The clock ticked loudly overhead as a few nurses and doctors were scattered around the cafeteria. It was seven in the morning and Lee was sitting in a corner booth with a hot cup of coffee in hand. A slew of patient files were scattered on the table: all were in critical condition and needed immediate assessment for the best course of action.
Sleep fought to take over as Lee took another long sip of coffee. She had only just started, but the day before had been long and emotionally demanding. It had only been five months since passing the nursing exam and she well on her way to specializing in critical care.
Lee was pulled from her thoughts as someone took the empty seat across from her, "Nurse Samuels what a nice surprise."
"Doctor Evans," Lee honeyed with a sweet smile, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Doctor Evans merely smiled and Lee rested her chin in her hand, taking in his kind hazel eyes and striking features, "How's the psych rotation going? Kadinsky still a hard ass?"
"Don't even get me started on Kadinsky," Lee groaned, slouching back against the chair, "I swear, I'm buried in paperwork! On top of that… I've got roughly 30 patients he wants me to assess by noon! Not to mention the new guy we got early this morning."
"Yeah I was there when he was wheeled in," Doctor Evans commented, "It was a zoo in the ER last night but I remember him. Poor guy was a mess."
Lee nodded, "And the information on his chart is so vague. I have no idea what to attribute his mental break to! It seems like it happened before the accident, but I'll get more info when Kadinsky and I visit him in an hour."
"Hey we still on for Friday?" He winked and leaned forward, "What's this going to be? Date number three?"
"Charles, I just found out I'm pulling a double shift that night," Lee looked down apologetically, "Freaking Kadinsky, he's taking over of my life!"
"Hey no worries," Charles soothed. He reached over and grabbed her hand, "How about Saturday? Nothing fancy, just a night in. I'll even cook."
Lee laughed, "The last time you tried I had to call the fire department!"
Charles pouted, but before he could answer, an orderly from the front desk burst in, "Nurse Samuels! There's an issue up at Doctor Kadinsky's office, the new patient has a brother that rushed in, bypassing the front desk."
"There's my cue!" Lee rushed to gather her things before planting a quick kiss on Charles' cheek and racing to the second floor.
"I'll stop by later!" Charles called as she whipped past the orderly. His comment echoed through the cafeteria and the other hospital staff turned their attention to him. Charles ducked his head with cheeks flushing red like a cherry.
Up on the second floor, Lee heard distance arguing.
"Sir!" A nurse yelled, "You have to sign in, you can't go in there!" A gruff voice replied but was too far for Lee to hear it clearly.
"They said talk to Kadinsky!" Lee heard the gruff voice argue as she approached the door to the doctor's office. "You Kadinsky?"
"You need to be scheduled!"
"Well then schedule me! He was in a car crash. Why the hell can't I see him?"
Lee grimaced, knowing he was bound to be a handful. A nurse threw a furrowed look as Lee brushed passed her into the office. She saw the back of a man, a few inches taller than her, leering over Kadinsky as he remained calmly seated at his desk, hands folded neatly.
"You're Sam Smith's brother?" He questioned.
"Yeah, what's going on?"
Lee's head snapped up, recognizing the voice, "Dean?" She gasped. Dean paused, ears twitching before turning around.
"Lee?" He breathed rushing forward and pulled her into a tight hug. Her heart sank as she felt all the weight of his worry crash onto her shoulders. His hands clenched the fabric of her scrubs and that all but said the fear he was feeling for his brother.
"I take it you know this man, Nurse Samuels," Kadinsky stated. He nodded to the nurse, "It's fine, you can go. Thank you."
After what felt like hours, Dean pulled away, "Where's Sammy? What happened to him?"
"Sam was admitted and treated for broken ribs and lacerations," Kadinsky replied. He opened his mouth to continued but paused, unsure how to phrase the last information.
Dean jumped from Lee to Kadsinky and back, "Okay. That's not so bad. And?"
"Sweet pea he's on our locked psychiatric floor," Lee answered gingerly, easing him with a hand on his arm.
He blink and forced down a gulp, "I mean, he's had some trouble…"
"So you're aware that Sam is experiencing a full-blown psychotic episode?" Kadinsky cut in and a raised eyebrow, "Nurse Samuels, the file please."
Lee rushed forward with Sam's file, "From what I've gathered, he's been suffering extreme insomnia. About five days so far, but we need to assess whether it's a symptom or factor of causation." She explained rapidly, casting a sympathetic eye towards Dean.
"Well, all I can say is that the sleep thing is – is kind of new." Dean muttered. He clenched his jaw wondering is this had to do with Lucifer and the broken wall in Sam's mind.
