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.

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Author's Note: My most heartfelt apologies to those of you who took the time to review and I didn't get a chance to respond in person, I had a real life emergency this week and got side-tracked big time, so a big hug and apology to all of you!!!

(((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))

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CHAPTER 17

Sam sat stiffly in the passenger seat as Dean drove as carefully as he could towards the hospital. Every few minutes he risked a glance at his brother. Still pale and wincing with every jolt of the car but remained stoic and alert.

'Sammy how did you know about Bobby?'

'I – I'm not sure, it was not a vision but not a dream...'

'Okay, we're nearly there ... you okay?'

'Fine ... I'm sore but fine Dean please don't worry 'bout me.'

'Sammy ... okay but you tell me if you need some pain relief or anything okay?'

They drove the rest of the way to the hospital in a comfortable silence with Dean keeping a surreptitious eye on Sam. Finding a car park just near the main doors Dean ran around the impala and was there at the passenger's door to help Sam out, 'how do you want to do this Sammy?' He asked wanting to take his cues of Sam to ease his little brother back into some sort of normality.

'I argh, I dunno Dean,' sweat beads decorated Sam's forehead and upper lip as he tried to put weight on his previously numb leg.

'Wait here.' Dean directed Sam as he ran into the hospital and reappeared mere minutes later with a wheelchair, 'your chariot awaits Sir.'

'Dean I'm not...'

'That or you stay in the car with the windows up and the doors locked.' Dean threatened cocking his eye brow at his brother openly daring Sam to defy him.

'Well you just gonna stand there or you gonna help me?' Sam asked heaving a sigh knowing that when Dean looked like that there was no use arguing with him.

'That's my boy.' Dean grinned helping his partially paralysed brother into the chair.

When they entered the hospital two very worried looking young nurses raced to Sam's aid, with a blush and shy smile Sam politely let them know that he was fine and that they were there to see their foster-father. Dean grinned and managed to get their phone numbers for future reference, never know when he and Sam needed personal medical attention. The two girls went back to the nurses station giggling and glancing back at the extremely good looking brothers.

'Wait here Sammy.' Dean said patting Sam's shoulder while he went to find out about Bobby; moments later, he came back with a grim look on his face. 'He's still in surgery.'

'Dean if Bobby...'

'Don't Sammy, please don't say it, Bobby knew the risks when he went out to get food he did everything he could to protect us.'

'yeah but...'

'No buts Sammy, now we just have to wait do you want anything a coffee or something to eat?'

'Coffee?'

'No probs I'll just park you over here away from the door and be right back, the machine is just down the hall.'

'I'll be fine Dean.' Sam gave his brother a tremulous smile in reassurance before returning his attention to the book he had clasped in his hands tightly. 'I'll just read until you come back.'

'Okay, but Dude you need me...'

'I'll yell now go already.' Sam opened his book and determinedly pulled his gaze away from Dean. Sighing dramatically, Dean headed down the hallway to get two coffees from the machine and grabbed sandwiches while he was there. Deciding that Sam really needed to eat something as well.

As he rounded the corner of the waiting lounge, he saw Sam arguing heatedly with an older man. His brother's face red with anger and frustration showed pinched lines of pain as well. The older man stood over Sam waving fists at him and seemed determined not to give in anytime soon.

'What the fuck are you doing to my brother?' Dean demanded putting the food and hot drinks on the side table and grabbing the man's arm.

'He's taking up the wheelchair; a strapping young man like that doesn't need a wheelchair he can sit like the rest of us on the seats.'

'Dude chill it's just a wheelchair I'm sure that the hospital has plenty.'

'Aint right, younguns like this should be up and about.' The man grabbed Sam's arm and tried to drag him out of the chair, his anger blinding him to the obvious pain he was causing Sam.

'Look Mister I asked you nicely and now I'm telling you, leave my brother alone.' Dean hissed pushing the man away from Sam and placing himself between them.

'Get outta that chair you young wimp, stop hiding behind your brother and be a man.'

'What is your problem Dude?' Dean demanded, 'Sammy can have that wheelchair or anyone he freaking well wants and aint nothing you can do about it.'

'Dean, please it's alright I'll sit on the couch.' Sam's soft voice came from behind; spinning around Dean managed to catch Sam just as he started to topple forward.

'Told ya the kid don't need that chair.' The old man crowed as he saw Sam get up, 'nothing but a spoiled brat.'

