Coma
Chapter Thirteen
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Supernatural, and I'm not making any money from this fic. Any character you don't recognise from the show, I probably own. Anything you recognise from another fandom, I don't own.
Warning(s): Violence; some swearing; some rather 'dark' moments.
Once again, thank you to everyone who's reviewed this fic – and also to everyone who's read it, even if they haven't reviewed. (When I realised I had over 10,000 hits, I just sat there in complete amazement…)
Brief recap of previous chapter: Amber got bitten by the vampire, and something seemed to get ripped out of her. After the vampire fled, it went back to Meg, who had a vial of black elixir with her.
Meanwhile, Sam went to the airport to pick up Missouri, and also found Amber Williams (the one from the real world) there.
Sam unlocked the Chevy Impala and opened the boot. Then, he picked up the suitcase again and put it in. This was quickly followed by the holdall. I wonder what sort of things there are in here…
"You can get in," Sam said to the women, even as he tried to work out just what he was going to do with both Missouri and Amber. Jody had seemed happy enough to have Missouri staying at her apartment. However, she probably wouldn't want another person staying there – even if that someone was the sister of her dead friend.
Missouri got in the passenger side, and Amber automatically sat in the backseat. For a moment, Sam looked through the selection of cassette tapes. But there weren't any that he really liked the look of – besides; he didn't feel like having any music on.
Missouri put a hand comfortingly on Sam's shoulder. "Your brother will be fine, I'm sure," she attempted to reassure him. "Dean's spirit is strong."
Sam said nothing, merely nodded, and put the car into gear. He glanced briefly back over his shoulder, and then started backing out of the space. I know that Missouri's trying to make me feel better, and I'm grateful – but it's not exactly working. I feel terrible… And, of course, as well as feeling guilty, Sam felt so tired…
"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be driving like this?" Missouri asked, breaking into Sam's thoughts. "I'm sure we won't mind if you want to pull over and get some sleep. Right, honey?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Amber.
Amber shrugged slightly, and turned her head slightly to stare out of the window, fidgeting with her hands a little.
"I have a slight problem with sleeping at the moment…" Sam admitted. He then allowed his mind to focus on images of the Vereor demon and of the dream forest. He knew that Missouri would be able to pick up on what he was thinking. Besides… I don't know how much Amber might know about her sister's work. It's probable that she doesn't know anything about demons or other supernatural things.
Missouri immediately gave a concerned frown. "So that's why you've been so confused. But why would the demon have done that?"
"Aren't you a psychic?" Sam asked.
"I told you before. I can't pick facts out of the air. I can only see what goes through your mind."
Why is Missouri talking so freely around Amber? Sam wondered. I guess that she knows something about the woman – but still, it's rather strange. He glanced briefly over his shoulder at Amber as he pulled out onto the motorway. The woman was staring out of the window, but Sam had the feeling that she wasn't focused on the scenery. She looked almost like she was listening to something – or someone.
"Don't worry," Missouri said to Sam. "She isn't paying attention to our conversation right now."
"What's with her?" Sam turned his attention back to the road, giving a slight frown. Something about Amber struck him as kind of… off.
Missouri shrugged. "Grief is what's with her. It's causing her to do something that really isn't good for her."
Talk in riddles really isn't helpful, Sam thought. But it probably wasn't any of his business anyway. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. "If you can't pick facts out of the air, then how did you know about Dean?" He had been wondering about that on and off – and now, he had the chance to ask.
"Sometimes, something will be revealed to me," Missouri explained. "It's not something that I can choose when it happens – or even how the information comes to me."
"Right…" To be honest, though, Sam didn't really understand what Missouri was talking about. Maybe it works differently for different people… So far, Sam had just been having dreams – well, there was the whole ghost business. But most people would be able to see one of those if they opened their eyes. I suppose the fact that I got possessed by Doctor Ellicott counts for something as well…
Of course, thinking about the doctor also caused Sam to think about what he'd done while possessed by the spirit. His brother was in a coma – and it was all because Sam hadn't been able to resist the possession.
Feeling guilty about it isn't going to serve any purpose, though. Not until Dean wakes up… But that seemed to be less and less likely.
They all stayed quiet as Sam continued to drive along the motorway. He was feeling just so tired. Surely it couldn't hurt to close his eyes just for one moment? It felt like something was calling him – coaxing him into sleep.
