Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, or the characters.

Thanks so much for all the reviews! I've been overwhelmed by the response to this fic.

Sorry for the delay, again.

Anyways, Happy New Year! Now on with the fic.

It takes the social worker barely twenty minutes to show up in Sam's room. She quickly walks over to Dean, and extends her to him. "Hello, I'm Cate, from social work. You are...?" She enquires in a casual tone, putting Dean at ease.

Dean shakes her hand, relieved to get a relaxed worker. "Dean. Sam's brother."

"Good to meet you." Cate then motions toward Sam's unconscious form, and says. "How is he going?"

Sighing, Dean tells her. "I don't know, the docs didn't say much."

Cate pulls a chair over, and sits down next to Dean. "I'll get one of the doctors to come talk to you when we're done, okay?"

Finally looking away from Sam, Dean looks over at Cate, and gratefully says. "Thank you."

Then getting back to business, Cate enquires. "Is it alright if I ask you some questions?"

Almost as a reflex, Dean stiffens. He forces himself to relax before he replies. "Okay."

"Are you and Sam close?" Cate asks Dean.

Dean laughs at this; until a few months ago he would have said yes without hesitation, but now... "Not lately. Our Dad's been gone a lot, and when he was here, Sam would start fights, eventually Dad just didn't come back. I blamed Sam, we haven't been talking in the last few months."

Cate nods knowingly, feeling sorry for this young man in front of her who clearly has more to deal with than anyone his age should. "So you haven't seen your father in months?"

Dean merely nods exhaustedly.

"That must have been tough." Cate sympathizes, she then asks. "The nurses told me that you were the one who found your brother. Can you tell me about that?"

"..." Dean hesitates before answering. "I came home, and Sam had left all his stuff in the doorway, and there was water coming from under the bathroom door. I yelled out to him, I was pissed off. We can't afford to lose the deposit, you know?"

"I know. What happened next?"

Dean sighs, and glances at Sam's body, he then says. "I stormed over to the bathroom, the door was locked, and Sam wasn't answering me. I kicked down the door, and then..." He swallows hard, and angrily wipes away the tears that threaten to fall. "...I found him ...there was so much blood, I thought he was dead."

"Oh god." Cate whispers before she can mask her shock at hearing this, and tells him something that she thinks he will be glad to hear. "The nurses told me that you're worried that Sam will be placed in foster care."

Dean, who is now turned to face Sam, nods.

"Well, from talking to you I can tell that you care about your brother. So I don't think it will be a problem for you to get guardianship of Sam. If that's what you want."

"Of course it is." Dean says quickly, then more quietly he adds. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Cate replies before gathering her bag, and walking out of the room.

It is early the next morning before Sam begins to regain consciousness. Dean is resting in an uncomfortable armchair in the corner of the room, the strain of the past day having caught up with him.

The first thing Sam is aware of as he wakes up is a tube protruding from his mouth, he panics, he can't breathe.

He tries to pull out the offending tube, but quickly discovers that his arms are tied down.

Within seconds, Dean appears at his side. He must have heard Sam struggling. Dean takes Sam's hands in his, and reassuringly tells him. "Calm down, Sam. You're alright, just relax."

Dean continues to soothe Sam until Kristy and a doctor hurry into the room a minute later.

About five minutes later, they are alone again, and Sam is free from the ventilator, but still held firmly by the restraints. Sam can tell that they've given him some pretty strong medications, and they're making it hard for Sam it think.

Why am I here?

I know I should remember.

Damn it!

Sam looks up at his brother, and when he sees tears in his eyes it only adds to his panic.

What happened?

Did something go wrong on a hunt?

No, we haven't been on a hunt in months.

Then what-

Then, suddenly assaulted by realization and memories, Sam pitches forward, and throws up all over the bed.

TBC...

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