Sam leaned in close to his brother needing to feel his warmth, needing to know he was still there. "I'm fine Sammy." Dean stated understanding the sudden closeness of his brother's body. "You okay?" Sam nodded, through it lacked the certainty of Dean's response.

"I miss Dad…" Sam followed up almost silently.

"Me too, we'll see him soon." Dean assured the younger Winchester.

"Okay Dean," Rebecca said getting closer to her patient, "I'm going to put a pressure bandage on. It will help stop the blood but you're going to have to stay very still to ensure that your rib stays in place and doesn't cause anymore damage."

Dean nodded before audibly replying with a 'yes ma'am'. Rebecca set to work knowing that the next 15-20 minutes would prove to be the most painful in the Dean's short life.

Caleb and Pastor Jim returned quickly, a long, though narrow board between them. "This work?" Jim questioned looking toward Rebecca.

"Yeah, come put it right beside Dean." Jim and Caleb quickly did as she said and looked to her for further directions. "The first step is going to need to be all hands on deck. We need to gently and carefully lift Dean onto the board but we need to keep him as close to the ground as possible. If one of us lifts too quickly we could cause further damage to his lung or other internal organs."

Dean blanched slightly but quickly replaced the look with one of no emotion. Jim, Caleb, Sam, and Rebecca moved to positions around Dean's body. "On my count, 1…2…3…lift." The four hunters lifted Dean slightly off the ground and moved him smoothly to his left and onto the awaiting stretcher.

Once done Dean looked still paler, a sweat had broken out across his body, and his lip was bleeding from where he was still biting into it. Rebecca touched his shoulder, "The next part will be easier."

Rebecca was right, now that Dean was on a flat surface the movement caused significantly less anguish and required more trust; trust that Caleb and Pastor Jim would have the strength and dexterity to carry him up the stair and in their ability to judge the width of the 'gurney' they were carry and the doorways they were carrying it through.

Luckily Pastor Jim had brought his truck so the 6 foot gurney fit just perfectly in the bed of the truck. Rebecca hopped in the back with Dean and threw her keys to Caleb. Sam hopped up after, hoping that he would be allowed to stay. The car that the boys had driven to get to the hunt would just have to stay till the morning.

The car ride was agony for Dean; each bump seemed to magnify the agony that his chest and stomach were in. At the beginning of the ride he held back the groans, struggling to keep the pain from even showing on his face but after the first 5 minutes or so Dean couldn't hide the pain anymore. He grunted and groaned as they passed over the roughly hewn road and cried out in pain when Pastor Jim didn't manage to miss a rather large pothole. Sammy's face whitened as he watched the agony play across his brothers' face. Rebecca was concerned about the hunter as well, already preparing for the surgery that would have to be done and the damage that would need to be repaired. Occasionally she placed a hand on Dean's wrist feeling for a pulse and encouraged him that the ride was almost over. Luckily the trip from her house to the witches had not been long, 5 minutes when speeding and about 10 when moving slowly for the sake of fragile wounds. Rebecca hopped out of the back of the truck quickly and waited while the guys unloaded themselves and were ready to yet again lift the make-shift gurney, "Head right to the clinic." She specified to Pastor Jim knowing that he would remember where it was from the last time it had been used.

Once inside the clinic it was time for the transfer. Dean tensed even thinking of the pain he would be in but he steeled himself just the same. "You ready?" Rebecca questioned everyone including Dean.

"Do it." Dean gritted out anxious to be done with the whole moving thing. Rebecca counted to three again before the group did just as before, moving him as one unit onto the awaiting surgical table.

"Okay, let's take a real look at what we have here." The doctor stated almost more to herself than anyone else.

Jim took charge looking toward the anxious boys hovering close to Dean's head, "Boys head to the kitchen." Sam looked about to protest but one look from Jim and he started to back away understanding that his brother needed serious help that couldn't be given with him in the room.

"I'll be right back Dean. Hang in there."

Dean nodded in reply before answering, "See you soon."

Rebecca quickly got to work, glad to have Pastor Jim around to supply things as needed. "Dean we're going to give you something for the pain and start an IV. Once we check things out more thoroughly we'll put you under so we can get your insides sorted out."

"Yes, please..." Dean joked lightly but seriously looking forward to the drugs that Rebecca offered. It didn't take long at all for the doctor to keep her promise because within a few minutes Dean felt the familiar whoosh of good drugs kicking in.

"Let's take off these bandages." Rebecca continued exploring the wounds. "Let's turn him over. I need to see where the exit wound is." Dean braced for the pain that should've developed but the drugs must have been the great kind because Dean barely felt a tinge.

"Okay Dean, we're going to put you out. You have one bullet that is still inside you. I believe that it is stuck somewhere in your side. The bullet doesn't seem like it hit the stomach at all but it definitely did some damage." Rebecca paused as Dean's eyes started to feel heavier and heavier. "Okay Dean count down from 10 for me …" That was the last thing Dean remembered.