Coma

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Supernatural, and I'm not making any money from this fic. Any characters you don't recognise from the show, I probably own. Also, the plot of this fic belongs to me, I guess.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this so far – it's so nice to have each one come through into my inbox . I hope people like the newest chapter of this. And, yeah, I'm getting this done before I go on holiday – but then it's not going to get updated for at least two weeks. Sorry!

Warning(s): Possible ooc:ness; possible mistakes in the canon; some violence; spoilers up until Asylum; some swearing; some things that could probably be seen as quite disgusting

Brief recap of previous chapter: Sam opened the note Jody gave him, and it revealed the names of two people who she told him to look up – Allyson Wilcox and James Myers. Dean's doctor also made the suggestion that Sam could stay with his niece – who just so happened to be Jody the volunteer.
Meanwhile, Dean was 'attacked' by Amber's puppy – a Springer spaniel by the name of Brownie. After Sam took the puppy away, Dean went down the stairs, and saw Jessica at the bottom. But something doesn't seem right…

As he walked into the library, Sam was hit in the face by a musty smell, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Old building, clearly. They're usually the ones with this kind of smell. Either that, or it hadn't been cleaned at all.

So… I'm looking for Allyson Wilcox and Jason Myers, Sam thought. Pity that I don't have any idea of a time frame. He decided that he was just going to have a look online at any newspaper reports that he could find on those names. That was probably his best bet – Jody had said that there were others, but those two were the most known.

The question remains – what were they well known for

It didn't take long for Sam to find out where the computers were, and he didn't even have to ask one of the librarians. They were situated in one of the far corners of the library, and, a little to the younger Winchester's surprise – and relief – they were unoccupied.

Sam walked as quickly as he dared over to the computers, and sat down at one of the desks. Signing in was simple enough – all he had to do was type GUEST and PASSWORD into the relevant boxes. After that, it was a simple matter to draw up the Internet search page.

In the box, Sam typed in 'Allyson Wilcox, Rockford, Illinois', and then clicked on the News page.

The search brought up just the one hit, and Sam noticed that one of the key words that had been picked out was 'Rockford Hospital'. But… Dean's there, and Jody works in the hospital… It doesn't make any sense. Sam was getting a seriously bad feeling about this – and he was pretty sure that it didn't come only from his newly discovered psychic abilities.

Well… No sense in putting this off any longer, Sam thought, hoping that he wasn't about to read something that would tell him that his brother was in danger. If he had to get his brother out of the hospital and out of the town, he had no idea of what was the best way of moving someone who was in a coma.

Sam clicked on the article, and read it through:

Young Woman Dies in Hospital
24-year-old Allyson Wilcox, who slipped into a coma after being involved in a car accident, died at 3.40am after having woken up from the coma the evening before.
The doctors claim that there was little they could do – her brain must have suffered some unforeseen damage while the young woman had been in a coma.
Police are treating this death as an accident. Statements from the family have yet to be given.

Sam frowned a little, wondering at the article. The young woman's death seemed tragic, sure, but from the words written, it just seemed like it was an accident – an unfortunate one, but still an accident.

Then again… surely the family wouldn't have wanted all of their details splashed over the news? And why is there only the one article on it? Sam frowned, and re-read the article, trying to 'hear' the voice of the reporter – Melissa Williams – in his mind. There was something about the line about brain damage…

It has an almost sarcastic tone to it… As if the reporter doesn't believe what the doctors said…

Sam couldn't know anything for sure, though. Despite his urge to run to the hospital, grab Jody by the shoulders, and shake her until she told him everything she knew, he instead typed in the second name he had been given.

Once again, there was only one hit for Jason Myers. It was also written by Melissa Williams, and Sam clicked on it without a moment's hesitation.

Tragedy Strikes Again in Rockford Hospital
38-year-old Jason Myers – a man reportedly in extremely good health until getting shot in the chest during a robbery – died after waking up from a coma in circumstances similar to Allyson Wilcox.
The police are not treating the death as suspicious. Jason Myers leaves behind a wife and three children.

Sam didn't miss the obvious reference to the previous victim, and he figured that had been the reporter's intention. Melissa Williams clearly saw something suspicious linking the two deaths together, and the younger Winchester wondered if she had written articles on the others Jody had talked about in her note.

This could mean that Dean's in danger… Sam thought, starting to reach for his cell phone, and then hesitated.

