Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm still just having fun!
When Reality Bites
Chapter 3 – Nightmares
"Sammy…Sam…wake up!" Dean said softly as he gently tapped the battered face of his brother. Dean inhaled sharply as he looked at the damage. Sam's left eye was already swollen shut, he had a nasty gash over the same eye that was the cause of most of the blood…it looked like it would need stitches. Sam's lip was split as well adding to the bloody mess.
Dean quickly felt Sam's ribs and grimaced as he heard his brother groan. It didn't feel like anything was broken, but he was sure once he got Sam inside, he would find more bruises. He couldn't find any other sign of head trauma, which was good…but then why wouldn't Sam wake up?
"Ok little brother…let's get you inside where I can take a better look at you" Dean groaned a little as he lifted his brother onto his shoulders. Dean fumbled for the key to the room as he juggled his brother's unconscious form. Once inside, Dean stopped for a moment as he saw the salt circle in front of the door and around the window. "Crap Sam…you knew something was going to happen didn't you…why didn't you call me you idiot!" But Dean still got no response.
Dean carefully put Sam on the bed and went into the bathroom to get a washcloth and some towels. When he returned, he was surprised to see his brother moaning and tossing on the bed, tears were streaming down his cheeks. Dean hurried over to his brother and tried to sooth him as he had done many times before.
"Alone…God, why?...I can't do this…so tired…so tired" Sam moaned.
Dean was getting really worried…normally his brother would have woken when he heard his brother's voice. But this time…whatever dream he was having, seemed to have his brother trapped. Not knowing what else to do, Dean started to gently wash the blood and sweat from his brother's face. He removed Sam's dirty and blood stained clothes, leaving him in his briefs.
As Dean look at the rest of Sam's body, he noticed the bruising around his ribs and on his back. He also noticed the nasty bruises across the back of Sam's lower legs…"Damn it…Sammy…they used a baseball bat on you…wait until I find them…they'll wish they had never messed with you! But you gotta wake up and tell me who they are Sammy…come on, you can do this…just fight!"
Dean sighed when he still got no response and gently pulled the covers up over Sam. "It's ok Sam, just rest…I'll be here when you wake up."
While Dean was waiting for Sam to wake up, he decided to check out the internet to see if anything strange had been happening in the area. If Sam had been worried enough to place salt in the room…Dean figured he better get a head start on trying to find out what was going on.
A few hours later, Dean stretched as he went to check on Sam one more time. Sam had quieted down and seemed to be in a deep sleep. Dean tried to convince himself that Sam was just tired…his brother never slept much, but when his body could stand no more, he would go into a deep sleep. But Dean just couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on.
Especially after reading through some news articles from a few of the surrounding towns. There had been an unusual number of reports of people of all ages being found unconscious for no apparent reason. A few had recovered, but apparently some of them had fallen into a coma and eventually died. The police could find no trace of foul play and the coroner had no answer for the public. There had been no reports of any incidents in the town they currently were in, but then that didn't mean that whatever it was hadn't spread here.
"Sam…I wish you could help with this…you're the researcher, not me…I just don't see any connection between the people who have been affected. I know that the next step is to go and talk to some of the survivors, but that's your job…you're better at that kind of touchy feely stuff than I am. So you see, Sammy…you have to wake up…you need to do your job, damn it…I'm not going to carry you on this one!" Sam moaned slightly, but still didn't open his eyes.
Dean walked over to get the washcloth he had left by the bed. He was tired and on edge, maybe a quick shower would loosen him up. "Ok Sammy…I'm just going to take a quick shower…if you need me, just yell ok?" Dean patted him lightly on the shoulder, grabbed some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom
ooooooooo
Sam was back at the hotel packing his things. He had just spent one of the worst days of his life at the coroner's office. After identifying the body, he made arrangements to have Dean's body shipped back to Lawrence Kansas. He would be buried next to his mother. He reached for his set of keys to the Impala out of habit, when it hit him…there was no longer a black Impala waiting for him in the parking lot…there was no wise ass brother yelling at him to get moving…there was nothing.
Sam sat down on the bed and let the tears fall freely down his face. How could he go on alone?
Sam felt so tired…he needed to get to Lawrence to see his brother put to rest. But he couldn't get the energy to go there just yet. Sam laid down on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. Maybe I should just find a quiet place somewhere…anything would be better than the future Sam saw right now. He was left alone to fight a battle that he never asked for. Dean and his father were the fighters…not him.
As Sam drifted off to sleep, he felt his anger rising at the unfairness of it all…but once again, he decided it was not in him to run and hide…he would fight until he died or until they were all gone, every last one of those bastards who hunted and preyed on the innocent. He would do it for his brother because he knew in his heart that that is what Dean would have expected him to do.
ooooooooo
The demon had taken the room next to Sam's and was sitting on the bed in a trance. He continued to feed on Sam's emotional state, almost smacking his lips at the wells of despair he felt within the young man. All he needed was to be in proximity to Sam to enter his dreams. He would slowly feed his feelings of despair and loneliness, his deep seeded sense of guilt.
The deeper the demon went into Sam's mind, the more he felt the power resting in there. He knew that Sam could easily block him, if he chose, but so far, the boy had not tried to do so. The others who had succumbed to death had been weak…too weak to fight him. Some had eventually been able to drive him out…although they never knew he was there. But here he felt that Sam could sense him…could destroy him. But if he was careful…he could continue to feed and maybe, just maybe this one would remain his for some time to come.
He just had to make sure that Sam's body and mind continued to weaken. The beating the men had given Sam had helped. It also, allowed him to approach Sam undetected. But the demon would need to do more to ensure that Sam could not rebuild his body and mind too quickly. He also need to make sure that the young hunter remained here long enough for the demon to feed.
The demon sensed Sam's anger building once again. It was time to go for awhile, time to allow the boy a short sense of freedom. But he would be back…after all; his hunger had not yet been quenched.
ooooooooo
Sam woke up slowly, groaning as his body complained about the movement. "That's funny" Sam thought, he didn't remember being in this much pain when he had gone to the coroner's office. Oh well, maybe it was just taking time for his body to catch up. Sam still felt exhausted and figured that he must have fallen back asleep for a short time. He looked around the room and was immediately confused.
"I thought I had packed my stuff?" Sam mumbled as he saw his bag lying on the floor, partially empty. Sam shrugged as he decided that he must have really been out of it. He saw his brother's bag on the end of the bed and it also was open. As Sam walked over to the bag, his head lowered as he briefly touched the soft leather. This would be the last time he packed his brother's bag, he thought sadly as he started to put things into the bag.
Sam decided that he may as well take a quick shower before he went looking for a means of transportation to Lawrence. He almost fell as he reached into his bag on the floor, looking for clean clothes. His head felt light and his ribs and the back of his legs were really starting to hurt. He hoped he could remain standing long enough to let the hot water do its work.
Just as Sam reached for the bathroom door, the door suddenly opened. Dean's face broke into a smile as he saw his younger brother standing there. "Well Sammy, it's about time you decided to wake up…Sammy…Sam…what is it?" Dean asked in concern when he saw the color drain from his brother's face. He watched as Sam backed away from him, a look of pure terror on his face.
"It can't be….you're…you're suppose to be dead!" Sam squeaked as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious once more.
TBC