Sam clenched his hands on the steering wheel. I need to remember what I found out about the Vereor demon. Its tentacles being extremely sensitive isn't exactly helpful… And I should probably work on trying to get Dean better before I sort out what's going on with me.
"You won't be of much help to your brother if you're incapacitated."
Huh? Sam glanced at Missouri, but the psychic was looking out of the window, and showing no sign that she'd said anything at all. But Missouri's the only one I know with psychic ability…
What about spirits, though?
Sam raised his eyes to look in the mirror so that he could see the backseat. Amber was sitting next to the window, still staring out at the scenery.
But, just for a moment, Sam caught a glimpse of someone sitting close next to her…
The ringing of the phone startled Jody from her work, and she just sat up for a moment, her heart pounding. It took her a few moments to realise what the sound was, and she quickly grabbed the handset and put it to her ear. "Hello!"
"Hey, you sound jumpy," Sam said on the other end of the phone. "Am I interrupting anything?"
Jody sighed, feeling a little relieved. "I just wasn't expecting you to call this quickly," she answered, then found her attention drawn to the clock on the wall. "Eh… It's later than I thought. Where are you?"
"Stopped off to pick up some pizza. Hey, listen. I picked up my friend all right – but there was someone else at the airport as well. Amber Williams. Do you know of any good motels near you that I could drop her off at?"
"Um…" Jody fell silent a moment, biting her lip slightly, considering it. Finally, she answered, "Well… You can bring her here, if you want. There's probably just about enough room – but it'll be a really tight squeeze." As she talked, Jody's eyes moved to the article she had up on her computer screen.
"Hm… Well, if you're sure. I don't want to put you out or anything."
"It's no problem. I have a spare room, and I don't mind sleeping on the floor. Besides, I could use the company…" Jody's voice trailed off, as she refused to admit – out loud, at least – just how frightened she was. Even then, it was difficult to keep the slight tremor out of her voice.
Sam was silent for a moment, then, "Well… I'll be back soon. Did you manage to find out anything?"
"Not much…" Jody kept her gaze on the computer screen, though. "I think you're right – I really shouldn't have gone into the hospital today. It felt really weird…"
"Mind telling my brother that?" Someone spoke in the background, and then Sam said, "I've got to go now. The pizzas are ready. Like I said – I'll be back soon. Make sure you don't open the door to anyone else."
"I won't. Bye." Jody disconnected the call, and then bit her lower lip, fidgeting slightly with her hands.
Making her decision, Jody closed down the article… and then deleted the file. For a moment, she just sat there staring at the screen – then, she picked up her mug of coffee, and took a few sips.
I should really have an early night… Or at least an afternoon nap. I'm so tired… Caffeine had been her friend ever since she and Melissa had first met. She had gone through several methods of keeping her energy up, and all of them had eventually ended up failing.
Which only went to show just how long Jody had been doing this for…
Jody sighed lightly, and set the mug down on the far side of the computer. She was pretty sure that she wasn't going to find anything more than she already had. And even that's precious little…
Jody picked up her mug again, and drained the last of the coffee in one gulp. She then stood up, and carried the empty mug to the door and down the stairs. She then headed into the kitchen, and ran some water into the bowl so that she could do the small amount of washing up next to the sink.
Jody poured a small amount of washing-up liquid into the bowl, and swirled her finger around in the water to generate some bubbles. She then rinsed through the plates and cups next to the sink, and put them on the draining board. After tipping the water down the sink, she dried up the items, and put them away.
When Sam comes back, I will probably go to bed and have a nap – well, maybe after I have something to eat.
Jody found her mind turning to the thought of Melissa's younger sister – Amber. They hadn't really properly met each other – Jody had seen her at the funeral, and murmured how sorry she was for her sister's death, but that had been about it. Well, apart from exchanging numbers with the other woman in case either needed or wanted to get in touch with the other.
She seemed quite… strange then, though. Almost distant, like her attention was on something else. It was really creepy…
Jody was startled from her thoughts by the doorbell ringing. She jerked slightly, and then sighed. Sometimes I really miss the days where I didn't jump at every sudden sound… Of course, she no longer had that kind of innocence.
Jody hung up the tea towel she was still holding, and then walked out of the kitchen and to the front door. She peered through the little peephole to see Sam standing outside, a black woman next to him, and Amber hanging back behind them. Sam also appeared to be holding some pizza boxes, balanced precariously on one hand.
