Alternate Life or Real Life?

Disclaimer as per the first chapter.

CHAPTER SIX

Dean stared at the doctor incredulously, 'do you mean that Sam is gonna die?'

'No, what I am saying is that Sam is still very ill and if he leaves before his treatment is finished then it may end up fatal.'

'Oh that's another thing Doc, you haven't exactly told me what is wrong with my brother and what treatment is he on?'

The doctor opened his mouth and closed it again, his stare bore into Dean, as though he was trying to see right through him. 'Sam's illness is a rare virus, it is unfortunately, prevalent to this particular area. Usually caused by an insect bite, he needs extreme drug therapy as well as a treatment I developed for this particular viral infection.'

'And what is that particular treatment?' Dean demanded taking a step closer to the doctor, he knew he wasn't towering tall like Sam but he still held his own and could be very intimidating when he wanted to be.

The doctor involuntarily stepped backwards keeping a space between himself and the volatile young man. 'It is a mix of drug and electro-therapy.'

'You mean you are shocking Sam? Sending electricity through his body? Just to make sure.'

'It is nothing as crass as that I can assure you Young Man, it is a controlled environment where minute pulses of electricity are passed through the infected area, it seems that the virus itself is resistant to most traditional forms of healing.'

'I see and you were going to tell me this when?'

'When I thought you needed to know, I'm sorry Mr Mitchell I know Sam is your brother but he is a consenting adult and he is able to understand the treatment he is receiving here.'

'Hey Doc, sorry I don't want to step on your toes, it's just that Sammy is the only family I have and ...'

'I understand perfectly, now if you will excuse me I do have other patients to see.'

'Yeah sure, hey thanks Doc once again sorry Sam is the tactful one, I tend to just bulldoze my way through things.'

The doctor regarded Dean with a thoughtful gaze before he nodded his head and left the room.

Dean turned back to see Sam staring at him with wide eyes, his face still too pale, the large black bruises under his eyes even more evident against the pallor his skin. 'Hey Sammy boy how you feeling?'

'Fine I guess, what was all that about?'

'Ah you know me, just a misunderstanding. Hey Sammy what did the Doc tell you about the treatment program?'

'Nothing really, he says he gives me a course of drugs and some sort of other therapy I don't really remember much about it.'

'Think Sammy ... it's important do you remember what the doctor did or said to you during these sessions?'

Sam rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand and rested his head back on the pillows, his headache started to thump hard against the back of his eyes, 'Dean – the lights man turn them off.'

'Okay Sammy, just relax.' Dean quickly lowered the lighting and drew the curtains around the bed, effectively shutting out a lot of the excess lighting from outside the room. 'Done you can open your eyes now Sammy.'

'Sam, Dean just say it Sam.' Sam blinked and stared up at his older brother, 'thanks.'

'No problemo Sam-mmy now what do you remember?'

'They take me to this room and the doc puts stuff in the drip and then it all goes weird, like having a vision without having one, or at least one that I can remember.' Sam said, he could feel the panic rise again, 'Dean I wanna get out of here.' He said suddenly.

'Doc said you have to stay here a while long Dude, just until ... just until we find out what is going on.'

'Okay you swap places with me and you stay here and get black junk injected into you!'

'Yeah right ... hang on did you say black junk?'

'Yeah that's what he puts into the drip, it hurts man.'

'Sam think, concentrate I know you can do it, what visions do you have during these so-called sessions.'

'Ah Dean, it hurts.' Sam squeezed his eyes shut and ground his hands into his temples disturbing the patches. Suddenly his head shot backwards, as his back arched in another seizure, blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth and his nose, then just as it started the convulsion finished.

'Sam! Fuck Sam, don't scare me like that.' Dean's face white with fright loomed over Sam in a blurry field filled in black patches and faceless shapes.

'Get away from me.' Sam hissed pushing at the invisible assailants, 'leave him alone.'

'Sam, Sammy hey it's me Dean.'

'Dean?'

'Yeah Dude don't do that to me.'

'They were going to hurt you, they did hurt you over and over and, and there was nothing I could ... ' Sam started babbling incoherently as he clutched Dean's shirt and pulled him closer. 'The visions I had were all of you being tortured or killed.' He sobbed against Dean's chest, 'there was nothing I could do.'

'Dude, look at me, that's it focus on me I'm right here!' Dean spoke in a quiet voice, as though he was soothing an upset child.

'You're alright?' Sam pulled away sniffing, swiping his eyes with the back of his hand, 'what's wrong with me Dean?'

'That Sammy is what I am gonna find out, there's something hookie about this doctor and hospital.'

'Isabelle is she?'

'She's fine, they wheeled her away a little while ago.'

'She's in danger Dean, I can feel it.'

'What kind of danger?'

'Something about ... Dean it hurts so much.' Sam cried out, as his eyes fluttered closed and he dropped back onto the pillow unconscious.

'Dude I promise I am going to find out what is going on here.'

'You and me both Dean.' A rough sounding voice came from behind Dean, turning around Dean stared at his father.

'Dad?' He whispered, 'you're here?'

