First of all let me apologize. I didn't forget about this story, but I've just been so busy. I moved to a foreign country, started a postgraduate program, and it's been great and wonderful but also kind of hectic and insane soooo I had this story on the back burner. I want to finish it though so I'm back in the game!

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Thirty minutes later Bobby came back into the room with coffee and a grim expression.

"This ain't good," Bobby said, handing a cup to Dean and looking down at Sam's still figure.

"Yeah, thanks for that lovely understatement." Dean said. He intended to sound snarky but the worry in his voice was obvious. "I can't do anything for him here."

"And he ain't leavin' anytime soon." Bobby whispered, "They got eyes on him for the next 24 hours…minimum."

"Can't we say something about a transfer to the VA or something?"

"Too much paperwork. I think we're just going to have to wait it out." Bobby sighed and couldn't help but stare at the large white gauze wrapping around each of Sam's wrists. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"Bobby, stop. This, it's not your fault." Dean meant it. Sam could have done this on anyone's watch. Hell, Dean didn't even know he needed Sam to be "on watch."

"Well, don't change the fact that I'm still sorry about it." Bobby said. He lowered himself into a soft armchair in the corner of the room.

"Why?" Dean asked Sam in a barely audible voice.

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"You hear that?" Lucifer asked Sam. "Big brother wants to know why you did this to yourself."

Sam looked at Satan out of the corner of his eye. In Sam's mind they were sitting in Bobby's living room, watching the hospital room on a small old-fashioned television.

"We should really put the subtitles on," Lucifer said reaching for the remote.

"Where am I really?" Sam asked.

"Sammy, we've already gone over this," Lucifer said, rolling his eyes. "You're in the cage. With me. Netflix and Chill pals for life."

"So, I'm in the cage, and I'm just imagining myself out in the real world with Dean and Bobby, and within that imagination I'm unconscious and imagining us here watching that imagination."

"It's all very Inception isn't it?" Lucifer said with a laugh. "Speaking of which, ten bucks says DiCaprio comes to me for an Oscar within the next ten years."

They sat quietly on the couch, watching Dean's vigil.

"Why go to all this trouble?"

"Because I like to watch you wiggle." Lucifer said giving Sam's ribs a poke.

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"Sammy?" Dean said. He hadn't taken his eyes off of his brother since entering the room. He watched Sam squirm, and instinctively reached out to calm his brother. When he touched him he noticed the coolness of his skin, but he didn't feel any internal or mental anguish. "You doing ok?"

Dean looked over to Bobby, who had slipped into dreamland not too long ago.

"How are we doing in here?" Veronica asked, entering the room.

"No change."

"Yes, well I can see that, much like Sam, you haven't changed position either. You know, when I said he'd be under a 24 hour watch I didn't mean that you personally had to undertake that task."

"Yeah, well," Dean ran a hand over his tired face, "he's my little brother."

Dean noticed Veronica give Sam a once over and then look pointedly down at Sam's feet hanging over the edge of the bed.

"Ok," Dean said, "not so little brother."

"So, after reviewing the x-ray we took of your brother's ankle it looks like we will need a plaster cast. I was hoping to avoid that because of the inconvenience of it, but it's the best way to go." Veronica said.

"Do we wait for him to wake up for that?"

"I thought we would, although honestly I'm surprised that he hasn't woken up already, not that that's anything to be worried about. It's just that it was a very mild sedative." Veronica smiled, "I'm sure he will wake up very soon."

"Can we put the cast on while he's still asleep though?" Dean asked, "That way it's just done."

"Sure."

The cast was applied and Veronica started to clean up when Dean spoke up.

"Doesn't he get a color?"

"Now I know why you wanted this done while he slept," Veronica smiled. "What color?"

"Pink."

"Why did I even bother asking." Veronica laughed, "Dean, he can pick a color when he wakes up."

"Come on, please?" Dean flashed Veronica a winning smile.

"Dean." Veronica shook her head.

"Please?" Dean asked, this time with sincerity, "it will make him smile."

Veronica felt a tug on her heart.

"Pink it is."

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Lucifer wiped a fake tear from his cheek.

"Shut up," Sam said.

"I didn't even say anything!" Lucifer said in defense. "But I will say this: I hope Dr. Hotlips winds up with CrazyGuy's male model brother. What do you think?"

"Impossible." Sam said, sounding defeated, "Once CrazyGuy wakes up, male model brother will get over protective and they'll leave and Dr. Hotlips will only ever be seen again in his dreams because CrazyGuy makes it impossible for his brother to have a normal life."

"Wow," Lucifer said, "you're good at this."

"It's the same thing every time."

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The pink cast was finished and Veronica took off to go check on other patients. A few more hours passed before Bobby made an indiscernible noise and stood to stretch.

"Hasn't woke up yet." Bobby said more as a statement than a question.

"Nope."

Bobby rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then saw the cast.