After flipping through the paperwork, Kadinsky stood up and motioned for Dean and Lee to follow him, "Right. Well we've pumped him with as much sedative as safely possible. So far, he won't go under. I've never seen anything like it."
They walked down the hallway and doctor Kadinsky scanned his card to enter the restricted psych ward, "Nurse Samuels, please escort Dean to his brother in room D-14. I have other patients to attend to first."
"Yes doctor," She replied and pulled Dean down another hallway, "Look, sweet pea, I'm sorry I didn't call but I had no idea it was Sam! All I'd done so far was read the paperwork…"
"Lee it's fine," Dean said, and they continued to walk in silence, "How long has it been anyways? Two years?"
"Just about," Lee breathed, thinking about the last night they had seen each other. Interrogating Raphael, meeting at the diner, the emotional reunion… "A lot has happened. I'm a full nurse now, just trying to get specialized at the moment… Here's D-14. I'll leave you."
"Hey wait," Dean grabbed her arm as she tried to flee, "You can stick around. I know Sam would get a kick out of seeing you." Lee bit her lip before nodding.
She followed behind Dean, "How are you feeling?" He asked carefully.
"Maybe you should cancel my UFC fight," Sam joked. He looked terrible. Lee saw the veins snaking under his ghostly skin and the heavy bags hanging under his eyes. His eyebrows raised weakly, "Lee?"
"Hey sweet pea," Lee muttered softly, stepping forward until side-by-side with Dean, "Looks like I'm you're nurse," she laughed hollowly, pointing to her hospital badge.
Sam managed a weak smile as Dean sat at the foot of his bed. An idea struck Lee and she pulled a chair next to the bed. "Sweet pea you mind if I hold your hand? I'm not promising anythin' but I'm gonna try to see what's wrong."
"Uh, I know you're the nurse and all," Dean started, scratching his head, "But aren't you supposed to run tests to diagnose him? Not just hold his hand?"
Lee parted her lips and shook her head in shock, "Sweet Jesus I never told y'all" she muttered. The brothers leaned forward, eager for her to continue, "Apparently my angel blessing allows me to do more than just sense the supernatural. I can heal people."
"Wh-what?" Dean sputtered.
"How did you find out?" Sam asked with a crinkled brow.
Lee looked down at her hands, "Since Dean got beat up tryin' to get info from Alastair…I kinda healed your cheek accidentally." She said to Dean.
"So you've known this…for years!" Dean accused, "And you never told us?"
"I was confused Dean!" She argued back, "I had just found out I'd be blessed and then your damn cheek sews itself up when I touch it… I was scared!"
"Dean stop," Sam pleaded before he could criticize more and turned to Lee, "It's okay, we understand, but I don't want you healing me."
Both Lee and Dean gawked at him, "And why not," Dean questioned.
"Sam I can help," She soothed, but Sam shook his head in refusal.
"I'm broken inside, I know it, and I don't want you risking your life trying to heal me," Sam countered, "Besides, do you even know how much you can heal? You limit? Your capacity?"
Lee shrunk back and was silent for a moment, "At least let me see what's going on. That's not gonna do me harm, but it may help assess the best thing to do for you medically!"
"Sammy," Dean said, "Please."
Lee stared at Sam, both unblinking, for a full minute before he relented and offered his hand. She placed it palm up in her left hand, but before she could grasp it with her right hand, Lee bent over as a sudden rush of panic and pain ripped through her gut.
Her gasp made Sam pull away, but Lee caught his hand with a strong grip, "Stop, just let me look," Lee wheezed. Feeling his arm relax, she resumed her hold, now expecting the wave of pain. She closed her eyes, breathing out slowly to control the hurt, searching deeper into the chaotic maze of Sam's condition.
"…You really think she can help Sammy? Think she can sprinkle some angel dust and POOF you're all better and back to playing ghostbusters with your brother…"
Lee recoiled and her chair skidded across the floor as a force pushed her back. Sam struggled to sit up, "Lee, what happened?" Dean asked in almost a shout. She looked around, slack-jawed and confused.
"Was there another person just now?"
Concern fell from Sam's face and was replaced by a trembling lip, "What do you mean?"
"I don't know…" She answered, wringing her hands together. Lee fixed her stare at an empty space by the window, "I heard someone talk, talking to you Sam. Something about me sprinkling my angel dust?"
A hiss of air escaped from Sam, "That was Lucifer, he's by the window…"
Lee furrowed her brow in shock and fear, fully aware that Lucifer was where she was staring.
