Chapter Eighteen

Sam awoke a little after 7 that evening, already the dark had descended. Grace had long since left them to clean up her kitchen after dinner, some of which Dean had managed to eat. Nicki had stayed, still so tired after her ordeal she had gone to sleep on Sam's bed, Sam himself had fallen asleep in the chair by the window, legs perched up on the table.

For someone so freakishly tall he always managed to get comfortable somehow. Within his mind, his mind so intent on replaying the events of that night so long ago, he became aware of movement. Not in the cabin, not in the car, no, this was outside the dream. Somewhere beyond his subconscious, somewhere beyond his mind.

A shuffle.

A bang.

Dean swearing.

Sam cracked open his eyes and watched as his sibling attempted to stand again, attempted to walk forward.

Walk on the leg he was told to stay off of.

Sighing , Sam slipped his legs off of the table and swung in his chair to face Dean.

"Where are you going?"

Dean pointed with his entire arm toward the bathroom, took a step and then began to sway precariously. Sam stood forward and held his arm firm.

"Dean, where are you going?"

"Bathroom" It was a whisper, but a determined one.

"Ok"

Sam moved to Dean's left side and carefully guided him toward the small room.

"I got it from here Sam"

"You sure"

"I got it Sammy"

Dean pushed himself away, using the door and the wall for support he hopped the rest of the way into the bathroom and closed the door, waiting until Sam was out of sight before allowing the grimace to show. God he hurt, everywhere, well, almost everywhere. It seemed the big toe of his left foot had gotten off unscathed.

What a day .

What a week.

He needed a holiday. A beach, some bikini clad girls to walk by while he and Sam relaxed back to the sound of the waves from the ocean.

Looking up into the mirror it took all Dean's will to not gasp at his reflection, tired eyes, bags underneath, a huge bruise on his cheek down across his jaw.
He looked over his wrists, they were bandaged pretty heavily which helped with the ache, he looked at his ribs and stomach.

He was one huge bruise.

Thankfully he couldn't see the gash in his leg, a generous amount of gauze had seen to that.

Great, just great. Plus, to add to his misery, he smelled bad, not just been-working-in-the-sun-all-day bad, but hadn't-showered-in-days-while-working-out-in-a-sauna bad.

And he could hear Sam hovering outside the door.

"I'm fine Sammy"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, just gonna have a shower then I'll be out"

The bathroom door flew open before Dean had even finished his sentence.

"You can't shower Dean"

"Dude? What are you doing, get out of here. I can shower and I WILL shower, so leave. NOW"

"Dean, you're barely managing to stand upright, plus you have bound wrists and a stab wound you can't get wet, plus you have broken ribs, add to that the drugs the Doc gave you and the mild concussion, before you know it you'll fall in the shower and break your neck"

Dean regarded his younger brother carefully, there was no way out of this, he was wearing the same expression he had outside the hospital when he'd refused to allow Dean to drive to Bobby's. There were no arguments. Just one thing for it then.

Annoy the little bitch.

"Sammy.."

"NO Dean, no showers, you can sit on the toilet and have a wash, or I'll bring a chair in here for you, or I wash you"

At that Dean had looked terrified, almost as scared as he had on the plane so long ago.

"Or you wait until tomorrow , when you're feeling stronger, and have a shower then once I've covered the wounds so you don't get them wet. Ok?"

Sam leaned forward, raised his eyebrows until they disappeared under his jungle of hair and wore his sternest of little brother takes on big brother faces.

"Dude?"

"What ?"

"You had me at 'mild concussion'"

Sam frowned for a second before it dawned on him that Dean had given in. He smiled slowly.

Well, that was a result.

"I'll have a wash, but you're to leave the room"

"Leave the door unlocked though"

"Whatever Dude"

Sam paced outside, quietly in order to wake Nicki who seemed to be embraced in the deepest of sleeps. He watched her for a few minutes, her gentle breathing and serene face relaxed him, until he heard the knock and swear from the other side of the door.

"You ok?"

"Uh huh"

"Need any help?"

"Nah uh"

Dean picked up the toothbrush from where it had fallen on the floor. He felt clean, he felt a heck of a lot better about his body odour. But the wash, even from his seated place on the closed toilet seat, had exhausted him. He hadn't managed to get redressed so had just wrapped a towel around his waist.

He ached, all over. His leg throbbed with every beat of his heart, his ribs screamed in protest at every breath taken and his wrists had written a formal complaint for every movement he made.

He just wanted to be back in the bed, cocooned and safe with Sam sat close. Not that he'd ever admit that to his brother, although he was pretty sure the little bitch already knew.

Dean finished up and carefully opened the door, keeping his right arm draped across his stomach protectively. That bruise was really starting to hurt, he couldn't work out if his stomach bruise was aggravating his ribs or if it was the other way around.

"Hey"

"Hey"

"Feel better"

"Yeah, just tired"

"You want some clothes"

Dean looked up at his younger brother with tired, pain filled eyes and Sam decided for him.

"I'll get you some sweat pants and a t-shirt, just sit on the bed and I'll bring them over"

"Dude Nicki is in here"

"She's asleep Dean, and when have you ever been shy around girls?"

"That's different"

"How?"

"She's more, you know, sisterly"

Sam smirked as he grabbed the clothes from Dean's bag. Big brother had really been taken by this girl. His protective streak was in overdrive. Which meant his embarrassment factor was just behind it.

Dean allowed Sam to pull on his sweat pants , he had tried himself but his leg had vehemently protested around the same time his ribs had screamed at him again, he tried to pull on the t-shirt but gave up and handed the offending piece of material to Sam who had gently slid the cloth over his head and arms, pulling it down carefully over the bruises.

Sam bent to pull on Dean's socks.

"Do you think she'll come after us?"

Sam looked up at Dean, could see the fearful uncertainty almost hidden within the green depths.

"Yeah, I think so, we need to get as far away from Nicki and Grace as we can, I thought we'd move on tomorrow if you're ready"

"We could stay and fight, end this thing"

"You could fight?"

"HELL YEAH!"

"Dean.."

"Sam, we need to end this, I can fight. Don't worry, that bitch won't know what's hit her"

"Stand up"

"What?"

"Stand up"

Dean struggled to stand but after his insistence of the wash and need to walk to the bathroom under his own steam his muscles had other ideas, after four attempts he admitted defeat. For now.

"Maybe Kate will agree to a thumb war?" Asked Dean hopefully.

Sam bit back a laugh and smirked instead.

"Get back into bed jerk and get some sleep. You'll need your strength for the impending thumb war"

"Damn right I do" Dean sunk down into the mattress while Sam covered him with the blanket. "That bitch won't know what's hit her"

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