Alternate Life or Real Life

Disclaimer: as per chapter 1

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sam laid back on the pillow and gasped for breath once again, his entire body shaking from the last so-called treatment. The doctor had been called out of the room giving Sam a few minutes alone, taking a heaving breath he tried to focus on the room, one wall was covered with computer screens and keyboards, the one directly in front of him had a large screen hanging in front of it, one usually used for watching slideshows on. Curious Sam strained his neck to keep looking around. To his left a bench caught his attention, on it was a row of vials, test tubes and a very sophisticated looking microscope. The monitors they had him connected to all seemed to stem from the microscope, a now familiar surge of panic started to rise in him. This was getting too weird.

'Where you gonna go Sammy?' A voice mocked him, the voice over the last few months was starting to become quite recognisable. 'Ah poor Sammy all tied up and no release.'

'Who are you, where are you?' Sam rasped straining to see where they voice was coming from. Laughter filled the air as he felt a tightening in his chest, it felt like someone had just jumped on him and started squeezing his ribs.

'What do you want?' Sam said as he fought to ignore the tightness. 'Why don't you show yourself and stop being such a coward.'

'Ah now where would the fun be in that?' The voice mocked, Sam felt fingers caress his cheek sending shivers down his spine.

'Leave me alone.' He ground out jerking his face away from the unseen touch.

The doctor strode in and stared down at Sam incredulously, 'I haven't done anything yet Sam.'

'Sorry Doc must have been dreaming.'

The doctor stared at his patient for a moment longer and then went to check the monitors connected to Sam, concentrating on the ones that had the patches attached to his temples. 'Tell me about your dream Sam.' The doctor said as he flicked another switch.

'Don't remember much about it ... why?'

'Oh just curious, your readout spiked showing increased levels of stress during the time I left the room and you had your – dream.'

'So Doc I'm feeling better how many more of these sessions do I have to do?'

'Ah a few yet Sam, remember you have been seriously ill, just because you are feeling a little better now doesn't mean that you are cured.'

'Yeah I know, but I don't think I need the restraints anymore, I mean I haven't tried to attack you lately have I?'

'No, no let me finish today's session and then we will see.' The doctor frowned down at Sam as he stared at him intently.

'What? What is it Doc?'

Silently the doctor went to the bench and picked up a pair of headphones, without another word to Sam he placed them on the younger man's head and then flipped the attached visor down effectively blinding Sam. 'Hey Doc what's going on?' Sam asked, panic sounding in his voice, he could feel the surge once again as a feeling of complete helplessness descended on him.

He felt a hand on his arm and flinched, the doctor still remained silent, and he had made sure that he had his patient completely deprived of all sensory perceptions, then he injected a thick black substance directly into Sam's arm, bypassing the IV drip.

A hoarse pain-filled scream erupted from Sam as the substance invaded his blood stream, coursing through him like liquid fire. His body convulsed uncontrollably straining against the cuffs trapping his wrists and ankles.

Tunelessly whistling the doctor ignored the obvious distress of his patient and went to type in new statistics into the computer while he waited for the serum to take effect, a few minutes later he turned back to the gurney, Sam had stopped thrashing and laid there so still, his only movement was the rise and fall of his chest.

Satisfied the doctor lifted the visor and flicked a narrow beam of light into Sam's eyes, and then he moved out of the way and lowered the lights in the room, 'very good Sam, now relax and let the vision come to you, let it fill your mind and show me what you see.' The doctor spoke in a low, monotoned voice as he watched Sam closely.

The vision came without warning, making Sam gasp and want to hold his aching head but he couldn't move. He could see his father lying in a pool of blood, a bullet hole in his chest, blood bubbling up from the hole but it was his eyes, they were open and staring unseeingly towards him, and were pools of black, devoid of any white or other colour.

The vision morphed and changed and he could see Dean suspended against a wall, invisible restraints on his arms held him in place, blood dripped from his chest where large rips in his skin appeared, his eyes open but again like their dad's were pools of black.

'Dean, Dean it's me Sam.' He cried out hoarsely but Dean either couldn't hear him or didn't want to acknowledge him, a low moan changed to focus of the dream, the images shimmered and started to fade as Sam's own strength started to fail.

