Who am I?

Disclaimer: I don't own the show Supernatural or the characters I just like to play with Sam and Dean and then send them home again.

CHAPTER 15

'Did you really think it was that easy?' a cruel voice shattered the illusion of a peaceful sleep, 'I gave you your mind back, but as for your memories no not just yet.'

'Get away from us.' Sam warned in a low growl standing protectively in front of Dean's still body.

'Sammy, Sammy, Sammy when will you learn you cannot possibly fight me and win.'

'And when will you learn that it's Sam not Sammy.'

'When you learn just how painful being called Sam is.' The demon laughed, 'you protest about your name so how will you feel that when anyone calls you by Sam the pain will be unbearable.'

'You're delusional Dude.' Sam spat out, hiding his own fear behind a wall of fiery anger.

'Careful Sammy, I hold your memories in my hand, I can easily crush them.'

'I can already remember the important stuff so go ahead and do your worst.'

'The foolishness of youth.' The demon sighed before he vanished leaving Sam alone in his head, the latest threat still echoing in his mind, 'you protest about your name so how will you feel that when anyone calls you by Sam the pain will be unbearable.'

Sam woke screaming in pure agony, his eyes wide and diluted, his face devoid of any colour. Terrified he stared around the room, he watched Dean slowly rousing himself from a drug induced sleep, the look of confusion written across Bobby's face as he stumbled through the door. 'Sam?' he mumbled his voice filled with the dredges of sleep. 'Sam what's wrong?'

Sam's body arched and convulsed, tears fell unaided down his face as he tried to quell his own pain and fear. He couldn't take it anymore, the pain ate at him like a cancerous tumour, shuddering and shivering Sam tried to focus on Dean's face but he saw nothing except smudges and lines. Another pain-filled scream wrenched from his body filled the early morning silence.

'What happened Bobby?' Dean asked reaching out to try and get a grip on Sam, to stop him from thrashing around and hurting himself even more.

'Dunno he woke me when he started to scream,' Bobby said distractedly watching Dean's futile efforts to calm his brother. 'Did he hurt himself?'

'No, no he was lucid when we went to bed last night,' Dean said his voice filled with his own private agony, 'he even patched me up and got me to bed.'

'Damn it Dean ... can you smell it?'

Dean stopped trying to calm Sam to stare at the older man, carefully he sniffed the air and inhaled deeply, 'sulphur.' They said in unison.

Sam stopped writhing and laid still on the bed, his eyes wide and watching never leaving Deans' face. His breathes coming in long drawn out shudders, and his tears still fell down his ashen face. Terrified of what would happen when either man said his name again Sam tried to speak but only soft puffs of empty air were expelled his voice stayed frozen in his throat.

'Sam?' Dean asked again, horrified as another fit assailed his brother's body, the convulsions lasting longer, but the ear-shattering screams were now only soft pitiful mewls of pain. 'Sammy?' Dean whispered brushing his brother's hair back from his sweaty face, 'Sammy can you hear me?'

Sam gulped in a few deep breathes and nodded his head slightly; unsure of anything else he knew that the hated childhood nickname was the only thing that would now keep him pain-free and sane.

Painfully Dean managed to pull himself up and back until his upper back and shoulders rested against the headboard of his bed, a pile of pillows stuffed between him and it protected his injuries. Sam clung to his arm refusing to let go, he stared at Dean with wide eyes, exhaustion and fear fought for domination of his facial features, but he refused to give in. fearing that as soon as he did then the demon could get at Dean.

'Fuck Bobby he was doing so well last night he remembered the most important things and even had a small childhood memory, now look at him.' Dean's anger started to roil inside of him, 'now he's practically catatonic again.'

'Dean, say Sammy again.' Bobby wrote the message down and handed it to the older brother. Dean frowned as he read it and then glared up at the elder hunter. 'Amuse me.' He said simply.

'Hey Sammy you doing okay?' Dean asked gently not wanting to startle the young man.

Sam nodded his gaze shifting from the face of Dean to Bobby's and then back again as Bobby passed Dean another note. 'Now say Sam.'

Again, Dean frowned at Bobby but did as he asked, as soon as Dean uttered the shortened version of the name, Sam started to scream and writhe in absolute agony. The attack lasting infinitely longer than the last. Exhausted and agony ridden Sam's eyes closed and he drifted off into a dreamless state, not quite asleep but not awake.

'Fuck!' Dean cussed frustrated; the demon was back true to his word. Dean did as the demon asked or rather forced him to do, and got Sam's mind back and now all bets were off again.

'I gotta get Sammy outta here for your sake Bobby.' Dean muttered trying to stand up.

'Aint gonna happen Dean,' Bobby said firmly, 'the three of us are in this together.'

'Bobby if he has infiltrated ... you're in danger man.'

'Hey when aren't I? especially around you Winchesters now suck it up and get used to it Dean you and Sam are ...' as soon as Bobby said it his face fell and realisation hit him. They turned to see Sam writhing on the bed, his body shaking with tremors as another induced form of pain attacked him.

'This is impossible.' Dean sighed wearily, 'fuck it all I'm sick of this.'

A maniacal laugh permeated the air making Dean's and Bobby's skin crawl, 'show yourself you bastard.' Bobby yelled out frustrated, 'leave these boys alone and show yourself you cowardly bastard.'

'Bobby?' Dean breathed shocked to see the normally stoic hunter, emotional and past angry.

'Dean get yourself downstairs, I'll get Sammy.' Bobby ordered snapping into complete hunter mode.

'Bobby...'

'Now Dean ... the basement now.' Bobby carefully picked the tall young man up slinging him unceremoniously over his shoulder followed Dean downstairs to his fortified basement.