No… Dean and I are bonded close together. I'd feel it if something happened to him. Sam was absolutely certain of this.

Still, that didn't mean that Dean wouldn't be in danger at all – but Allyson Wilcox and Jason Myers had died after waking up from a coma, so, more than likely, Dean wouldn't be in any danger until he woke up from the coma.

I wonder what connects these people together, if anything… The logical thing to do would be to try and make contact with Melissa Williams – but if something really had gone on, then she probably would have gone into hiding or something. Trouble is, I can't tell what she might know or might not know just from the wording of her article.

It seemed to be another thing that Sam was going to have to ask Jody about. He didn't really like all of these questions he had. There were too many of them, and not enough answers. He was not going to leave his brother in danger. Dean would do exactly the same for him. It's my turn to look after Dean, to be the big brother. Sam's older brother had always looked out for and protected him.

He probably won't ever trust me again after I shot him… Sam thought unhappily. He wouldn't blame Dean for it, of course, but there was no way he'd be able to apologise until Dean woke up. And he had to ensure that nothing would happen to his brother if – no, when – Dean woke up.

I wonder if Melissa Williams wrote any other articles, or features in any other articles…

Sam glanced quickly at the time, and then typed the reporter's name into the search box, biting his lip and frowning in concentration.

There was a whole list of articles that came up after Sam pressed Enter, and most of them didn't look to be of any relevance for what the younger Winchester was looking for. However, one of the very last articles mentioned something about a car crash – and Sam had the feeling of déjà vu that he had had before.

Not quite as strong as with his dreams about Jessica, but still…

Sam pushed the thoughts of his former girlfriend out of his mind, and clicked on the article, reading it with a gradually growing feeling of unease.

Reporter Dead in Car Accident
Melissa Williams, reporter for The Sky news, was found at the bottom of a cliff in her car. According to the inquest, she was speeding over the path, and crashed through the safety railing. It is possible that she left a party drunk.
Melissa Williams leaves behind her parents and her younger sister.

Well… That's unhelpful, Sam thought with a frown. And rather helpful for the hospital, I must say – especially if she was planning on exposing the hospital or anything like that.

Of course, Sam had no idea of what had been going on during that time. For all he knew, it could have been an accident… But, for some reason, he didn't think so. It all seemed to be so… convenient. Melissa had apparently suspected something that there was something suspicious involved in the two coma victims dying, and had then been killed in a car accident. A glance at the dates revealed that it had been two weeks after the writing of the article on James Myers.

It's possible that the brakes on her car may have failed or even been cut… But then, that means that there must have been some kind of cover-up, because why else would it be reported that she was drink driving?

In reality, of course, Sam had no idea of anything that might have gone on. All he could do was look at the evidence in front of him, collect as much more as he could, and then make up his own mind.

It said that Melissa left behind some family… I wonder if Jody or someone she knows might know how to get in contact with them.

Frowning a little, Sam stared at the screen in front of him for a long moment, and then took a notepad and a pencil out of his bag to start scribbling down some of what he had found out. I told Dean that carrying a notebook around with me was a good idea.

Sam bit his lip slightly as he wrote, unable to stop his thoughts from turning to his brother lying still and weak in the hospital bed. He really wished that his Dad was there… Hell, he would be happy to have Missouri around as well. Anything, so long as he didn't have to go through this on his own.

Then again, Dad will probably get furious at me for being too weak to fight off the spirit… And I wouldn't blame him if he did. Sam blamed himself for not being able to fight off Ellicott. He knew full well that, had their situations been reversed, Dean would never have pulled the trigger on him.

But he's always been the stronger one… And I abandoned him.

It hadn't been Sam's intention to abandon either his father or his brother when he'd left to go to Stanford, but he knew that his father at least had seen it that way.

If you walk out of that door, don't bother coming back!

His father's words still rang inside Sam's mind. Would John Winchester ignore any messages from his youngest son based on that principle alone? Dean had come to find his younger brother after their father had left without a word – but had John Winchester guessed that the brothers would team up again in an attempt to find him?

It occurred to Sam that his older brother had spent a lot of time between him and their dad, trying to stop the two from fighting. It must have been hard for him… Both Dad and I wanted him on our side, and we got mad when he refused to join one of us against the other. Just another example of how Dean had been unappreciated by both his father and his younger brother.

