A/N Warnings for Dean ill, not much else...
x
Dean moaned, though he wasn't sure if the noise was just in his head. He was confused and hot, and he
didn't feel very good at all. His stomach rolled queasily, and his throat hurt.
The bed he lay on was very uncomfortable, and it smelled like piss and vomit. He vaguely remembered
vomiting...oh god..did he wet the bed? He'd never live that down. He felt very sick, and he didn't know how
long he'd been here... but it had been a while. Where was Sam?
He tried to turn over, but found he couldn't move. In fact, he couldn't feel his legs at all. He tried to move his
arms, but for all he knew he didn't have any...he couldn't feel them at all, either. Maybe Sam had given
something to him, to make him sleep, and he wasn't awake properly...or something.
Sammy? He tried to say it out loud, but he couldn't. Maybe if he thought hard enough, Sammy would come. He
remebered waking up before, and being sick. And he still smelled like it was all over him.
That wasn't right. Sam wouldv'e cleaned him up. He would've woken him up and got him into the shower.
There's been times, a long time ago, when Dean had thrown up after a bender, and Sam had always got him
into the shower, helped him clean up, and put him to bed in clean sheets...
These sheets weren't clean. They stunk.
Was Sam drunk, too? Had they both been on a bender?
He couldn't remember. He felt his stomach roll again, and this time his groan was out loud. He did not feel like
he'd been drinking. He felt like hammered shit.
"Sammy?" he croaked, and even though his fever was high, and his ears were ringing, he knew he hadn't
called out loud. That plea had been no more than a whisper.
He felt very bad. He felt like he was dying.
Why would Sammy leave him alone to die in his own vomit and pee?
Was Sam okay? Had Sam left him here to die...because he'd lost his soul again?
Was Sam dead? Oh god..was Sam dead? "Sammy" he groaned, and this time he managed to move his head a
bit.
Big mistake...the small movement was more than his poor body could handle, and he threw up again. This
time, because he had moved his head back, he started to choke. The bile burned his already sore throat, and
he coughed weakly, not enough strength to clear his blocked windpipe. His eyes teared, and the more he
gasped for breath the more he pulled the vomit into his lungs, and he was powerless to expel it.
He saw black spots in front of his eyes, and he knew if he blacked out he'd never wake up.
Dean tried to move again, but to no avail. His coughing wracked his poor body, and by sheer luck alone he
slipped a little further onto his side, and managed to turn his head.
It was enough. He threw up again and this time he was able to make sure he didn't breathe it back in. He
finally got a little air into his oxygen starved lungs and tried to breathe deep, but this just made him cough
more. He couldn't handle any more punishment, he was just too weak.
He coughed feebly, and all he could think about was trying to breathe. Just to breathe...
He slipped back into oblivion...
X
X
X
X
Sam and Bobby followed the tiny, strange little creature as he made his way through the passage, their
torches lighting their way, but Urass seemed to be able to navigate quite well without any illumination. The
tunnel was twisting, dank and odorous, as well the roof seemed to be getting lower and lower. At first Sam
bent to keep his head safe from the rocky outcrops but soon he would have to crawl, and Bobby had also
taken to walking stooped over.
"Hey, um, Urass?" he called out. "Does the tunnel get any smaller? We can't walk anymore"
Urass looked back, and shrugged. "Smaller, then smaller, then taller" and he turned and continued on. Bobby
and Sammy exchanged grim faces, and both went to all fours. Shining the torches and crawling was difficult,
and the little creature didn't slow any to accommodate their discomfort. Vadar followed along faithfully, but
every now and then let out a mournful whimper.
After a few hundred meters Bobby swore as his head hit the roof, and before long both hunters were forced
to squirm along on their stomachs.
"If it gets much smaller we won't be able to follow you anymore" Sam
called out to Urass, who did not slow or turn around, he just huffed a bit and kept walking. Sam grunted and
pulled himself along as quickly as he could, the sides of the cave starting to rub against his broad shoulders.
Even the dog had to crawl along, and he whinged nearly every step.
It was almost impossible to hold his torch and slither as well, so he was doing pretty much everything by
touch alone, when all of a sudden he hit bobby's boot. He looked up, shining his torch, and found Bobby was
standing. "You gonna lay around all day?" Bobby joked, and Sam groaned and pulled himself through to the
larger tunnel with Bobby, and stood to his full height. They were in a large, round area, with several other
tunnels leading off, all of which, Sam noted with relief, were tall enough for him to stand in. Vadar piled in
after him, and shook all over like he was ridding himself of the tunnel.
"You see, as I told, now taller" Urass told them. He was standing a little further off, waiting for them.
"Ok, you were right. Lead the way!" Sam agreed, but the little creature did not move.
"Something wrong?" Bobby asked it, and it threw its hands in the air.
"There is reasons to stop. Very good reasons!" it hissed. It moved a little closer to Sam, and lifted its gaze.
Sam shone his torch down, and saw for the first time the twisted, grey, wizened old face that looked back up
at him. The claw hands immediately clamped over it's eyes, and Sam shone the torch to the side. "I'm sorry. I
didn't mean that" he told the urchin quietly.