Thank goodness… Jody opened the front door. "Please come in." She stepped back out of the way.
"Hey." Sam smiled warmly as he stepped through, closely followed by the other woman and Amber. Sam passed the pizza boxes to Jody, and then turned to push the front door closed. "I wouldn't think they need to be heated up."
"Oh, ok." Jody glanced between Amber and the other woman. "Um, hello… My name's Jody." That was more for the benefit of Sam's friend – but she also wasn't sure if Amber remembered her or not. Melissa's sister was staring blankly around with no hint of recognition on her face.
"I'm Missouri." The black woman smiled at Jody, and reached to gently clasp her hand.
Jody blinked, feeling a little uncomfortable. Missouri's gaze was very direct, and Jody had the feeling that the woman was seeing right into her soul. After a moment, she had to look away. "Er… I have to… go and get plates and drinks and things…" She turned to walk quickly into the kitchen, saying back over her shoulder, "You can go sit in the living room, if you want." Not that there's anywhere else they could sit…
"You all right?"
Jody glanced up from where she was getting the plates out of the cupboard. "Huh? I'm fine. What sort of things does your friend drink?"
"I'm sure she'd be happy with anything." Sam moved to get the glasses down. "We probably all need a drink right now… Did you find anything?"
"No, not really." Jody avoided looking directly at Sam, though, and instead busied herself with setting the pizza slices out on the plates. "What about you? Did you manage to find anything out from Amber?"
"Depends on what you mean," Sam answered, sighing a little. "I'll tell you later," he promised, even as he grabbed the glasses and a bottle of wine.
Dean hovered next to Amber's bed, glancing down periodically at the young woman. The wound in her neck had all but healed over, but there seemed to be something else wrong as well. He was reluctant to leave, even though he was eager to find a way of getting back to his own world.
But it really looks as if I'm going to have to wait until we can get to Kansas and I can talk to Missouri. I just hope that she's still around there.
Dean also couldn't deny that he was worried about Sam. He was pretty sure that, back in his world, his brother was eaten up with guilt about what had happened. He'd just better not do anything stupid.
"Where's my boyfriend?" Amber asked suddenly, pulling Dean from his thoughts. "You're not him… So where is he?" Her tone was distinctly unfriendly.
Dean shook his head slightly, wondering how best to explain. Ghosts and vampires were one thing – the idea of parallel worlds was something completely different. "I think that he swapped places with me," he said finally. Huh… I wonder if there's a parallel world for every choice a person makes, even the little ones. That thought was almost scary.
"So, what? Anyone could enter your world?" Amber frowned.
Dean's mind went to the letters he'd found. Other-Dean had left them in the bed – where Amber would have been certain to find them. But I don't know how she'd react if I told her that her boyfriend was so unhappy, he tried to kill himself. "Well… I sort of got shot." Yeah, that's explaining a lot.
"Who shot you?" Amber was staring at him, and Dean really didn't like the look in her eyes.
It can't have just been the vampire bite – unless she's been in shock and is just starting to freak out… "I'm not going to say who it was," Dean replied out loud. "It's not like it was their fault anyway." Which was the truth – he didn't blame Sam at all.
But if I'm going to end up stuck here forever, he'd better take good care of my car.
Amber folded her arms. "People get shot a lot. I'm sure that all of them don't end up here."
Apparently, she hasn't yet caught onto the fact that there are hundreds of parallel worlds out there. Good; I want to keep it that way. Dean then sighed, realising that Amber wasn't going to stop fishing for information until she was completely satisfied. What's wrong with me? Usually, I'm fine with lying my ass off – hell, I even enjoy it.
"Well?" Amber demanded, when Dean didn't answer.
"You're not going to like it," Dean warned. When Amber still stared at him, he continued, "This is only a theory – but when I was up here yesterday, I found these… letters. What I think happened was that your boyfriend tried to – well, kill himself – at the same time as I got shot." There was no easy way to say something like that. What else can I say? That I'm sorry? I am… But it doesn't seem to be enough.
Amber just stared at him for a long moment. Then, she shook her head. "No," she stated. "You're… you're crazy. He'd never have tried to kill himself! He wouldn't do that!"
