Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any part of it.

This chapter deals with some severe depression and heavy stuff. Just to warn you.

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"Ok, Sam I only have a few more questions for you," Veronica said in a soothing voice.

Sam nodded and looked down at the bandages on his wrists. They were think and clean and…on fire! They were on fire. Sam tried not to panic, he bit down on his lip trying to ignore the pain, but it was impossible. His skin was on fire and the smell of his burning flesh was making him nauseous. He grabbed for the bandages and started ripping them of with wild ferocity.

"Sam!" Veronica cried out, startled by Sam's sudden movements. "Stop, Sam. You're going to tear your stitches."

Sam couldn't hear her over the crackling and hissing of the fire. He threw the bandages off and saw that his stitches were on fire too. He started ripping out the stitches, but before he got too far Veronica took him by surprise and forced his hands back into their restraints. He tried to fight back, but with the blood loss and pain medication combination he was no match for the doctor.

"No!" Sam shouted, now crying tears of pain. Blood trickled out from the freshly opened wounds. Veronica called for a nurse and soon Sam was being patched up again.

"Sam, there are still a few more questions I would like to ask you, but I think we've done enough talking for tonight." Veronica watched as Sam bit down on his lip with enough force to draw blood. "Sam I'm admitting you here for the next few days. We have a wonderful inpatient program here. I really think it will help."

"Awww," Lucifer cooed, "The pretty doctor wants to help you!"

"No," Sam begged, "please. I just…I want to go home."

"I want you to go home too Sam, but I want to make sure that when you do go home you won't be a danger to yourself."

Veronica slid out of Sam's room and down the hall. She stopped off at the nurses station to make a few notes in Sam's chart before taking a deep breath and continuing on to deal with Sam's family. Dean stood as Veronica approached.

"He's good, right? We can take him home now." Dean spoke with confidence but his eyes showed the fear that lingered within.

"Dean, as I am sure you already know, your brother has gone though some very traumatic experiences."

"Yeah, he's a fighter."

"He is. But Dean, there are some battles that people can't fight on their own, no matter how strong they are."

"He's got me, and Bobby, don't worry. We always look out for him." Dean cleared his throat, "So, do we need to sign any discharge papers. You said he only had to stay 24 hours."

"First of all, it hasn't even been twelve hours Dean. And, I'm admitting Sam to our inpatient mental health and wellness program here at the hospital for one week." As she spoke the words Veronica could see the blood drain from Dean's face.

"No, you can't—"

"It's already done. Look, I know this isn't easy but I really believe this will be for the best. Sam can get the treatment and therapy he deserves, and you and your uncle can recharge. I know it's not easy looking after loved ones struggling with maintaining their mental health."

"Sam's 'mental health' is fine," Dean's voice was starting to rise and Bobby could sense the pent up emotions bubbling up, "he doesn't need you –"

"Dean," Bobby put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "you need to calm down son."

Dean wanted to lash out at Bobby, tell him to shove it, but after everything Bobby had been through tonight the last thing he needed was another unstable Winchester on his hands. He took a few deep breaths, and ran a hand over his five o'clock shadow.

"It's obvious to me that you both love Sam." A tender smile appeared on Veronica's face, "And I know he loves you both as well. I wasn't trying to insinuate that there was a lack of care on Sam's behalf or that he is not capable of putting up a good fight against this depression he is in. It's unfortunate that there is such a stigma surrounding mental health and wellness. I know it can be scary to see a loved one enter inpatient treatment, but really all this is doing is allowing Sam a safe place to heal and rest. It's just a seven-day program and at the end of it, if Sam is ready to go home and continue treatment from there then we can more forward with that. Okay?"

"Is, uh, is Sam ok with this?" Dean asked. His eyes were wet, but he was keeping the tears at bay. Looking up at Veronica it hit him that this woman he had been trying to seduce just a few hours ago, was now seeing a side of him that was rarely viewed by strangers.

"In a word, no," Veronica sighed, "but I can legally hospitalize him against his wishes if I feel that he is a threat to himself and after meeting with him, I couldn't send him home in good conscience."

Dean looked to Bobby. Sam was usually all about getting out of hospitals; if he was saying things that would cause him to stay longer he must really be in a bad place.

"What can we do to help?" Bobby asked.

"You're welcome to bring some personal belongings and hygiene items for Sam. You can bring them in later today or tomorrow if you like. The ward Sam will be staying in is on the third floor. You can visit in the afternoons from three to four."

"Can we uh, see him?" Dean asked. "Before we go?"

"Yes, but you should know that during my conversation with Sam ...he suddenly started to panic and began ripping out his stitches. We've re-stitched the wound and given him some morphine for the pain, so he may be a little out of it."

Bobby was trying to remain calm and collected, but this new information had him on edge. Sam wouldn't start ripping out stitches in front of a doctor if he could help himself.

Dean just nodded and made a beeline for Sam's room. Bobby stayed behind, getting a few more details from the doctor, allowing Dean to have a little one on one time with his brother. After a few minutes, Bobby approached Sam's room. From the hallway he could hear Dean trying to sound lighthearted.

"Are you sure you're not just doing all this so you can make me a macaroni necklace during craft hour?"

Sam didn't respond except for a small sound resembling a laugh.

"They won't let me hang around you all the time, but I'll be back later on. Three p.m. on the dot. Ok?"

"Threepmonthedot," Sam slurred. His head felt foggy, but at least the fire on his arms had stopped.

