A/N:Thanks for the reviews, hope you'll enjoy this chapter just the same. Once again thanks to Andrea, for making it readable:-)

Brother's Role

by Nicol Leoraine

Chapter 8

It was only after the third time he awoke from unconsciousness that Dean managed to give the nurse at the hospital his brother's number. That was as far as he got when being questioned about his relatives, how he got to the road and why he was outside alone in the storm.

What was worse was the silence when the doctor asked his name, birth date and other simple things that were supposed to assess the seriousness of the concussion that he sustained. Because Dean gave a negative answer to each of these, he knew they assumed he had a serious head injury, and that was the reason he had to undergo all those stupid tests. What he hated most was the CAT scan. The humming was making him edgy, more so that he still didn't know if someone managed to get hold of Sammy. Lying in that big machine, being unable to even move didn't make him feel any better.

But he couldn't help it. It wasn't as if he did it to piss off the staff. Dean simply didn't know those answers. Yeah, he could tell them his name was Dean Winchester, but then Dean Winchester was officially dead. There was no other Dean Winchester, not of the age of nine. That was the next problem. Dean knew that Sam would come and that he would supply all the information, along with their names. Probably the same ones under which they booked in at the motel. The name Dean couldn't for the life of him remember.

So it was easier to just keep silent and let the doctors think whatever they wanted. Once the tests were done, they shipped Dean into a room. He couldn't stop a groan when he already heard a yelling child and they were still at the corridor. Dean looked up at the nurse that was pushing his stretcher.

''Can't I get my own room?'' he asked and must've sounded really pitiful, because the nurse smiled.

''Don't fear, your roomie isn't so bad. Once his parents are gone, Jamie is quiet.''

''Just how old IS he?'' Dean grumbled, already annoyed that there would be more strangers in the room. He really wasn't feeling up to seeing a family reunion. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, only to snap them open when the nurse spoke.

''By the way, we contacted your brother. He is on his way.''

''He okay?'' Dean couldn't stop the question, even though it earned him a puzzled expression.

''Yes. He's probably scared to death that his little brother was in an accident, but he sounded fine. Well, here we are.''

Dean didn't realize they were in the room until he was efficiently moved to his new bed. Grunting when his side protested at the motion, he threw a casual look at the next bed and it's occupant.

The kid, not older than seven, looked at him curiously but before he could ask anything, the nurse pulled the curtain closed. Dean was thankful for that, even as the child started chattering with his mother. Even though they tried to keep it low, the kid's voice was high pitched and it grated on Dean's headache like nothing else had. Deciding that closing his eyes might help, he fell asleep.

Next time he woke up it was to the feeling of someone's hand brushing through his hair. Even with his mind slightly fuzzy, he knew it wasn't anything he was used to. The only person who did it was his mother, and that was long time ago. When a soft kiss was placed on his forehead, Dean's eyes snapped open.

''What the-'' but he stopped once he saw a haggard looking Sam leaning over him. ''Dude, what was that for?'' he asked instead with a frown.

''Just glad you're alive. Plus I had to wake you up before the concussion check.''

''Huh?''

''Look, they will never spring you if you can't tell them your name, birth date, etc.''

''Why the hell not? I told them who's the president. Should be enough,'' Dean grumbled and looked to his left, wary to speak.

''The kid is fast asleep, Dean. It's almost ten.''

''How come you're here, then?'' Dean asked with a grin and earned a glare.

''Let's just say that I befriended one of the nurses.''

''That's my boy,'' Dean said proudly and winced as he tried to get into a more comfortable position. Sam adjusted the pillow behind his back, ignoring the glare.

''Do you realize how crazy it sounds coming from a nine year old? Now seriously Dean. What happened?''

''You want the long story or the 'Reader's Digest' version?'' Dean's tone was clipped as he rubbed at his temple, willing the headache away.

''Reader's Digest will do for now.''

''Bad ghost caught me, wanted to take me to his hiding place and teach me to behave. Got scared of the storm and I ran away. Obviously, I didn't lose him as I thought. He caught up with me by the road. Threw me into the way of the car. I woke up in the ambulance.'' Dean concluded with a half shrug, hand unconsciously touching his side.

''You're lucky the ribs aren't broken. The doc told me something about how your bones are more flexible while you're still growing.'' Sam smirked, then his face turned serious. ''You've still got a concussion, and they're keeping you here to watch out for any internal bleeding. Apparently you've also got a bruised kidney.''