'Sammy how is he?' John Winchester gave Dean a cursory hug and went straight to Sam's bedside, absently brushing a stray lock of hair from Sam's eyes.

'Dunno, there's something really weird going on here Dad.' Dean said sullenly, 'what you doing here Dad?'

'I got your message and wasn't far from here.' John turned his head to look at his eldest son, 'why?'

'Nothing.' Just that you never came when I was dying and here you are with Sam. 'Just glad to see you.' Dean finished.

'Who are you?' Grace asked as she drew back the curtains and stepped into the cubicle a small tray with a syringe on it in her hand.

'Oh this is our Dad, John Mitchell, Dad this is Grace one of Sammy's nurses.'

'Mr Mitchell,' Grace nodded curtly at the older man, 'I see the family resemblance but I thought you said that Sam was your only family Dean.'

'I have been estranged from my sons for a while Ma'am, when Dean rang to tell me about Sam I just had to come.'

'Yes, your son is very ill.' Grace said as she checked the monitors, making notes of the peaks on the printouts. 'Has he been agitated?'

'He wasn't too good earlier, had trouble with the lights.' Dean replied but he kept his gaze fixed on his father, 'he had a really bad headache as well.'

'I will tell the doctor, but it sounds like a simple reaction to the drug therapy.' Grace said dismissively.

'How long will he be out to it?' John asked as he watched the nurse inject the contents of the syringe directly into the bung of Sam's cannula instead of putting it in the portal on the bag. 'What are you giving him?'

'Just a mild sedative, Sam tends to get ahh aggravated during the therapy sessions, the doctor ordered something to help him relax.'

'Another treatment already?' Dean asked, 'he's already had one today.'

'The doctor feels that he needs to step up the protocol, that's all I know anything else and you will have to ask the doctor himself.'

'Thank you Nurse.' John said putting a warning hand on Dean's arm, 'I'm sure Sam's receiving the best of care.'

'Thank you Mr Mitchell, he is a very special young man that's for sure.' Grace nodded giving John a small smile, 'I'll leave you alone with your son the orderlies will be along in about half an hour to take him to the therapy lab.'

Dean waited until he heard the familiar hiss of the door closing before he turned to John, his eyes dark with anger and confusion, 'what's going on Dad, Sam doesn't need another one of those sessions.'

'What are you on about Dean? I think it's time that you filled me in on what's been happening.'

Just as Dean finished explaining to his father what had happened to Sam the orderlies wheeled Isabelle back into the room, then with a swift motion they opened the curtains and without acknowledging both Dean and John, they lifted Sam onto the now empty gurney and wheeled him away.

A soft moan came from the other bed, with a passing look at his father Dean hurried to Isabelle's side. She laid still against the white pillows, large bruises forming on her temples and neck looked dark and painful. Swallowing hard she managed a small smile and tried to hold Dean's hand but her numbed fingers slipped out of his grip.

'Belle?'

"They are moving up everything Dean, he wanted me to do ... things.' She managed to get out, large tears fell down her cheeks, 'Sam, where's Sam?'

'They just took him away.' Dean said trying to hide his anger and confusion, 'Belle do you have any idea on what they are up to?'

'Something to do with manipulation of the mind.' Isabelle shook her head and tried to gather her thoughts, 'they got me to heal someone who was dying Dean. I thought ... I thought that they were going to kill me.'

'Dean?' John said interrupting Isabelle, 'what are you doing chatting up a girl when Sam is so ...?'

'Dad this is Isabelle, she shares this room with Sam. They're using her just like Sam for some sort of experimentation. Both Sammy and Isabelle are psychic, he has visions and Belle here is a touch empath.'

'Wait a minute, what do you mean by that?'

'Sam has visions.'

'Yeah I know that.'

'Well Isabelle here is a touch empath, she heals people by touching them. I've watched her help Sam Dad, she's unbelievable.'

'What has that got to do with this hospital?'

'It seems that all of the patients on this ward at least have some sort of psychic ability Dad, they all got sick just like Sammy. Some have accidents when it hits others are brought in like Sam, nearly comatose.'

'Mr Mitchell, Sam is in danger here, it's too late for me but you have to help him.'

'What do you mean it's too late for you, nope Isabelle we're getting you out of here too.' Dean promised.

'No Dean, I'm dying there's nothing you or anyone else can do for me now.'

'Dying? No ... but I thought.'

'Each time they force me to heal it takes a little of my life-force usually I can control the situation and get time to rest and heal myself but.'

'They keep you hooked up to all of these machines and drugged so you can't get better?'

'Something like that, each time now takes a little more from my life. If I have to heal anymore so close to death it's going to kill me. Maybe that's what they want.'

'Do you know what they are doing to my son?' John asked breaking into their conversation.

'They are trying to manipulate Sam's visions.' Belle started to answer but then she started to gasp for air, her frail body bucked as a convulsion started, her muscles contorting her as she fought to control her own body once again.

'Belle.' Dean cried out, hating the helpless feeling that seemed to inhabit his body all of the time lately. 'Isabelle, come on fight it you can do this come back to me.'

TBC