Well, I didn't expect her to take this well… "Look, I'm sorry. I don't want to be here, taking your boyfriend's place. I'm pretty sure these worlds were never meant to collide. But they have, and now I need to go back – and you need to get your Dean back." Maybe, once we change places again, she'll be able to give him a reason to want to live…
Amber ducked her head a little. Dean stayed where he was, feeling awkward and rather out of place. "Look, you could always help me," he suggested. "Then, you'll get your boyfriend as well." What exactly can I call him? 'Your boyfriend' will eventually get a bit long-winded, and it'll be too confusing to call him Dean…
Finally, Amber lifted her head, and Dean had to take a step back as he saw that her eyes were completely black. What? No way!
"Cristo," he said, unable to help himself, and watched as Amber actually flinched. His eyes went to the salt shaker he had left on the table. Moving before the woman could react, he grabbed it, and swiftly shook a circle of salt around the bed. It was more an automatic reaction, and he was hoping that it would be enough to hold her there for a time.
Amber screamed with rage, and held her hands up as if they were claws. She stayed on the bed, but hissed violently at Dean.
"The only thing missing here is a forked tongue," Dean muttered. He then hurried out of the room, still carrying the salt shaker, and slammed the door shut behind him.
Ok… So, possession. Not good. Now I have to perform an exorcism, on top of everything else. When is my life going to get less complicated?
As he headed down the stairs, Dean paused, and frowned as he heard voices coming from the living room. He concentrated on the sounds, and was torn between relief and annoyance when he realised that the voices belonged to Sam and Jessica. How am I going to explain what happened? Well, he shouldn't find it that difficult. After all, he had plenty of practice at making up stories.
Dean continued walking down the stairs, and headed into the living room. "Hey," he greeted Sam and Jessica. "What's up?"
"Dude, what happened?" Sam gestured towards the broken window. "We got here, and the window's smashed. Is anyone hurt? I noticed some blood on a bit of glass." Different version of Sam didn't mean that brotherly emotion wasn't there at all.
"Someone threw a rock or something at the window," Dean answered. "Probably one of your 'wilder' friends. Some of the glass caught Amber's neck – but I treated it. She's fine." Well, apart from being possessed and all. But other than that, she's just peachy.
"Did you take her to the hospital?" Jessica asked, looking worried. "And did you report the incident?"
"Of course I reported it," Dean said. "And I didn't think it was worth taking Amber to the hospital – like I said, the wound wasn't too serious. So… about going to Kansas?" He was eager to change the subject to something that might help him get back to his world – for now; there wasn't anything he could do for Amber.
Where am I gonna find the materials I need to perform an exorcism?
Jessica gave a slight frown, looking like she thought that maybe Dean was being a little insensitive.
"Yeah… I guess we're on for it tomorrow," Sam said. "We can only stay for the weekend, though. Mom and Dad will probably be happy to see us all again…"
"Yeah." Oh, great, Dean thought. I should have thought about having to take Amber with me… So, either I need to get an exorcism done before tomorrow, or I need to talk Sam into leaving the girls here – which I can't do, because then something might happen to Jessica. Again. And then this Sam will really hate me.
"I think maybe I should go up and see if Amber's all right." Jessica started to head towards the living room door.
"Oh, no, bad idea." Dean quickly moved to block Jessica's way. "Um… She's resting at the moment. It's probably not a good idea to go in to see her. In fact, I was just about to go back up to her." I need to make sure she won't be able to hurt anyone while she's like this.
Jessica and Sam exchanged glances, both looking quite confused. Then, Sam said, "Well… Do you want to leave that salt shaker here, then?"
"Nah, I'll take it back," Dean replied with a smile. "You two have fun doing… whatever." He turned, and walked back out of the living room and up the stairs, though moved a bit slower and more thoughtfully. He wasn't sure he really wanted to face possessed-Amber – but he probably didn't have a lot of choice. Was it something to do with that vampire bite? he wondered as he walked into the room. No, that's impossible…
Amber was still sitting on the bed, but she looked up as Dean entered the room. Her eyes were no longer black, but had gone back to their normal green, and she looked scared. "What's happening to me?" she whispered.
Dean sank down against the far wall, still holding the salt shaker. What sort of possession seems to come to someone and leave them just as suddenly? "I will find a way to stop it," he promised.
The silence that fell seemed heavy and dark.