''Hell, tell me what isn't bruised?'' Dean mumbled, feeling worse only from hearing the facts. But he quickly stopped when he saw the expression on his brother's face.

''Oh shit, Sammy, this really wasn't your fault,'' he grabbed Sam's hand and squeezed. ''I should've taken the shotgun and shoot his ass full of rock salt.''

''No, it was my responsibility, Dean. You-''

''Dude, just leave it, okay? It's not like my brain was affected by that damned curse, but it sure as hell isn't feeling up to try and argue with you. So just tell me what happened after I was gone.''

Sam frowned, but quickly relayed the events, not leaving out anything.

''Salt, hmm? And you think it was Susan Stockhart. Why didn't she warn us then if she knew what was gonna happen?''

''Dunno. Maybe she didn't care. After all, she wants you to be the bait.'' Sam could hardly keep the disdain from his voice. It wasn't like him to be angry with strangers, but Dean could tell that his brother really didn't like the woman. He just wasn't sure if it was because of what she did to him, or if it was some 'feeling' that had more to do with Sam's extra powers. He hoped it was the first. Before he could ask though, he heard someone coming in. Sam didn't look up, but he obviously heard it too, because he leaned towards Dean and quickly told him the name he was supposed to tell the nurse, along with his new birth date and several other facts. Dean only hoped that he didn't get it mixed up and that he would remember it the next day too. He doubted it, as it was getting harder to concentrate, but he obviously managed to give all the right answers because the nurse looked rather satisfied. She even brushed his hair. It grated on Dean's nerves that it was all in a maternal type way, because she was really hot.

''So, what's the verdict?'' Dean couldn't help but ask, barely hiding the yawn. ''Can I leave now?''

''My, aren't you a little impatient?'' she laughed, while taking his blood pressure. ''You didn't even taste our Jell-O. And it's first class, I can assure you.''

Dean grimaced. He would've taken a bag of M&M's over Jell-O anytime. Though now he didn't feel much like eating anything.

''Really Sam, when can I leave?'' he asked seriously as the nurse went to leave. On her way out she stopped beside Sam and reminded him that visiting hours were long over and that he should leave. Sam asked for ten more minutes, letting the nurse know he would really appreciate it. Combined with the pleading look from Dean, she didn't have a chance. Sam and Dean exchanged small smirks behind her retreating back.

''You'll probably be out tomorrow," Sam said, finally managing to answer Dean's question. "The doctor wasn't sure because of your 'memory loss', but I guess if you tell him what he wants to hear in the morning, and if there is no internal bleeding, that they'll spring you later in the afternoon,''

''Great,'' Dean sighed and closed his eyes tiredly. He could feel Sam's eyes on him and squirmed, grimacing at the resulting pain.

''Stop staring at me Sammy, I'll be fine.'' Dean grumbled and looked at his brother. ''Go to the motel and get some sleep. You look like crap and we'll need to do some research tomorrow.''

''First off, I am not staring. Second, the only thing you will be doing tomorrow is rest. As for getting some sleep, I need to make some arrangements first,'' Sam added a little hesitantly.

''What arrangements?'' Dean asked, suspiciously.

''I'll need some papers.''

''Huh? Concussion here, Sammy,'' Dean reminded, not at all feeling like playing twenty questions.

''While you are my brother, I still need some documents that would confirm that. The hospital won't send a minor home with a stranger. I'm not old enough to be your father, and our parents are 'unreachable', so I'll need at least a false birth certificate. And while I'll be at it, maybe I should also get some reports confirming that you have some kind of schooling. We don't know how long this will last... and sooner or later someone will start asking questions. Best to be prepared.''

Dean couldn't argue with that, though he didn't have to like it. Just the idea of him staying a kid for more than few days was terrifying, but Sam was right.

''Okay,'' he said unhappily. ''Give Caleb a call. He should be able to fax you the copy of a birth certificate soon enough. As for the other things, they can wait... a few days,'' Dean added even before Sam opened his mouth to voice his protest. ''Maybe we won't need them. No sense to bother Caleb with it now.''

Sam nodded and turned when he saw a head peeking in. It was the nurse. She didn't say anything, just looked pointedly at the clock on the wall.

''Think it's my cue to leave. Behave, Dean,'' he said with a smirk and ruffled the light hair. Dean just rolled his eyes, too tired to try and pull away.

Sam was already by the door when he heard him call out.

''Sammy?''

