Coma

Chapter Seventeen

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 other fandoms, I don't own

Warning(s): Strong violence; some swearing; spoilers up to and including episode ten; implications of sex

Author's Note: I know that I still have The Legend of Bloody Mary and Agony to work on. However, this fic is getting to the stage where it's more or less demanding to be written – and it's getting towards the end now. So, currently, the other fics are paused for the time being. Apologies to those of you are waiting on them. I'll get back to the fics when I can.

Also, thank you to all of those who have read and reviewed this fic so far, as well as to those who have this fic on Story Alert or Favourites. Thanks!

Jody stood just outside Min-Li's house, staring at the building. She felt… numb. There was a strange feeling going through her. She felt all choked-up, and close to tears. She was trembling, and her hands felt clammy and cold.

I shouldn't be here…

But she wasn't leaving. She couldn't leave. Even though there were probably cops crawling around inside the house. I got what I came for… But this is Min-Li. We've been friends ever since I started volunteering at the hospital.

She deserves more from me than a moment's thought.

Jody cast a glance down at the milk bottle she was holding in her hands, and her mind went to the phone call she had received. She hadn't exactly told Sam everything – but it wasn't like she really could. She'd made a promise, after all.

I couldn't leave this milk in the house after I found out about Min-Li's death… I need to get this tested. Whatever had killed her friend was likely to be in the drink.

Anyone who knew the woman well knew that she loved drinking milk.

Finally, Jody took a deep breath, and turned from the house. As she did, she caught sight of a young man standing beside the house. He half-lifted his hand, and Jody nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

Where to now? I don't think I can go home… Not yet, anyway. I don't want to face them, not even Sam, right now. They'd want to know where I was, and I'm not ready to tell anyone that. Not yet. She glanced down at the bottle in her hands. Who can I ask to test what's in this? Who can I trust

Jody gave a heavy sigh, and started walking slowly, feeling much older than her twenty-one years.

Sam opened his eyes, and glanced around, frowning slightly to himself as he recognised the dream forest from before. The misty sense of unreality wasn't there anymore, but he felt kind of weak still. Even so, he started walking, glancing from side to side. How do I get the demon to come to me?

"You're back. Have you decided that you can't handle your own life anymore?"

Sam turned round, and found himself face-to-face with the Vereor demon. She – or it – had gone back to the human form. Sam was careful to avoid looking into her eyes. What he'd found out before going to sleep claimed that the Vereor demon was able to hypnotise people in various ways.

The demon smirked at him. "What's the matter, Sammy? You look a little… lost for words. Aww. Can't you handle me?" She reached out to run her fingers over Sam's cheek, smiling disarmingly at him. "Come on, Sam… Don't you want to be free of all that pain?"

The demon's words were frighteningly tempting. Sam couldn't help thinking that he really did want to be free of the pain. It would be so easy to just let go, to give in to the demon's soft promises…

No. I can't do that. Sam backed away from the demon, making sure to avoid looking directly into her eyes. "I'm going to give you one chance to do what I say, and then I'm gonna exorcise you," he tried.

The demon laughed, moving forward as Sam moved back. "Nice try, Sam. But I think you're bluffing. If you had the means to exorcise me, you'd be getting straight to it rather than attempting to talk to me."

Sam stopped backing away, and stayed perfectly still as the demon slipped one arm around behind his neck. Although her face stayed the same, Sam could feel the cool, slightly velvety tentacle pressing against the nape of his neck. The suckers gently kissed his skin, but Sam felt powerless to do anything as the demon caught and held his gaze.

The demon's lips widened into a smile, and she leaned up to whisper into Sam's ear. "Surrender, and I promise you won't regret it."

Sam could feel himself faltering. As the demon's eyes glowed with an unholy light, he felt his knees beginning to buckle. Screams echoed through his mind, and, behind them all, was the sound of laughter. A voice called to him, and Sam no longer seemed to see the demon – instead, it was Jessica standing before him.

Jessica… Sam didn't know if he had spoken out loud or inside his mind, and he didn't care. He lifted a hand to touch Jessica's chin, and she closed her eyes, that smile he loved playing around her lips. Her hand against the back of his neck felt warm and smooth.

"Jessica…" Sam whispered, ignoring the feeling that something wasn't right. He lifted his arms to slip around her slim form, frowning slightly as he felt the weight of something on his shoulder. My backpack… Why do I have it with me? He bit his lip, struggling mentally as he held Jessica close.

"Sh…" she murmured, leaning up to kiss him even as a strange glow glinted in her eyes.

Sam immediately jerked backwards, and let out a short cry as he felt something sharp slice into the back of his neck. Moving instinctively, he ducked under the demon's arm, starting to go backwards, but stumbled over his own feet. He gasped, closing his eyes for a moment, feeling like there was ice-cold water flowing through his veins.

