The ambulances had arrived by the time Sam, Dean and Isabel made it out, and police cars were everywhere, casting and eerie blue and red glow over the small clearing at the entrance to the mine. They gave Isabel over to the paramedics while the police asked them a few questions. They answered as politely as they could, before the anxiety and need to see their cousin finally overcame them.
"Can we please go see our cousin now? " Sam asked the officer impatiently.
The cop looked at him harshly but relented when he saw the young man's desperation "OK, you can go. We can finish this later"
They rushed to the hospital in record time. Once there they were told Isabel was in surgery and to sit in the waiting room, until the doctor came out with news. They sat there, next to each other, lost in thought.
"She looked hurt" Sam said suddenly. He hadn't had a chance to see where Isabel was being kept, but knew that Dean had, and from the troubled look on his face, it had not been pretty. He also didn't know what kind of injuries she had "Really hurt"
Dean stared blankly at him and all he could do was nod. The doctor came out two hours later. Sam and Dean hadn't moved from their spots. They saw the doctor approaching and stood up, taking large breaths of air, as if they were preparing themselves for the worst.
The doctor gave them an encouraging smile "Hi, I'm Dr Edvinsson, you are Isabel's family?" He asked.
Once Sam and Dean sat back down, the doctor pulled up a chair and sat across from them "your cousin's going to be fine" He said and smiled when both boys breathed in relief "She has sustained multiple injuries, but none of them are fatal"
They asked to see her, but they were informed that Isabel had been sedated and would be unconscious for a few hours while they monitored her recovery. Dr Edvinsson gave them a detailed account of the injuries she'd suffered, only making Dean and Sam wish they could kill the demon again. He watched Dean's jaw clench and his breathing quicken. He turned to Sam who had buried his face in his hands
"If it's any consolation, she's not pregnant and she will still be able to have children. She's much luckier than the other girls. I expect her to make a full recovery. You can see Isabel tomorrow"
He got no response from Dean who was clearly trying with all his might not to punch or break something. Sam raised his head and nodded his thanks to the doctor. Dr Edvinsson decided to leave the brothers alone for a while; it looked like they needed some time.
Sam could feel the anger from his brother, it seemed to radiate off of him.
"I wish he could die again" Dean said suddenly, his voice breaking from barely restrained anger "Slowly"
"Dean, it's over" Sam tried "He's dead"
"All those girls…what he did to them" Dean stood up and paced, because in that small room it was all he could do "To Isabel"
"She'll be fine. She'll pull through. She'll be fine" Sam repeated, like a mantra.
"Really Sam? You think she'll be fine?" Dean asked angrily turning to his brother "You didn't see her in that room. You didn't see what I saw"
"Dean I know you're angry, I'm angry too" Sam said steadily "But don't take it out on me"
Dean looked at Sam, an expression of sorrow on his face "I don't know if I can forgive myself for this"
Dr Edvinsson found both Winchester men slumped on the hard plastic hospital chairs after having fallen asleep sometime during the night. He informed them Isabel had been moved to her own room and was sleeping peacefully. They could go see her if they wanted to.
Dean was surprised to find it was easier seeing her strapped to a bed and plugged into a wide range of monitors than it had been to see her battered and chained in that dingy room where the demon had kept her. Still, it was chilling to take in and the whole scene brought home the message that once again, they'd let the bad guy almost get away. But more so than in any other hunt before, it had been too close. Way too close for his liking. If anything had gone wrong, he would be staring down at Isabel's dead body lying on a metal slab in the morgue. He stepped forward and gently grabbed her hand, as if to make sure she was really there, warm and alive.
They stayed with her until she awoke the next morning. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around the room until her gaze settled on her cousins standing at the foot of her bed. They were watching her cautiously. Sam was twitching in his spot and she could tell that he was really struggling with the urge to rush forward to her.
"Isabel?" Dean asked softly.
She stared at him for a moment. She vaguely remembered Dean coming to rescue her, but wasn't sure if it had been real or just another hallucination from whatever she'd been drugged with. She didn't want to get her hopes up again, only to find out she was still locked up in some dark torture room.
"Dean?" She exhaled, still unable to do more than breathe out words through her painfully dry throat.
"Yeah kitten" He said with a smile "It's me. Sam's here too" He said.
"Did you get him?" She asked.
"We got him" Sam said "It's over. You're safe"
"The girls?"
"They'll be OK too"
She nodded slightly and closed her eyes "Leslie" she said before starting to cry "Jack"
"I'm so sorry Isabel" Sam said, but she didn't seem to have heard him over the sound of her own wailing.
A nurse came in again and quickly injected something into Isabel's IV drip. It worked instantly and Isabel once more slept peacefully. Sam and Dean looked at the nurse curiously.
"This kind of reaction is not uncommon in cases like these" The large nurse said sympathetically.
"She'll get better though, won't she?" Dean asked.
"She will" The nurse smiled at them reassuringly and ran a hand gently through Isabel's hair, smoothing it out of her face "She's a strong one, I can tell. She just needs time"
After enduring three days of pharmacologically-induced catatonia, broken only by the occasional hysteria-laced panic attack or guilt-ridden melancholic daze, Isabel was in much better control of her emotions, and with the help of the medication, in better control of her mind.