''Yeah?'' he turned only to see a pair of sleepy eyes focused on him.

''Don't do anything stupid. Don't go after it alone.'' Sam blinked, because Dean's tone was clearly saying something else.

''I won't.''

"Promise me."

"I promise"

''Now go to sleep before the nurse thinks she needs to sing you a lullaby.''

The muffled 'jerk' that escaped from the already half asleep Dean made him smile.

'I love you too, little brother,' he thought and left.

xxx

Despite a good night's sleep, Dean felt more than a little cranky in the morning. His headache was still present and his side and ribs protested fiercely after the doctor's probing. Dean tried his best to hide his discomfort but he couldn't hide his nervousness. It was already nearing lunch and Sam was nowhere to be seen.

''When can I leave?'' he asked the doctor after he finished the exam, hoping to hell the man wasn't the patronizing type. He was in the hospital only a half a day, but he was already going crazy. He didn't mind the nurses; in fact he liked them very much. The only problem was that while he was using his charm to flirt with them, the nurses were going all maternal on him. Urgh! If he had to listen to 'oh, you're so sweet' once more, he swore he would start yelling. Where the hell was Sam?

Meanwhile the doctor had answered his question and had probably asked some of his own, when Dean suddenly realised he hadn't heard a word of what the doctor had said.

''Uh sorry, I just zoned out.'' Stupid thing to do, Dean thought and mentally gave himself a shake. When you're trying to convince someone that you're okay, it's a good idea to listen to them.

The doctor raised his eyebrow. ''Like I said, I would like to keep you here another day for observation.''

''But you told my brother that I can leave today,'' Dean protested. He knew he couldn't stay at the hospital any longerHe not only hated the place, he was scared that Sam would do something stupid while he was there, like going after Hannings on his own. To tell the truth, he was already planning to escape on his own if his brother didn't show up in the next sixty minutesLunchtime looked like the right...

''Dean?''

Oops, he did it again. Dean blinked and looked at the doctor who was now regarding him with concern, probably thinking about another test he could do. Just great.

''I'm sorry, I was just thinking about Sam. He told me he would come in the morning...''

''I am sure your brother is all right, Dean. But if it troubles you, why don't you ask the nurse? She can call him on his phone.''

''Yeah, I will do that. So can I leave today?''

''We will see,'' was all he got and the doctor left him with only the company of a seven year old Jamie who was already getting restless at the prospect of his parents coming. While the kid was silent through the night, Dean quickly realised that being cooped up with a hyperactive child with a broken leg wasn't any fun. Thank god for the Game boy and the Walkman! Dean just hoped Jamie had enough batteries to keep him playing for the rest of the day.

A high-pitched squeal announced the arrival of Jamie's mother, and Dean closed his eyes. He swore to himself that if Sam didn't come soon, he'd get the hell out of this place, even if only to find him and kick his ass for leaving Dean there. Shooting a look at the clock, Dean started counting. Fifty-seven minutes and he'd be gone.

Fifty-three minutes. Jamie was recalling his dream about Donkey Kong and Superman.

Forty-seven minutes. Jamie started singing.

Forty minutes. Jamie was still singing, even though his mother was trying to hush him by giving him a popsicle.

Thirty-five minutes. Jamie was humming, licking the popsicle.

Twenty-five minutes. Jamie started sobbing. His mom and the nurse were trying to get the stick from the popsicle out from under the cast, where he stuck it, trying to scratch. Dean watched the proceedings with growing respect to the people who raised hyperactive kids.

Twenty minutes. Dean was rubbing at his temples and groaning. Jamie's mom asked him if he was okay. He told her to concentrate on Jamie, who was still wailing. Now it was the stick from the popsicle that was making him itch.

Fifteen minutes. The lunch arrived a little sooner than Dean anticipated. He stared at the weird stuff on his plate and wondered if it was a good enough reason to cut short his deadline and take off right away.Jamie's mom was watching him, as if reading his thoughts. She pointed at the plate with the same commanding look his mom used to give him when he didn't want to eat the spinach or the broccoli. Dean scowled at her, but she only glared back, not intimidated. Without a word he picked up the fork and started eating.

Five minutes. Lunch eaten, the empty plate was on the tray on the bedside table. Jamie was asleep and his mom had left to get herself something more substantial to eat. Dean threw away the blanket and carefully sat up. The room started spinning. He closed his eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass. Slowly, Dean slid off the bed onto his unstable legs. Another minute to get his balance and he was looking for some clothes. He made it to the middle of the room, heading toward the closet, when the door opened. Dean froze, cursing his bad timing.