I wonder if Dean takes after our Mom at all…

Sam was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He gave a sheepish smile towards the librarian glaring at him, and answered the phone. "Hello, Sam speaking?" he whispered – not saying his surname just in case it was one of the many people he and Dean had given fake names to.

"Hello, this is Jody," came the hushed feminine voice at the other end of the phone.

Sam frowned slightly. I know why I'm talking in a quiet tone, but why is she doing that? Unless she didn't want to be overheard, of course… In any case, the younger Winchester said, "Oh… Hello. Is there any news of my brother?" After reading about the cases, Sam had rather mixed feelings about there being any change in Dean's condition. If there was a chance that his brother might die anyway, Sam would much prefer for him to remain in the coma until it was safe.

But I also want my brother to be awake… and well…

"No, I'm sorry," Jody replied, keeping her voice just as quiet as before. "There's been no change. My uncle said that he mentioned to you about you possibly staying at my apartment… with a… friend?" From the slight questioning tone to her voice, she seemed to be a little unsure about exactly what had been said.

"Yeah…" Sam said, a little shortly. Then, "Tell me about Melissa Williams." He logged off the computer, put his notepad away, and started walking over towards the door of the library.

"Well…" There was a moment's silence, and then the sound of a door being closed. "I can't talk here. If you want, I can come pick you up from the library, and we can talk about it then."

Does her uncle always tell her the whereabouts of patients' relatives?

"How convenient…" Sam commented, as he stepped outside the door, and leaned back against the wall. "What's going to happen? Another car accident?" He purposely didn't mention anything about which one of them the car accident might kill – if it was some kind of cover-up, then it would be killing two birds with one stone.

Well, two people with one car…

"I really can't say anything here on the phone!" Jody hissed. "I'm risking a lot by saying what I am right now – my life could be in very real danger!"

"And what about the others – like my brother?" Sam demanded. "Their lives are in very real danger! I know you're scared," he continued, gentling his tone somewhat as he realised that shouting probably wasn't going to get through to the young woman. "But I could really use your help. Please."

"I can't talk here," Jody repeated softly. "But, as I said, I'm happy to come pick you up at the library…"

"No, it's all right," Sam said. "If you just give me directions to your apartment, I'll drive my brother's car there." Dean will probably kill me for driving his precious car – without permission – when he wakes up – but oh well. He'll just have to live with it.

Dean stared with wide eyes as he found himself face-to-face with a grinning skull. Stringy blonde hair stuck out from side to side, and worms, beetles, and other creepy-crawlies were crawling in and out of the eye sockets.

The older Winchester brother had definitely seen a lot in his time, and a grinning skull really wasn't the worst he had seen, but it was out of place in this apartment building. I have got to get hold of a gun I can load with rock salt! Dean took a slight step back, raising his hands in an attempt to ward off this gruesome apparition. Even some ordinary household salt would be welcome right now.

As Dean backed up, the skull disappeared, to be replaced by a young woman with short blonde hair that he couldn't remember seeing before.

The woman laughed, a high, clear sound, at the look on his face. "Do you like my game, Dean Winchester?" she asked in an accented voice. "It's called Illusion." She regarded him with a smile that could have been described as flirtatious under any other circumstances. "What's the matter? Oh, did I finally manage to shock the great Dean Winchester into speechlessness?" She smirked.

"Who are you!" Dean demanded, making sure to keep well out of the thing's – whatever she was – reach.

"My name's Meg," the woman replied, as if that should explain everything. "You weren't supposed to be brought here until much later on, but you're here now – so I'll just have to make sure and get on with what my plans are." She smiled again, before continuing, "In case you're wondering why I'm telling you this – well, it doesn't matter what you know or don't know. You won't be able to stop it anyway, and even if you do, it'll be too late."

"What are you talking about!" Dean snapped. "Where's Sam! What have you done to him!"

"Dean?" Dean abruptly felt a soft touch on his shoulder, and his eyes flew open.

Huh? My eyes were already open…

The strange woman had gone, and Amber was standing in her place, a rather worried look on her face. "What's wrong, Dean?" she asked, frowning a little. "You looked like you were asleep on your feet or something…"

Dean just stared at her, trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. Had that vision been real…? He could do without being a psychic – that was Sam's job. Amber's standing in front of me… Is this something to do with her Dean had no idea how to find out for sure, though he supposed he could do something that might give him some kind of idea. Salt might be the best option…

Dean attempted what he hoped was a calming smile with a hint of flirting in it – something that caught women's attention like a charm. "Oh, I'm fine," he replied, making sure that his face was schooled into an innocently curious expression. "Hey, you think you can do me a favour?"