"They're letting you go home on Wednesday Bel" Dean said to her cheerily.
Sam and Dean had spoken to Isabel's doctors, her psychiatrists, they had even contacted a lawyer in the three days she'd been sedated. Everything was set for her to return home later that week.
"Then what?" She asked looking straight ahead across the perfectly manicured lawns of the hospital.
It had been a nice day, so Dean and Sam had decided to take her out for a walk. Well, they were walking. Much to Isabel's dismay, she was being pushed around in a wheelchair. Physically, she had healed swiftly, and it was only her sore, sprained ankle that prevented her from moving around without assistance.
Dean stopped the wheelchair and walked around, kneeling before her to face her at eye level "We go home"
She met his eyes "I'm sorry"
Dean looked up uncertainly at Sam, who came around to kneel beside Dean "Sorry about what Bel?" He asked her.
"I'm sorry I kicked you out" She said as her face crumbled "I'm sorry I got so angry and overreacted. I'm sorry I'm so stubborn"
"Hey, hey" Dean said as he placed a hand comfortingly just above her knee. She flinched, but didn't pull away, and Dean continued, encouraged. She was slowly getting used to other people touching her again without completely freaking out "You have nothing to apologise for"
"Maybe not to you, but I'm pretty pissed at myself at the moment" She said morosely.
"None of this was your fault Bel" Sam said "Nothing that happened to you was your fault"
"I don't even know what happened!" She said, her tone line with frustration "I don't remember"
"Don't worry, you will" Sam said.
"That's just it, isn't it?" She said, fear now replacing her earlier frustration and bitterness "The doctors told me what he did to me and every now and then I think I vaguely remember something but…what if I'm better off not remembering…ever" She was quiet for a moment before her eyes returned to the gardens "I heard the other girls are going to be kept in the psych ward"
Dean and Sam exchanged a look. When they spoke to all of Isabel's doctors, they had indeed mentioned that the other girls they'd rescued would be staying in the mental health wing of the hospital until they were mentally stable, and Sam's stomach dropped when they suggested a similar scenario for Isabel. Dean had been crystal clear when he plainly said that in no way were they going to leave Isabel in a loony bin, she would come home with them and any other suggestions were not open up to discussion.
The doctors were in agreement. Isabel had only been taken for one day and she appeared to be fairing infinitely better than the other girls, who apart from being severely traumatised didn't have any family anyway.
"The other girls were down there much longer, Bel" Sam said gently "Besides, you've got us"
"Until when?" She asked looking at her cousin "You're telling me you're not going to hit the road soon? As soon as something comes up for you to hunt? As soon as you hear from your dad?"
Dean and Sam hadn't actually given much thought to how the aftermath of it all would be handled. They later sat in hospital cafeteria while quietly discussing what would happen next.
"I'm not leaving her" Sam said suddenly "Not here, not like this"
Dean looked at his brother for a moment "I agree" He said "How long do you think it'll take for her to recover though? I mean, we've still gotta find dad, and that demon"
"I don't care how long it takes Dean" Sam snapped back "I'm staying. You can go on without me if you want"
Dean sighed "That's not what I meant Sam" he said tiredly "I'm just…nevermind"
Sam was silent for a moment before finally speaking "It could be a while"
On the Wednesday morning Dean, Sam, Isabel and her two doctors sat in her hospital room as they discussed her discharge and follow up treatment.
"Everything's been arranged Mr Winchester" Dr Edvinsson said to Sam "You can sign Isabel out any time you want, and her medical treatment is entrusted to you. She is now in your care"
Sam nodded, considering the words carefully. He was now solely responsible for his cousin. Dean of course would share that responsibility, but not officially, since he was theoretically, deceased.
"I understand" He said.
He signed the release papers, collected her medication and took the written instructions as to how he would administer them. Isabel, although now more lucid than when she'd arrived, was in no state to medicate herself yet.
"Isabel, I am confident that with your strength and determination you will recover fully from this. The support of your cousins will be an immense help also. It's not a good idea for you to be alone right now" Her psychiatrist said aiming the last comment at Sam and Dean, sitting on either side of Isabel "You are, of course, always welcome to stay here in the hospital, under my care, where you'll receive round the clock monitoring until you are ready to leave"
Dean bit his tongue, knowing that out of everyone in the room, Dr Gilman was not fully convinced with the decision of Isabel going home with her two cousins this soon. Everyone watched her expectantly.
"I think I'll try being with Sam and Dean for a while" She said softly, smiling at her cousins slightly "I need them"
Dr Gilman nodded "Very well Isabel. I'm entrusting your care to Sam and Dean, but you have to promise you'll listen to them and do as they say"
"I promise to do as Sam says" She said smirking.
"Well, at least you're getting your attitude back" Dean said.
"Isabel' Dr Gilman said smiling "I'm serious. Promise me"
She took a deep breath and nodded "I trust them"
>>>>>>
AN: I haven't decided on a sequel yet. What do you guys think? AT