''What the hell are you doing out of the bed?'' the voice asked him and Dean spun around, the surprise on his face warring with relief.

''Sam…" he said before he realised that moving so fast wasn't the best idea. The world tilted and he was falling. Damned concussion.

xxx

''Didn't I ask you to behave?'' Sam asked once Dean was safely tucked in bed and conscious again.

''I'm not a damn kid,'' Dean growled, keeping his voice low, conscious of the kid lying on the other bed. Sam rolled his eyes and pulled the curtain closed, giving them at least a feeling of privacy.

''Well, you're sure enough acting as one. What the hell were you trying to do, anyway?''

''Trying to get out of here so I could find out where the hell you were!'' Dean hissed angrily. ''You were supposed to come here in the morning, but you didn't even call. I thought something had happened to you.''

''No, you thought I had gone after Hannings alone,'' Sam replied equally annoyed. ''I told you I wouldn't do it, Dean. For once, you should trust me.''

Dean gaped at him open mouthed, then with an uncharacteristic blush looked away. It would've been funny, if not for the circumstances. Sam didn't want to hurt Dean, and if the truth were told, if he thought he would have a chance to get Hannings alone, he would've left Dean in the care of the hospital and finished the hunt alone. But every instinct in him screamed that going after Hannings alone and unprepared was suicide. He couldn't risk it, not now, not when Dean was so vulnerable.

''You and Dad are the only people I trust, Sammy. It's just... you are my responsibility; you were from the moment Dad put you into my arms. I am here to protect you. Not the other way around.''

''God Dean, I don't need to be protected. I am not a kid anymore, despite what you think. I can take care of myself, and I would like to think that I could take care of you too. Why is it different, Dean? You were there for me when you were only five. Do you really think I am not capable of being responsible?''

''It's just-'' Dean paused, not sure what he wanted to say. ''It's not your role.''

Sam raised his eyebrows. ''You're my brother. Protecting is a brother's role. Families should take care of themselves. Doesn't matter who is older. Or do you think that we can't have Dad's back just because he's the oldest?''

''No, I dunno. Never thought about it that way,'' Dean said with a thoughtful look, which then turned into a grin. ''Dude, did you just say that Dad is old?''

''I said he's the oldest, which isn't the same,'' Sam quickly added with a smirk of his own.

''Whatever,'' Dean laughed, then took a good look at his brother. Even though they were joking, Sam looked strained and there were the familiar shadows under his brother's eyes, speaking about the hard night. ''Nightmares?'' Dean asked suddenly and Sam grimaced. He'd hoped Dean wouldn't notice the circles under his eyes.

''I was up most of the night, looking around the net. Couldn't sleep. Next thing I know it's ten in the morning and I had to run to the library to get the fax from Caleb. While I was there, I dug through some newspaper articles. By the way, I haven't found a thing. I think it would be a good idea to go to the parish register. Maybe there would be some records about Hannings' son.''

''That the reason why you're late? Cause you overslept, huh?'' Dean commented, knowing that Sam was hiding something. He saw it in the way Sam's look wandered around rather than looking at him. ''So if it wasn't a nightmare that kept you awake, what was it? A vision?''

Sam let out a sigh and shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't hide it from Dean even though he had a concussion.

''I don't know if it was a vision or not. Seemed weird enough, but...something was missing.''

''What had you seen?''

''A boy, he was running through the forest. Something was chasing him and he was scared. There was a storm approaching. I didn't hear the thunder but saw the lightning. The boy ran into some caves, maybe an old mine. It got pretty confused from there. It was dark and I saw the scene from the view of the thing... the thing that was chasing him.'' Sam swallowed hard, suddenly feeling thirsty. The nightmare had woken him up not once but twice, and he couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. Just thinking about it made his stomach clench. He felt a hand on his knee and looked up at Dean, seeing the encouragement to continue.

''There was something like an explosion… I'm not sure. Than a loud rumble, as if something was falling. Darkness. Then water. Water everywhere, and the feeling like I was drowning.'' He let out a deep breath, not even realising he was holding it.

''Do you know who that boy was?'' Dean asked quietly and was surprised to see the fear in Sam's eyes.

''I'm not sure. Could've been the Denim's boy, or Hannings' own son. Could've been someone else. But God, Dean, he looked so much like you.''

To be continued

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