"Sam, I'm gonna find you help," Dean tried to speak with confidence, but the tremble in his voice gave it away.
"I don't think it's out there, Dean." Sam exhaled and looked away.
"We don't know that!" Dean turned to Lee, "So can you do anything? Is there anything you can do?"
"I-I…" She stuttered, not looking up to meet his eye, "I don't know where to even start. Medically there isn't an explanation, but everything in there is scrambled. And there's not enough juice in me for that kind fix. I'd need the power of an angel's grace to heal him." Dean's expression hardened and Lee shrunk back in response, "I'm sorry…"
"It's not her fault Dean. There's nothing anyone can do." Sam said.
"Sam if I don't find something-"
"Then I'll die," Sam finished matter of fact, "Dean we knew this was coming."
"No." Dean stated firmly.
"When you put my soul back…"
"No."
"…Cas warned you about all the crap it would…"
"Screw Cas! Quit being Dalai frickin' Yoda about this, okay?" Dean shouted, punching his hand in his fist, "Get pissed!"
"I'm too tired," Sam sighed, "This is what happens when you throw a soul into Lucifer's dog bowl. And you think there's just gonna be some cure out there?"
Lee sat stunned in her seat, watching as Sam looked at Dean with an all telling, weary expression. Dean nodded, biting his lip. His eyes glistened for a moment before he hustled out the room with Lee hot on his heels.
"You messed with his soul!" Lee shouted in a whisper. She grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to the wall, "And what in the name of Sam Hill did he mean by being thrown in Lucifer's dog bowl?"
"You know what Lee?" Dean's lip curled and he shrugged off her grip, "You weren't there okay! You don't even know what was going on. You chose to leave and runaway and do your own thing so you don't get to criticize me."
"You're right, I don't know," Lee surrendered and took a step back, "I'm sorry, I just… I wish I could help."
"Yeah, me too…"
"Lee, hey Lee!" Both Lee and Dean turned to see another doctor walking towards them.
"Oh, Charles!" Lee said, glancing to Dean before flashing a smile to Charles.
"How's it going? I was just making a quick stop for some file…" He trailed off when he noticed Dean standing behind her. He coughed and stood taller nearly level with him, "I'm sorry, and you are?"
"Charles this is Dean," Lee stepped aside and introduced him. Dean stuck out a hand, "His brother is the psych patient. Actually they're both old friends."
Charles clasped his hand around Dean's and the shake was quick, "Nice to meet one of Lee's… friends."
Dean had a small smile but his eyes were narrowed, "Hi."
"So!" Lee shouted, causing them both to turn to her, "Um, did you want to talk about anything else? Charles?"
"No," He said finally, unable to find a good topic, "Just that I'll see you Saturday." Charles pecked her cheek and faced Dean, "Nice meeting you."
"Likewise," Dean smirked as he trailed on down the hallway. He stifled laughter and saw Charles look back twice, "Really Lee? That's guy? He's like captain boy scout supreme!"
Lee sucked in her lip and glared as Dean pointed behind him with a dorky smile, "It's none of your business Dean!"
He stuck his hands in the air, "Hey no harm, just saying he doesn't look like your type."
"And what is my type?" She feigned curiosity. Lee crossed her arms and cocked her hips to the side.
"Um…" Dean tried to cover a nervous laugh by coughing. He looked away not wanting to meet her eye and she tilted her head in waiting, "I-I'm just saying that you could do better." He explained and scratched the back of his head.
"That's sweet," Lee deadpanned, "But he's a nice and sweet guy, don't go scaring him away. And I swear Dean, if you tease me or him…" She stepped forward threateningly, "Well let's just hope no new abilities pop up, because anything else might be deadly."
"Okay, okay I get it!" He forced a laugh that quickly died down. "So you really like the guy?"
"Yeah," She mused, staring down the hall. Lee looked at Dean, "Look, I got to go meet up with Kadinsky and file some paperwork. You go and get some rest. I'll watch over Sam, don't worry."
Dean nodded and she patted his arm before walking off to the nurse station a few yards down. He waved and smiled but once Lee was looking down, Dean stuffed his hands into his pocket and pressed his lips into a thin line. His shoes scuffed the floor on his way to the exit. Dean only looked back once to see her absorbed with her files and smirked before turning the corner.
Author's Note: Alright so the next chapter should be up soon! School has been a whirlwind and with the new semester starting, it may be a while for more updates. I hope the previous flash forward chapters were fun or at least informative and a little hinting, but nothing is set in stone yet!
Thanks to anyone reading, reviews are always welcome! Bad or good I welcome the insight!