Urass dropped his hands. "Understanding is mine. But we have to be much quiet. There are reasons for
stopping. There are reasons for being quiet"
He gestured for the hunters to bend down to his level. "Sit" he whispered "Wait. Quiet"
"Wait for what?" Bobby asked, and Urass grabbed his pant leg.
"Quiet!" he hissed. "Must sit. Must wait. Must QUIET!"
"Okay, okay" Bobby sat, and Sam shuffled beside him.
"Why do we need to wait, Urass?" Sam asked him. "I'm really worried about my brother"
The little urchin also sat, and flipped his hood back, revealing a small, grey wrinkly head, completely devoid of
hair. It's eyes were black, and his mouth a slash across the round face, small pointy white teeth glinting in the
torch light. He tilted his head, a little, and studied the hunters. Both Bobby and Sam just sat there, waiting to
see what the little fellow would do next.
Finally he seemed to make up his mind, and nodded the little apple head. "We will wait a small time more" he
whispered. "Bagool is in the chambers, and he will find us if we move".
Bobby raised his brow. "Bagool? Is he an urchin, too?"
"Angry man is silly" Urass scoffed. "Bagool is old. Older than Urass. Older than old." He shuffled himself up to
his haunches. "Bagool is evil. He takes souls. He was not allowed to walk on the top side for a time of
measure of lives, and more"
He looked towards one of the tunnels, and sniffed. Vadar softly growled, and Sam patted him to quiet and
reassure the frightened animal.
Urass nodded. "Only now he can leave. Only now he has been let to come up. He must get souls. He must
take many".
"Does he take more than the soul?" Sam asked softly.
Urass nodded. "He takes all" he touched the base of his tiny neck, then drew a line to his lower torso "all. Soul is inside here, and he takes all".
Bobby shifted uncomfortably on the rocky floor. "Does this, ah, Bagool, does he like women, the best?"
The urchin giggled. "He only takes women. Only. Unless" he leaned forward, like sharing a secret "Unless their soul is very big. Very hero."
Sam ran his hand through his hair, becoming even more worried. "Urass, is my bother's soul very big?"
Bobby placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, reassurance flowing from him. The urchin nodded. "Giant Sam brother has soul biggest ever seen by Urass."
He also reached forward, and placed his hand on Sam, only reaching his knee, though. "Sam I am should not worry. Urchins saved Sam brother. Urchins
not evil." He giggled again. "Not very evil, maybe"
"What does that mean, urchins saved my brother?" Sam asked him, feeling the desperation reaching fever pitch. "How did you save him? Is he safe
now?"
Urass stood, and brushed off his dirty cloak. "Bagool bring Sam brother to place of eating. He leave brother alone and went up to top side again. Urchins
clever. Urchins watch. Urchins wait." He walked towards one of the openings, and sniffed. "Urchins see man alone. Big soul. Urchins drag man. Very
heavy. Very hard. Urchins take him to other home. Bury him. Bagool cannot find him. Cannot smell him. Sam brother safe."
"You buried him?" Sam tried not to panic. These were little guys. They were trying to save his brother, they wouldn't have literally buried him…would
they?
Urass nodded. "Buried. Clever. Very, very clever. Urass idea! Bagool cannot smell man. Cannot find man. Only man face open. Bagool is not clever. Urchins
trick Bagool!"
"When can you take us to him? You see" he took a deep breath " I'm very worried about him"
"Worry worry worry. No need to worry, Sam I am. Brother was alive. Was bleeding. Was not awake. But was alive"
"He's probably unconscious" Bobby said. He turned to the urchin. "What did you bury the brother in?" He asked it.
"Took giant Sam brother to other home. Other home is pile of food. Buried brother in food. Bagool never find him."
"Oh, God, Bobby, they buried him in a stench pile" Sam groaned.
"Saved is life. And if he's not conscious, he won't know" Bobby looked at Urass again. "When can we get Sam's bother?"
"Small time more. Not large"
"Urass, who let Bagool topside?" Bobby asked him.
The little urchin shuffled a foot, and looked uncomfortable. "Not good to say this" he muttered. "The mother does not like it."
"Mother? Mother let Bagool up?"
Sam and Bobby stood, anxious, wanting to know more.
"The mother of Bagool let him up. The mother wants the souls. The mother needs the souls. Bagool likes to take the souls. Likes to follow.
Likes to scare. Likes to creep in the dark, and take the all."
Bobby nodded. "Does Urass know how to kill Bagool?" He squatted back down, and looked the little creature as close to in the eye as he
could. "Would Urass tell us how to kill Bagool?"
Urass looked back up at Bobby. "Angry man treats Urass like…like a man" He seemed pleased. "Urass will tell! Urass will help!"
Suddenly, Vadar jumped up, barking, backing away.
"URASS WILL DIE, FIRST!" an angry growl reverberated through the cavern. Urass squealed and ran behind Bobby, holding his pant leg.
Sam and Bobby found themselves face to face with the very creature they'd been hunting….
X
X
A/N Hope you're still here...