"Didn't you read up on me properly, Sammy?" The demon approached him, her hands on her hips. Although the rest of her form still appeared human, the arm that had been behind Sam was now a tentacle. And there was blood staining the tentacle, as well as a strange ichor. There was an acrid smell assaulting Sam's nose.

Sam wanted to get away from the demon. However, he had the feeling that his legs weren't going to support him. He felt weak, and his limbs were heavy. Bile rose in the back of his throat, and it was tempting to just curl up and let whatever was going to happen do so.

But I'm a Winchester… And we don't quit. Sam slipped his hand into his backpack, and closed his fingers around the bottle that was there. He pulled the bottle out, and held it against his side, his arm over the bottle in order to keep it half-hidden from the demon's view.

Thank goodness Missouri was able to make sure that this stuff could come here with me…

The demon stopped just in front of Sam, smiling in an almost insane way. "I cut myself, and then I cut you. My blood's running through your veins now. You're under my control now. The only way to be totally free of me is to destroy me." She smirked. "I don't see anyone around willing to help you."

Sam ignored the demon's words, and started to undo the bottle. As the demon got closer, he shook the bottle up, and the liquid sprayed all over the demon.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the screaming started as smoke rose from the demon's form.

Sam smiled, but without any humour in it. "Holy water," he commented, at the same time thinking, Yes! It worked!

However, before Sam could feel much exultation, he felt a sudden burning in his own face. He gasped, pressing the palms of his hands against his forehead. He couldn't stop himself from groaning with pain, and found himself wishing for his brother – just like a small kid who'd had a nightmare.

The screaming stopped as suddenly as if someone had thrown a switch. The demon moved closer to Sam, and reached a hand out to lightly touch his head, all signs of pain now gone. "Poor Sam. You really should have tried to find out more information before coming back here. It's too late now; you're mine."

Sam hung his head, feeling somehow defeated. He could feel the demon's blood running through his veins. Once again, he wished that his brother was there. Dean would know what to do… Surely.

The demon lightly ran her hand down the side of Sam's face. But he wasn't all that out of it yet. Sam jerked backwards, raising a hand up in an attempt to fend her off. "Are you the one who's been going after the people in comas?"

The demon paused, moving back slightly, and tilting her head slightly. "What's with the question? I'm not interested in a questions and answers session. If I tell you what you want to know, what will I get in return?"

"Your life," Sam answered simply.

The demon threw her head back and laughed. "My life? Oh, that's rich. What are you gonna do, Sammy? You can barely stand up to face me right now! To be honest, I expected better. More of a fight from one of the famous Winchesters."

Sam smiled, almost in spite of himself. "I have a plan…" I just wasn't expecting you to do something like mix our blood, he added silently, struggling to raise a hand to the back of his neck. I hope that it doesn't have any… lasting effects.

The demon raised her eyebrows. "Oh? That holy water wasn't very nice, Sammy. Do you often burn a girl with holy water?"

"It's Sam!" Sam glared at the demon. Dean's the only one I halfway don't mind calling me 'Sammy'… He glanced past the demon, and nodded, barely perceptibly.

"What?" The demon turned round, but wasn't quick enough to get out of the way of the blast of psychic energy that hit her right in the chest. She fell back against Sam, who grunted under the sudden weight.

Sorry…

A pale, indistinct form was flickering just behind where the demon had stood. Sam could just about make out red hair that swirled around a slender body. He wasn't able to make out much more, though, as he found himself with a biting, clawing, and scratching demon in his arms – and he was having a few problems with keeping her down.

Ignoring the illusion of the woman, Sam closed his hands around the demon's arm, and squeezed. He felt a slight twinge in his left arm even as the demon let out a horrifying screech. Sam felt the ichor on his skin, and grimaced slightly, but kept a tight hold of the demon. "Don't move," he whispered, his tone stern.

"Are you going to kill me?" The demon's tone was flat and unfriendly. "Well go ahead, then. It's what you do best, right?" She abruptly stopped struggling.

Sam blinked, staring down at the demon. What…? "Well… It's not like I can let you live. Look at how many people you've killed…"

"What!" The demon stared up at him, looking about ready to start struggling again… Then, she just relaxed. "Where are you getting that from? I don't kill humans. I don't need to. But me and the others of my kind need to feed – and that's all I do. You might as well attack humans. You kill animals, and not just for food, either. So why don't we have just as much right to live?"

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "What? You're telling me that there are good demons around?" I don't believe it… It's gotta be some kind of trick.

"Haven't you ever seen Buffy? Or Angel?" The demon closed her eyes for a moment.