"Um, sure," Amber said, blinking a bit. "What is it?"

"Could you get me some salt from the kitchen, please?" Dean requested, giving her another smile.

Amber looked confused. "What do you need salt for?" she asked. "We're just going to the hospital…"

I'm pretty sure I don't need the hospital, Dean thought. But then… Sam and the others think that there's something wrong with me, and they'll probably get kind of suspicious if I don't think like that… Not to mention there was the whole thing with Meg – if she was real, then he was going to have to be careful here.

Even more careful than I was going to be…

"Oh, I was going to suggest going for fish and chips after we'd been to the hospital," Dean answered, his tone falsely bright. "And, well, the salt in most food places tastes funny." Give me a break – this is the best lie I can come up with.

Amber looked like she was wondering just how hard Dean had supposedly hit his head. "Salt tastes exactly the same wherever you get it from…" she said slowly.

Dean shrugged. "Ask my brother if you don't believe me," he replied, while at the same time hoping that Amber would do no such thing. Then again, just the offer should be enough to make the young woman believe him.

"Um… All right…" Amber turned, and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

She doesn't seem scared or nervous… At least not yet, the older Winchester brother thought. After all, salt could hardly be that threatening in its container, could it? Then again, I'm not planning to just leave it in there…

A few moments later, Amber came back with a container of salt, which she handed to Dean. "Here," she said. "Be careful you don't spill it or something." With that, she turned to leave the house.

"Thanks." Dean followed Amber, and, as he did so, allowed his foot to catch on the carpet. As he fell forward, some of the salt from the container sprinkled over the young woman's hair and neck.

Amber immediately turned. "Hey…" She brushed the specks – which actually looked like dandruff – out of her hair. "What was that for?"

"Sorry, I slipped," Dean responded, giving Amber his puppy-dog-eyes look and an innocent smile. "Here, let me help." He moved over to brush some of the specks off her shoulders and head, at the same time taking the opportunity to take a good look at her expression for any sign of discomfort.

The salt doesn't seem to be affecting her in any way, which means that either she's an ordinary human – or she's some kind of supernatural creature that isn't bothered by salt.

Dean kind of preferred the first possibility…

"Thanks," Amber said with a soft sigh. "I'm sure salt can't be good for my hair." Once again, she turned to leave the house.

Dean followed her slowly outside. Maybe I ought to make the effort to get to know her a little better… he thought. Out loud, he questioned, "So… Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Not the best opening question – but it was the only question he could think of.

"I did have one," Amber replied as she led the way out of the apartment and over to the car. "An older sister. Her name was Melissa – she was a reporter."

"What happened to her?" Dean realised that it might be a painful question to ask – but there wasn't any sound of obvious grief in Amber's voice. Possibly, she had already recovered from her sister's death. But can you ever truly let go of someone who died? After all, his and Sam's Dad was still affected by the thing that had killed their Mom – he was still looking for it.

At least, in the real world he is…

"She died in a car accident," Amber answered, still without turning round. "Drove her car off a cliff. The official cause was that she was driving after she'd been drinking, and her reaction times were slow."

"I'm sorry," Dean said, a little awkwardly.

Amber shrugged, and got into the back of the car, next to Jessica.

My Chevy Impala… Dean thought, getting into the driver's seat. Sweet. At least this hasn't changed.

"So… Where were you?" Sam asked his brother, narrowing his eyes a little. "You certainly took a lot longer than necessary."

"Hey, you think it's easy to look this good?" Dean responded with a smirk, tucking the salt safely away. "I had to take a little while to get myself ready." He almost added, for all the hot nurses, but figured that Amber probably wouldn't appreciate that. In any case, he wasn't going to admit the whole thing that had happened with that Meg chick. I don't really want to prove the whole insanity theory.

Dean put the car into gear, and then turned round to look at the two women in the back. "You all right?"

Amber, who was staring out of the window, merely nodded, while Jessica smiled at him. "We're fine."

Dean nodded, and started the car, but not before he could swear that he heard Meg's voice whisper inside his mind, It's only just beginning…