'That tears it,' Dean snarled he gently pushed Sam back into the chair and span around with his fist ready to swing.

'What's going on here?' A gruff voice bellowed startling all of them.

'This manic started abusing my brother,' Dean snapped refusing to take his eyes off the man, his fist still ready to strike.

'Mister Randal leave these boys alone.' The security guard intervened, 'I think you had better go on home Sir.'

'Aint right, younguns like that foxing look at him, big and strong aint nothing wrong with him.' The older man spat out his spittle spraying over the security guard's chest.

'Okay Mister Randal come on, time for you to go.' The guard took the old man's arm and dragged him away from the Winchester brothers, 'I'll be back in a moment.' He said over his shoulder.

Finally relaxing when the guard and the old man disappeared outside Dean crouched down in front of Sam checking his brother carefully. 'What happened Sammy?'

'I dunno really, I was reading and he just started ranting at me.' Sam said sadly staring down the way the old man was taken, 'he was so angry and so sad.'

'Dude, you did nothing wrong and you have nothing to be ashamed of, he doesn't know you or what happened to you.' Dean said cupping Sam's neck in his hand he made his brother meet his steady gaze, 'don't you dare feel guilty about being hurt and in pain.'

'Excuse me,' the guard cleared his throat clearly not wanting to disturb the young men any further, 'Mister Randal won't be bothering you anymore.'

'Thanks, why ... why was he so angry when he saw me?'

The guard sighed as he saw the obvious distress Sam was in and the anger bubbling still under Dean's skin. The kid could barely contain himself. 'I'm not going to have to have you leave to am I?' he asked staring at Dean.

'No Sir.' Dean's sullen reply came.

'Good, now can I have your names please and why you're here?'

'Dean and Sammy Singer, our foster-father was in a car accident, he's still in surgery.' Dean explained without hesitation.

'Ah yeah I saw him when they brought him in, I am sorry guys,' the guard's hard features softened as he looked at the brothers, 'the last thing you needed was old Mister Randal.'

'What is his problem?'

'His son Mark was a great high school footballer, he got a full ride to Notre Dame, when he ... a bad tackle broke his back. His father went into denial and refused to believe that Mark wasn't going to walk let alone play football again. He did everything he could think of to get Mark out of the wheelchair, completely lost it and beat the boy senseless, accusing him of being lazy and foxing his injuries to shame the family.'

'Wow that's awful,' Sam said his empathy shining brightly around him like an aura, 'what happened to his son?'

'Not long after he got out of hospital, he was found in the middle of the school football field ... shot himself ... his father completely lost it, now he seems to hang around here waiting for his son to be released and well every so often he goes at young people in wheelchairs.' The guard stopped speaking and looked pointedly at Sam, 'I am sorry young man.'

'That's okay,' Sam replied quietly, 'I'm only borrowing the chair here, I've ah got ah...'

'The doctors said that he's sustained nerve damage, his left side is paralysed but thankfully it is only temporary the doc said he should eventually get full use back.' Dean finished for Sam placing a protective hand on his brother's shoulder. 'We thought it was a stroke at first but thankfully...'

'Don't worry about old Mister Randal kid,' the guard looked down at Sam, 'you just concentrate on getting well enough to get outta that chair.'

'Yes Sir,' Sam managed a small smile but it quickly faded replaced by a pain-filled scowl.

'Son are you alright?'

'Sammy what is it?' Dean asked crouching back down to Sam's eye level.

'Hurts Dean, hurts so bad.' Sam whispered clutching at Dean with his good hand he rode out the pain, panting with exhaustion when it finally passed.

'Want me to get the doctor?' the guard asked worriedly.

'No, no thanks.' Sam replied quickly, 'Dean's got my pain meds, thanks for everything though.'

'No probs at all, you two need anything just give me a yell. The name's Nathan Washburn.'

'Thanks Mister Washburn,' Sam said respectively holding out a shaking hand.

Nathan took it and squeezed it gently, 'pleasure Sammy and the name is Nathan okay.'

Sam nodded and rested his head against the back of the chair as Dean thanked the security guard known as Nathan.

'Hey Sammy you still with me?' Dean asked softly when the guard finally left.

'Yeah.' Sam sighed opening his eyes and squinting up at Dean, 'I'm good.'