Locking the reinforced door after them Bobby went and lowered Sam on to one of the portable stretcher beds against the wall, covering him with a blanket he brushed the long strands of hair from Sam's face in a fatherly gesture before turning his attention back to Dean. 'Okay son lie down on the bed over there by your brother and try to get some rest.'

'Bobby no...' Dean tried to protest but the look on Bobby's face silenced him.

'The pair of you are under a devil's trap, I got salt ringing both beds, you're safe down here.'

'What about you?'

'I'm gonna be right back, just going to lock up the house and get us some food and coffee.'

'Don't forget our drugs dude,' Dean winked at him, 'hey Bobby.'

'Yeah what is it?'

'Thanks for everything.' Dean said smothering a yawn. 'For both me and Sammy, I don't know what we would do if ...'

'Don't talk, rest, coz I do not do warm and fuzzy.' Bobby growled disappearing through the door, locking the boys into the basement before he picked up his rifle and headed upstairs.

Dean sighed and lied down on his side facing Sam, his brother's eyes open and staring but no recognition remained in them. He was worse now than when Dean first found him in the hospital so many months ago.

'I am so sorry Sammy, I can't protect you ... truth be told I guess I have never been able to protect you have I?'

'Dean?' Sammy whispered, 'my Dean?'

Bobby finished sweeping the area, leaving traps and salt lines as a precaution against any demonic visitors before he set about fixing food and drink for them. Filling four thermoses full of steaming hot black coffee, he grabbed two six packs of 'holy water' beer from the fridge and then bagged up the sandwiches and bowls of stew. It would have to do for now. The brothers had to rest and regain their strength to finish this fight.

Resolutely straightening his shoulders, Bobby turned off all of the lights, set the alarms, picked up the box of food and drinks, slung his rifle over his free shoulder and headed downstairs to wait it out with his two 'sons'.

Dean moved protectively in front of Sam when he heard the key turning in the lock, a sly grin formed on his face as he saw Bobby coming down the last few steps juggling weaponry and food. 'Christo.'

'Damn it Dean don't startle me like that.' Bobby snarled without malice at the younger man. 'Nearly dropped the beer.'

'Damn sorry Bobby.'

'So how's Sammy going?'

'Okay, he's awake ... if you can call it that.' Dean said softly. Pouring a cup of coffee he went over to Sam's bed and sat on the edge, 'want a sip?'

Sam nodded his head and tried to sip the hot strongly flavoured liquid, he managed to down some but the rest dribbled down his chin. His face fell when he saw the growing brown stain on his white T-shirt.

'Hey Dude look at me, don't worry bout it.' Dean said softly, 'now drink up and I'll see what food Bobby is gonna poison us with.'

'Hey I heard that.' Bobby announced from his lookout perch at the top of the stairs.

'Want something?' Dean called back, 'hot or cold.'

'Sandwich and a beer.' Bobby replied, 'try and give Sammy the stew it might be easier for him.'

As Dean and Bobby munched on the sandwiches, Dean tried to feed Sammy. Stubborn and angry at being treated like an infant Sam wanted to try and feed himself but his frozen body wouldn't respond, the left side of his body numb from head to toe made it virtually impossible, even for him to sit up for long periods of time was an effort.

Broken and unable to fend for himself Sam finally relented and let Dean finish feeding him, some food sliding out of the frozen side of his mouth, tears fell down his cheeks cooling the heat of his humiliation.

'Ah Sammy what's he done to you now?' Dean muffled quietly, realising that the extreme pain caused Sam's blood pressure to sky rocket precipitating the stroke. His numbed and paralysed left side and slurred words a dead giveaway.

Sam watched his brother carefully, seeing the realisation hit him, trapped in his paralysed body Sam was alert and intact, unable to articulate the fact his frustration levels rose. 'Dean.' He sighed, 'I'm fine.' He placed his good hand on top of Dean's and gave him an odd looking but warm smile. 'Still me in here.'

'I know Sammy, I know so how about one more airplane coming into land?' Dean grinned teasing his brother with one more spoonful of food. Grimacing Sam swallowed the last of the stew and pointed to the cup of coffee. 'I – I can.'

Wrapping Sam's good hand around the cup, Dean stayed close by and watched him carefully sip the drink, keeping the lip of the cup away from the numb side of his mouth. 'G-good.'

'That's my boy.' Dean smiled and patted Sam's arm, standing slowly he tried to walk over to his own bed, when the pain flared in his lower back pressing on the nerves, his legs turned to jelly and no longer held his weight.

'Dean.' Sam cried out as loud as he could, trying to get his unyielding body to work enough to get his brother he let out a grunt of frustration when he toppled sideways.

'Sam no.' Dean muttered horrified when he saw Sam start to convulse, 'nooo Sammy.'

Bobby raced down from his post and took in the scene in his stride, easily he helped Dean up onto his own bed and then he rushed to check on Sam. this time the attack was mercifully quick and left Sam breathless but still conscious.

'Dammit Bobby it's totally, freaking fucked.' Dean screamed aggravated to the point of incoherency.

'Dean?' Sam's soft call cut through Dean's temper tantrum and he turned his darkened green eyes towards his younger brother, pushing the anger away with just one glance at the pitiful look on Sam's face.

'Ah damn it Sammy it's not fair ... why you? Why is it always you?'

'Dean ... don' ... I'm ...fine.' Sam slurred out, deliberately pushing himself up with his good arm he pulled his numb one to his chest and then carefully swung his dead leg and good leg over the edge of the bed. 'See ... fine.'

'Sammy ...'

'No ... Dean ... I'm ... fine.'

'We're both fine Sammy,' Dean relented when he saw the effort it took Sam just to sit up for him, 'we're both gonna be fine.'

'Yep.' Sam grinned lopsidedly and then glanced up at Bobby, 'all ... of ... us ... gonna ... be.'

TBC