"That's right Sammy," Dean laid a hand down on his brothers.

Bobby entered the room and cleared his throat causing Dean to turn.

"Looks like he's flying pretty high right now," Bobby said, "guess we should head home."

Dean nodded but made no effort to leave.

"Dean?" Sam asked in a panic.

"I'm right here Sammy," Dean said squeezing his brother's hand, "I'm right here."

"Oh," Sam smiled and closed his eyes. "Kay, g'night."

"Goodnight Sammy." Dean stood and placed a gentle kiss on his brother's forehead. He didn't bother telling his brother that this hellish night was just about over and that the sun would soon be rising.

Before leaving Dean reached out and gently touched the tip of Sam's toes peaking out from their cast. With a single light touch he healed Sam's broken ankle. Maybe he couldn't heal the rest of him just yet, as that would be too suspicious, but there was no reason Sam had to deal with minor aches and pains.

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Sam woke feeling groggy. There was a dull pain in his forearms, but surprisingly his ankle felt normal. Sam opened his eyes and looked around the small hospital room. Lucifer was nowhere in sight, that was a relief. He pressed the call button on the little remote that was placed next to his hand, and soon a thirty-something year old nurse appeared at Sam's bedside.

"I have to, uh, use the bathroom." Sam said turning a little pink.

The nurse simply nodded and pulled over a wheelchair. He locked the wheels and helped Sam out of his bed and into the chair. Sam almost laughed; Dean must have healed his ankle while he was asleep. But even though the ankle was fine he was stuck with this ridiculous pink cast and health care providers assuming he needed assistance getting around.

"Do you need help in here?" The nurse asked once inside the bathroom with Sam.

"No," Sam said, "thank you."

The nurse nodded again and stood in the open doorway facing out. Sam waited for a second but then remembered he was on suicide watch. His privacy was not the hospital staff's first concern.

Soon after his morning bathroom trip, the same nurse appeared in his room again, this time with a tray of breakfast food.

"'m not really hungry," Sam said as the tray was set before him.

"Try to eat something," the nurse encouraged, "you'll want to start building up your strength."

Sam looked down at the bland foods and noticed that the only utensil he was given was a spoon. Maybe the nurse was right. The more normal he was able to appear the sooner he could go back to Bobby's and be with his family. Sam picked up his spoon and dug into the oatmeal he had been given. He tried his best to finish his meal, but he could only eat about half of it before he started feeling queasy.

"Good morning, Sam." Veronica said as she entered his room. "I'm here to take up to the third floor and introduce you to your doctors up there. Do you need a little more time to finish eating?"

"No," Sam gently pushed the tray away, "I'm done."

Veronica watched as Sam struggled to work his way down from the hospital bed into his wheelchair. She offered to help but he politely declined.

Once on the third floor, Sam was outfitted with a plain white shirt and white drawstring pants.

"I told your family they can bring you some of your own clothes and other personal items when they come to visit." Veronica said wheeling Sam down to the lead psychiatrist's office. She pushed Sam through the open door and greeted the doctor with a smile. "Sam, this is Doctor Cooper. Doctor Cooper, Sam Jones."

"Pleasure to meet you Sam," the doctor said extending his hand for a handshake. Sam obliged and managed a meager smile. Doctor Cooper was a slender man in his early forties. He had a friendly face and wore glasses with thick black frames.

"Ok, I'll leave you to it." Veronica said taking her exit.

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Back at Bobby's , Dean was pacing around the living room.

"You tryin' to wear a hole in my rugs boy?" Bobby asked. He poured himself a cup of coffee and almost poured a second for Dean before realizing that was unnecessary.

"This is ridiculous Bobby!" Dean exclaimed. "I'm given this freaky angel-mojo power and I can't even use it to help Sam because he gets himself locked up in a hospital. Hey! I could just zap him out of there. Bring him home."

"Yeah," Bobby said, "you could…Or…"

"Or what?"

"Or maybe it's best we let him spend a little time there. Let him rest up a little."

"Bobby? Come on, how is better for him to be there? He freaked out ok? He's not crazy. He's not. He's just had a rough couple months, hell a rough couple years. Those doctors don't know shit about him and what he's done. I'm the one who's a freakin' angel! I can help him more than they can."

"I ain't saying you're wrong there, Dean. You know I want him back here with us just as much as you do." Bobby said. He took a swig of his coffee. "But how about we let Sam decide? We'll see him in a few hours and if he wants out, you can zap him back when no ones looking."

Dean thought for a moment, considering Bobby's words. Dean had always looked out for Sammy, done what he thought best for him. But Dean knew how important it was that Sam felt like he was the one in control of his life.

"Fine. We'll ask Sam what he wants to do." Dean said. "What time is it?"

"Eleven." Bobby said glancing at the clock on the wall.

"What am I supposed to do until three?"

"Well, I'm sure this ain't want you wanna hear, but I think those Leviathan things are stretching their muscles." Bobby handed Dean a copy of the local paper. "A biker gang was slaughtered late last night at a bar on the edge of town. Only person in the establishment unaccounted for is the bartender, everyone else was torn to bits."

"Great."

"Worth checking in to. Don'tcha think?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah," Dean sighed, "I guess I can check it out. See what I can see."

Before Bobby had a chance to offer his help Dean had vanished before his eyes.

"Idjit."

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a review if you have a second and let me know what you think :)