"You tried to kill me."

"No, I didn't." The demon stared up at the sky of her dream forest. "I just tried to play your memories so that I could feed. I'm surviving. It's what we do best."

"What brings you here?" Sam asked. He didn't loosen his hold on the demon – even though something told him that she wasn't a threat any longer.

"My mother," the demon answered, sounding a bit distant. "She created a blood bond with the ancestor of someone living here now. Of course… Now she's dead. Killed by a hunter – just like you."

"So you've been drawing hunters here and killing them as vengeance?" Sam attempted to understand, to emphasise with the demon, and found it easier than he had thought. His mother, his girlfriend – both had been killed by a demon.

The demon twisted her head round to look up at Sam. "Of course not! I already told you, I don't kill. It's a Somnus-Nex that's doing it."

"Sleep-death." Sam loosened his grip on the Vereor demon, but she didn't attempt to get up. It seemed like she was resigned to being killed.

Or she could just be trying to catch me off-guard so that she can attack me…

Sam was dimly aware of Melissa's spirit hovering nearby, but he couldn't risk glancing up to check on how she was doing. "Do you know who at the hospital is working for the demon? Is it Jody?"

"No," the demon said.

"No?" Sam frowned. "To what?"

"To both. I don't know who it is, but I know that it isn't Jody." The demon continued to stare at the sky, almost as though trying to imprint the surroundings onto her mind. "She's an innocent here. She should never have been caught up in the goings-on at the hospital." She spoke softly, but with conviction.

Sam hesitated, somehow getting the feeling that he wasn't going to get much more out of the demon. "What's your name?" he asked finally.

"Huh?" The demon tried to look into his eyes. "It's Kris…"

"Well, Kris…" Sam removed his hands. "I'll let you go – but you'd better not let me see you again." It seemed like it was the right thing to do.

Kris stared at him for a moment, and then sat up, but slowly, as if expecting some kind of trick. "You're just going to let me go?"

Sam nodded.

Kris still looked confused, but apparently decided not to question that – presumably just in case Sam decided to change his mind. "There's something else," she said. "Generally, people can't remember anything when they wake up from a confrontation with one of us. I can change that – but you can only remember one thing from here. What's it going to be?"

Sam hesitated – but there was really only one choice he could make. "I want to remember about the Somnus-Nex demon." Sorry, Jody… I guess I'll have to rediscover your innocence another way. "What about Melissa?" he asked.

"Spirits are very unpredictable with this," Kris replied. "She probably won't be able to remember anything. And you're going to wake up now."

"You two can sit up the front," Dean said to Sam and Jessica, smiling in what he hoped was an innocent way.

Apparently, it didn't work, since Sam eyed his brother with obvious concern. "You feeling all right, Dean? You always want to sit up front."

"Hell, yeah – I'm fine." Dean smiled, and casually draped his arm around Amber's shoulders. "I just want to be able to spend a bit of time with my girlfriend doing – you know. Stuff." Neither he nor Amber had got much sleep during the night, and it definitely showed on Amber – with the dark circles under her eyes and the way she was almost stumbling with every step.

Sam looked rather disgusted. "I so did not want to know that."

Dean winked, enjoying the opportunity to rile his brother – even a different version of Sam. "Shouldn't ask if you don't want to know, Sammy." Whistling innocently, he all but shoved Amber into the backseat, and got in himself, making sure to put his backpack in the middle of them.

Where the demon would have no problem whatsoever in seeing it.

You'd better behave, Dean thought, wishing that he dared to say it out loud. But the last thing he wanted was for Sam and Jessica to think he was nuts. Not that they probably didn't anyway, but…

This is really not fun…

Sam continued to stare at his brother for a moment. Then, he gave a slight shrug, and got in the driver's seat. Jessica got in as well, after casting a wary glance at Dean.

Dean sighed, and raked a hand through his hair. Why me? he wondered. I'm not too good at doing this. And what about Amber? I'm pretty sure she wants me to tell her that it's gonna be all right – but I can't do that. Because I can't lie about it – and I can't see any way out of this that won't end with someone dead…

Dean stared out of the window as Sam put the car into gear. He struggled inwardly with his thoughts as they started moving.

After a moment, Dean felt a hand creep into his, and he glanced a moment towards Amber, who wasn't looking at him. Glancing down at their hands, Dean lightly squeezed hers, but didn't attempt to say any words of comfort.

There were none.

It was mid-evening by the time they finally got to Kansas. Sam parked the car right outside, and Dean just stared up at the building, his hand tightening on Amber's without him even realising it.

"Ow…"

"Sorry." Dean let go of Amber's hand. He'd tried doing that a number of times during the journey, but Amber had kept a tight grip on it – even when she'd drifted off into sleep. Now, though, she didn't try to keep hold of him.