"You're gonna pay for that."

Dean just smiled.

"I'll go get some more coffee…for me. You should get some sleep."

"I will. Once Sammy wakes up."

As if on cue, Sam slowly opened his eyes and turned to face his brother.

"Hey," Sam said. He tried to raise his had up to brush some hair out of his eyes, but found his arms to be loosely tied down.

"Hey," Dean said. He reached up and pushed the hair out of Sam's eyes. "How're you feeling? Are you in any pain? I can help if you are. Just say the word."

"I'm fine," Sam said. Dean gave his brother a questioning stare, so he added, "Really. I'm not in pain. Just a little sore. My arms?"

"Sam do you remember what happened?" Bobby asked taking a step closer to the bed.

"It's kind of fuzzy," Sam lied, and prayed that Dean would be tired enough to buy it. "I remember having a bad, really bad dream. Leviathans everywhere, you were one so I had to knock you out. I ran away, but they followed me, fought me, and bled into me. I had to get the blood out. So… After that, I don't know."

Dean and Bobby nodded, taking in the story. It seemed plausible enough.

"I'd believe it." The devil whispered in his mind.

"Look who decided to wake up," Veronica said entering the room. The three men turned their attention to the doctor. "How are you feeling, physically, Sam?"

"Uh, physically? I feel fine." Sam's voice was soft and he kept his eyes looking down at his hands.

"Ok that's good. I know it's been a rough evening for you, so I don't want to burden you with too many questions, but I do need to run through some evaluation questions in order to figure out the best treatment method. Is it alright if we do that now?"

"Sure." Sam said with a little bit of a shrug.

"Great," Veronica turned to Dean and Bobby, "This won't take very long, you can wait just down the hall and I'll come get you as soon as we're done."

"We can't stay?" Dean asked, his eyes darting towards Sam. He didn't want to leave his brothers side for a second.

"It's best if this is done confidentially."

"Come on son, let's go get that coffee." Bobby said clapping a hand on Dean's shoulder. "We can come right back when they're done."

"Ok," Dean cleared his throat, "Sammy, I'll just…ok. You'll be fine."

Sam nodded.

Once alone together, Veronica took a set in the chair Dean had been sitting in.

"It seems like you have a very loving family." Veronica stated warmly. She took out a pen, clicked it, and turned to face Sam.

"Dr. Hotlips sure likes that brother of yours," Lucifer said as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. "'Loving family' indeed. More like she wants to make love to your family."

"Shut up," Sam said, forgetting that he was no longer on the couch with Lucifer and no one else.

"Excuse me?" Veronica asked, not quite sure what she had done to annoy the man in the bed before her.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean," Seam took a breath, "I was just thinking, but not thinking of saying that…to you. It just slipped out. I'm sorry."

"That's ok, Sam. I'm sure you have a lot on your mind right now." Veronica smiled sympathetically before continuing. "Now Sam, your uncle briefed me on your military background and the recent events that have caused some emotional unrest in your life. Tell me, is this the first time you've made an attempt on your life?"

"What should we tell her Sammy?" Lucifer asked. "If we say yes then maybe she'll send you on your way with just a slap on your wrist."

Sam opened his mouth to reply, but the devil covered it with his hand.

"Wait, you're not really going to lie to the nice lady are you? Don't you remember? You threw yourself into the cage. Self-sacrifice. Then of course there were all those other times you tried to off yourself in the cage." Satan laughed, as if remembering a funny inside joke, "As if you could kill yourself. Remember all those failed attempts? Slashed wrists, pulling out your own entrails, impaling yourself, shall I continue?"

Sam shook his head no.

"No?" Veronica's voice was calm and steady, "Do you have plans to attempted suicide again?"

"No," Sam said clearly, realizing that if he didn't work harder to keep Lucifer out of this he would wind up in some kind of loony bin. "No, I mean I haven't tried before and I don't plan on trying again. I wasn't even trying this time."

"You can tell me the truth Sam. I'm here to help."

"I am telling you the truth. I promise."

"Ok, then why are you here tonight Sam? How did you get those deep cuts on your wrists?"

"I…" Sam wracked his brain trying to come up with an explanation. "I…I didn't mean for this to happen."

Before he could do anything to help it, a tear snuck out from within him and spilled down his cheek. He reached to wipe it away but was stopped by the restraints.

"Here," Veronica carefully undid the restraints on Sam's arms and watched as he flicked the unwanted tear away. "Sam, when we first brought you in. You asked me something. Do you remember what you asked?"

Sam nodded.

"You wanted me to let you die. Is that still what you want?"

"I just," Sam sighed, "I just don't want to be broken anymore. My brother has spent his whole life picking me up and putting me back together. I don't think this time I can come out whole again. It just would have been easier, that's all."

"Easier for you to die?"

"No, easier for my family to live."

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Ok...what do you think? Like it? Please please review if you have a second!

Thank you so much for reading!