?" Boy, I'm really tired.

She put the light into her pocket. In the drawer next to the bed were new pads for the wound. The doctor opened the package and began to dress the injury carefully. She smiled at him. He looked up to her and tried to respond with a smile of his own. He began to blink, trying to stay awake. She finished with the bandaging and placed her hand on his head. She caressed his face and brought her hand to the middle of his chest. "You should have chosen differently."