Sam and Jessica got out of the car, and, after grabbing the backpack, Dean did so as well. He headed to the other side of the Impala, and opened the door for Amber, avoiding looking into her eyes.

He didn't want to see the hopelessness there…

Besides, Dean's attention was then drawn to the woman who had just opened the door. For a long moment, he just stood there, feeling all sorts of feelings rushing through him.

"Mom…"

This was different to what had happened when he and Sam had come back here after his brother's dream. Mother and oldest son stared into each other's eyes, and Dean fought down the urge to rush over to her and cling – just like a kid who'd had a nightmare. He wanted to do so – but his body wouldn't obey him. All he could do was just stand there, despite his strong desire to hug his mother.

"Dean." And Mary was moving, enfolding her oldest son in a loving hug.

Dean viciously fought down the tears that threatened to choke him, and fiercely returned the hug. Maybe Mary felt that he needed this, because she held him for a little while before turning to hug her youngest son.

"Are you crying?" Amber was watching Dean with what looked like fascination.

Dean quickly wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. "Nah… Allergies." He did his best to calm down – but Amber seemed to find his reaction slightly interesting anyway, if a little confusing.

"Hey, champ."

Dean turned to look at his father, pretty sure that he was showing no sign of the emotions that had just rushed through him. He took a step forward, and was pulled into a tight hug.

Mom and Dad are alive and well here… Why would I try to kill myself in this world?

Dean was finally released from his Dad's hug, and turned in time to see Amber stiffen slightly as Mary hugged her. The woman was probably worried that the demon would try and come out. But Dean was pretty sure it wouldn't.

It doesn't have a strong enough hold yet…

Trying to push his too-strong emotions down, Dean headed over to the car, and opened the boot to start taking some of the bags out. "Hey… A little help here," he addressed Sam. "You'd think that we were spending a year here with the amount of things the girls have packed."

"Girls just seem to need a lot of stuff." Sam shrugged, and walked over to grab one of the bags. John came over to help, while Mary herded Jessica and Amber inside, talking softly to them.

"So, boys… Anything new happening?" John asked as they closed the boot and carried the bags into the house.

Dean fought down the urge to reply something about how he had somehow ended up in a parallel world, and merely shrugged. As they headed upstairs with the bags, he risked a peek into the living room, and saw the women talking and laughing together. But there was still a certain tenseness to Amber that didn't seem even close to being relaxed.

I know that she didn't ask for any of this, Dean thought. But then… Neither did I. I just hope that I can get us all through this without too many problems.

Later that evening, Amber sat perched on the edge of the bed, watching Dean with what looked like nervousness.

Dean, meanwhile, was trying to decide whether or not to do a circle of salt around Amber again. The demon had been suspiciously quiet – but Amber had been pretty subdued for the entire meal and conversation afterwards.

"I wish Brownie was here…" Amber said suddenly.

"I already said that I refuse to have a dog in the car with us," Dean replied automatically. "Besides… You got one of your friends to agree to feed him and take him for walks, right?"

"It's not the same…"

Dean sighed, and set the bottle of holy water and salt shaker down on the side. He then sat down next to Amber on the bed. It should be Sam here in this situation and not me… I'm not so good at being all sensitive and whatever. "Look, I can't pretend to know what you're going through," he tried. "But, honestly? I think you're handling it a lot better than some people would be…" Ok, that sorta came out wrong…

Amber shook her head slightly. "The only other choice here is to lose my mind… And I'm not quite that far gone yet."

"Apparently." Dean fell silent for a moment, trying to think of what else to say.

"Dean?" Amber asked then. "If you – you know – met the version of me in your world… Do you think that we'd ever get together?" She made a slight face. "I mean… We got together here… Well, not we – but another version of you…" Her voice trailed off. "Um… Sorry. That's not making much sense."

"No… I think I get it." Dean tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling a moment. "But I really don't know. The situation here is probably different to the situation in my world – I think that circumstances have made us different. So… It's possible. But I think it would be very unlikely."

"What about now?" Amber asked, a little hesitantly. "How do you feel now? Are you attracted to me at all?"

Dean opened his mouth, and then closed it again. What am I supposed to say? he wondered. I don't really want to get into my feelings right now. But… Well, Dean felt at least partly responsible for what had happened. So maybe… I owe her an answer, at least… "I think that, if we weren't in this situation… you'd have to fend me off with a big stick." He smiled slightly.

Amber glanced away a moment. "Oh…" She didn't say anything more, though, and simply leaned lightly against Dean's shoulder, closing her eyes.

Dean turned his gaze towards the window, already planning what he was going to say to Missouri when he saw her the next day.