'Got your pain meds here with your coffee.' Dean pressed the pills into Sam's hand and held the cup for him to sip the fast cooling coffee.

'Thanks.' Sam said as he sat back in the wheelchair and tried to get comfortable, 'I feel so sorry for that old man and his son.'

'Dude he abused his kid to the point of causing him to suicide. I wouldn't be surprised that the kid is getting a bit of his own back.'

'You think a haunting?'

'Don't Sammy, don't even go there, we got one thing to deal with and that's more than enough.' Dean warned him trying to keep his rising anger out of his voice.

'Family for Robert Singer?' A doctor called out breaking into the boy's fledgling argument.

'Here,' Dean answered pushing Sam closer to the doctor, 'I'm Dean and this is my brother Sammy, we're Bobby's foster-sons.'

'Doctor Whitfield, now Mister Singer is out of surgery and is in recovery the operation went well and we are expecting a full recovery.'

'What, what were his injuries?' Sam asked fearful for their lifelong friend and unofficially adopted father.

'No one as spoken to you yet?' the doctor asked frowning.

'Nope nada, doc so if you can enlighten us it would be great.' Dean said putting his hand back on Sam's shoulder, knowing that both of them needed the physical connection.

'Your foster-father crashed head on into a tree; from all accounts he swerved deliberately to miss an oncoming car.' The doctor paused for a second to let his words sink in, 'he sustained a severe concussion, two broken ribs, a dislocated hip, and two breaks in his right leg. They had to operate on his leg and had to place screws in the bone to hold it together. He's heavily sedated for the pain and will be in the CCU for the next twenty-four hours, if all goes well then he will be downgraded to the general surgical ward after that.'

'Why CCU doc?' Dean asked, his fingers digging into Sam's shoulder though neither of them noticed.

'While his surgery went well, he did have some complications...'

'What do you mean by that?' Dean demanded frustrated by the doctor's seemingly cavalier attitude.

'He did go into cardiac arrest during the procedure. The surgical team worked quickly and had him back in normal rhythm without further complications.'

'Cardiac arrest?' Sam whispered his face paling to a sickly creamy colour. 'Is – is he alright now?'

'He will be on a heart monitor for the next twenty-four hours as well as medication and broad-spectrum antibiotics through his IV. His prognosis is looking good boys, you have to understand that.'

'Thanks doc,' Dean murmured, 'when can we see him?'

'After he is settled in CCU I will send his nurse for you, are there any other family members who should be contacted?'

'No, no just us.' Dean said his voice cracking with pent up emotions.

An hour later an officious looking nurse came for the brothers and guided them up to the CCU and into Bobby's room, after cautioning them not to stay very long and to make sure that he remains calm at all times she left the three hunters alone.

Dean wheeled Sam's wheelchair as close as possible to the bed before going around to the other side not wanting to disturb any of the tubes, leads and other medical paraphernalia attached to Bobby.

'Hey Bobby we're here for ya.' He whispered bending down closer to Bobby's ear, 'Sammy and I are here for ya.'

'Dean?' Bobby blinked and tried to focus on the older brother, 'what the hell you doin' here?'

'Good to see you too Bobby,' Dean grinned, 'we had to come Bobby, so don't argue, you're our foster-father after all.'

'Oh okay, so as your father I'm ordering you to take your brother home and get back in that protected area.' Bobby whispered angrily.

'Hey old man, you're not allowed to get upset, you have to remain calm.'

'Calm be damned, want me calm? Then the two of you get back to safety and I don't have to worry bout the pair of ya.'

'Damn Bobby you scared us.' Dean glanced over at Sam and noticed the glassy shine to Sam's eyes, 'Sammy hey dude you with us?'

'Huh?' Sam blinked and squinted at Dean and Bobby, 'oh just tired that's all.'

'That tears it, you git home the pair of ya.' Bobby ordered, 'or I'll get outta this bed and kick ya buts back there myself.'

'Okay we're going, but you have them call us for anything Bobby I mean it, damn it Bobby he's nobbled all three of us now.'

'Not for long son, not for long,' Bobby slurred as his eyelids grew heavier, 'just gonna nap now.'

'We're outta here, take care old man.' Dean patted Bobby's arm affectionately, 'ready Sammy?'

'Yeah, take care Bobby please.' Sam whispered squeezing Bobby's hand with his good one before letting Dean wheel him out of the small CCU room.

TBC