Cursing under his breath the doctor injected another dose of the serum into Sam's arm ignoring the alarm beeping as the young man's heart rate rose to dangerous levels. 'Finish the vision Sam show me what you can do.'

The vision started to fragment, he kept seeing his father and brother hurt and bleeding both with black eyes, and then he saw Isabelle huddled against a wall, dirty and dishevelled she cringed and pressed hard against the wall, weeping. She turned her face to Sam, as her eyes bled to black orbs.

Another alarm sounded, Sam's heart had stopped, grabbing the defib paddles the doctor ripped open the sterile gown and placed them on Sam's chest, sending an electrical shock to start his heart again through the patches. He would have to make sure that he steps up the experiment protocols quickly, as this was the second time he had to resuscitate this patient with the defibrillator. The serum unfortunately has serious side effects but the risks were worth it. The detectors worked sufficiently to attract and bring in the ones needed, the young ones with gifts. Gifts that, generally are, wasted on them; now the doctor with the aid of his mysterious benefactor is able to use them.

'So doctor how is our young protégé?' A deep masculine voice came from the doorway, turning the doctor stared up at the face of his benefactor.

'Mr Grayson, how wonderful to see you. Yes our young Mr Winchester is indeed proving to be the best subject we have.'

'Ah, and no one knows that you are aware of his true name and identity?'

'No, as far as the ones here at the hospital and his family are aware his is still Sam Mitchell.'

'Very good Doctor, you have no worry about funding, it is imperative that we discover exactly what makes these young people different and how their abilities work. I expect nothing but excellent results.'

'I am going to need more serum Mr Grayson, if that is not a problem. It seems that young Sam here in particular is starting to build a resistance to the effects of it.'

Mr Grayson stared dispassionately down at Sam's pale face, he noticed the bruises covering each temple under the patches and the dark ones forming on his chest. He blinked and for a moment a black shadow flooded his eyes and then they appeared normal again, a soft dark brown and bright. He smiled and turned his attention back to the doctor, 'you said his family, but I thought that it was only his brother with him.'

'No not now, apparently his father is now here as well.'

'His father? John Winchester is here in the hospital?' Grayson's eyes grew slightly darker for a second and then he blinked, making it look like a trick of the light.

'Is that a problem Mr Grayson?'

'No, no I just like to know who we are dealing with, it took a great deal of effort for us to obtain our young subject I would hate to have any interference by his father during the sessions.'

'I can separate them from Sam for a short time,' the doctor said hopefully, 'medically speaking.'

'Which is?'

'Sam has had to be revived twice with the defib, his heart is showing signs of definite weakening which makes him susceptive to infections, I can have him placed in an isolation unit until we are finished with him.'

'Won't his family become suspicious?'

'If we allow them short visits once a day, that will keep them happy, I can have young Mr Winchester here heavily sedated during their visits, so he doesn't inadvertently make them aware of what we are planning.'

'Excellent Doctor, I shall make sure that you receive another shipment of the serum, now how is our other star performer going?'

'Isabelle is starting to fight the sessions and refuse to heal but that passes, I am going to try a new sedative on her which may calm her enough to do what we require without making her comatose.'

'Very good Doctor, very good indeed.' Grayson smiled and clapped the doctor on his shoulder, 'now I must be going.'

'Let me walk you out Mr Grayson, Sam here won't be going anywhere.'

As the door hissed shut, Sam blinked and opened his eyes slowly, he swallowed hard and desperately tried to think of a way of warning his dad and Dean, but most of all how to let Isabelle know what was being planned.

Isabelle, please I hope you can hear me. It's Sam, you're in danger, trap it's all a trap. Sam kept the same thought running through his mind as he reached out to his room mate.

A sharp needle jab made Sam jump and break his concentration, frowning he stared up at the doctor who stood over him menacingly waving the empty syringe in front of his eyes.

'Oh I do hope you weren't trying anything stupid Sam, that would be a big mistake.'

'What, why are you doing this?'

'The future Sam, the future of the human race, we need to know exactly what kind of threat people like you pose to the rest of humanity or if your powers can be harnessed for the greater good.' The doctor said, his eyes shining with fervour as he thought of the accolades his research will garner.

TBC