Disclaimer: refer to chapter one

NOTE TO READERS: Thank you for the reviews of chapter one. I was happy to read the various comments regarding the use of Ellen and Jo in this story. Of course, I provided my general views/thoughts about them and the roadhouse in chapter one. I can allay any fears from a couple reviewers concerning the girls … this story will not at any point turn into a character assignation of either Ellen or Jo.

Chapter Two

Leaning into Trust

By Dawn Nyberg

"Dammit! Where's Sam?" He hissed as his heart hammered against his sternum.

"Calm down," Jo raised her tone. "He's two rooms down, okay? My mom's with him." Jo assured.

"How bad is he hurt?" Dean's eyes were pleading. Jo debated on how much to tell him and then she wasn't so sure she should be the one to do it. She stood up.

"I'll get my mom, okay? I'll sit with Sam until she's done talking to you." Dean reached a weak hand out to her and grabbed her wrist gently as she past by the bed.

"Please," he hated that his voice sounded like he was begging, but he had to know.

"I'll get my mom," her eyes conveyed some hidden fear to Dean and he knew it was bad. So bad she couldn't find it in herself to tell him. He released her wrist. Jo hurried down to Sam's room. Ellen's eyes shot up to meet her daughter's.

"Is it Dean?" she asked urgently. "Has something happened?"

"Mom it's alright," Jo replied. "He's awake. He wants to know about Sam." Jo cast her eyes toward Sam's still form in the bed. "You need to tell him. I can't. I'll stay with Sam." Ellen hated leaving the young man's side afraid he'd slip away while not under her watchful eye. Things hadn't improved and his blood counts continued to drop and the blood transfusions and fluids seemed almost constant. Ellen stood up.

"Joanna Beth," her voice assertive. "You stay with him and if anything at all happens you come get me understand?"

"Okay."

Ellen walked to Dean's room. His eyes were closed and his mouth drawn tight in pain when she walked in. Her motherly button was immediately pushed. "He needs some pain medication or something," she barked to a resident filling out a chart. Dean opened his eyes when her heard Ellen's voice and saw her pointing to his room. "Dean," she spoke firmly. "Hun, they are going to give you something for the pain, okay?"

"Ellen, please…" his voice begged. "Sam? How is he?" He didn't care that his chest and abdomen felt like a white hot poker was twisting inside him. She sat down and edged the chair up to the bed. Dean tried to move and hissed despite his best efforts.

"Stop Dean," she barked. "Now you lay still boy," she commanded. "You've been seriously hurt and moving around isn't good."

"I don't care about me. Dammit, what's wrong with Sammy?" Before Ellen could answer him a nurse came in and injected some pain medication into Dean's IV.

"This should take the edge off. We're trying not to sedate you until we've had your concussion reevaluated after waking up." The young nurse replied softly. Ellen and Dean both acknowledged her with a nod.

"Dean," Ellen began. She knew she had to cut to the chase with Dean. "Sam's in rough shape. He had surgery for internal bleeding, but there were some complications in surgery and they had to close him up." She watched Dean and could see he was hanging on every word, so she continued when he asked no questions. "They found a laceration on the back side of his liver, but they couldn't suture it."

"Why not?" Ellen took a steadying breath.

"Because Sam's heart stopped during surgery and he was too weak for them to keep operating. They are hoping the laceration clots itself off, but things aren't looking too great. His blood counts are still dropping and he's still requiring blood transfusions. They'll probably be taking him back into surgery at some point. I haven't heard yet." Ellen paused. "Dean when I got here this morning they told me that Sam's heart had stopped again later last night once he was back in his room. But, he's fighting."

"I want to see him." Before she could respond Dean and Sam's doctor interrupted them.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible Mr. Connors. You're in no shape to move right now and in doing so you could put your health at risk."

"Call me Dean." He replied. "And, you're not hearing me," Dean's tone was deadly. "I want to see my brother. I don't give a rat's ass about myself." The doctor offered a knowing smile.

"I understand the need," he assured. "I do, but your contusions are quite severe. You're being monitored for the possible development of internal bleeding and moving around could cause a complication that would send you to the OR, and that's something I'm trying to avoid." The doctor decided to use his trump card. "You won't be any good to your brother if you send yourself into surgery."

The doctor gave Dean a neuro exam at his bed. "Your aunt has been a task master while you were unconscious," the doctor smiled at Ellen. "She's been keeping the staff on their toes where you and your brother were concerned." Dean shared a look with Ellen, but didn't contradict the mention of her as their aunt. "I'm going to order another CT for you to be on the safe side."

"My," Dean began and paused. "My, Uh, aunt said Sam might need more surgery because his liver is cut or something."

The doctor looked from Dean to Ellen and back to the young man. "It's been decided that he will need the surgery and they will be prepping him within the hour to go back into surgery. His counts continue to drop. We had hoped his body would have more of a chance to recoup, but realistically it isn't happening. His vitals are getting more erratic and weak."

"Dr. Rosen," Ellen interjected. She felt like a cold hard rock had just been dropped into her stomach. "But, if he's so weak," she stopped. "Are you sure?"

"No options really at this point. The abdominal ultra sound we did early this morning has confirmed some other problems, but I wanted to make sure and had the scans analyzed."

"What problems?" Both Ellen and Dean asked in unison.

"His blood counts are low and he's developing some clotting difficulties. We've detected signs that a few of the internal sutures are seeping and he is losing additional blood. And, the most recent scan from two hours ago indicated that there may be an immerging bleeding problem from his spleen."

"Why was that missed before?" Ellen felt like she was about to go on the war path. If the doctors had missed something and Sam died … God help these people. Her mind was already plotting.

"It wasn't really missed," the doctor countered. "It was another hidden laceration that had successfully clotted off on its own before we opened him. Now, that his blood counts are dropping and with the constant transfusions the clot has apparently begun to degrade and he has signs of active bleeding from the spleen."

"Doc," Dean's voice was firm. "Look, all this medical stuff I appreciate it, but I just want to know about my brother. He's weak, but he's going to be okay once he's fixed up, right?"

"I'm not going to lie to you," the doctor began. "Your brother is in extremely critical condition Dean. We're doing everything that is medically possible for him." Dean looked away knowing silently what he was saying. Sammy could die. He took a breath and met the doctor's eyes.

"Doc, please is there some way I can see Sam before the surgery? It's just…" The doctor knew that the odds weren't with the younger brother surviving the surgery, and this brief visit may be the older brother's last chance to see his little brother alive, albeit unconscious and on life support.

"Alright," he conceded. "But, we're going to have to move you carefully into a wheel chair, okay? And, you let the nurse and aide do all of the work. I don't want you straining unnecessarily."

"Whatever you say Doc," Dean agreed. "I just want to see my brother."

"I'll go get your nurse and an aide to help. Now just stay as you are and I'll be back to help get you to your brother's room. The visit won't be long."

"I'll take what I can get," Dean conceded.

Twenty Minutes Later, Sam's ICU Room

Dean sat alone with Sam holding his cool slack hand in his own. "Geez, Sammy," Dean smiled softly. "You get that damn cast off three weeks ago, and you can't wait to get hurt again," he chided softly as he stroked his brother's hand. "I'm sorry I screwed up Sammy. It's my fault you were hurt. It should be me in this shape and not you." Dean stared at all of the equipment keeping his brother alive and tried to ignore the constant click and whoosh noise from the ventilator breathing for his little brother. He watched the unsteady blips crossing the heart monitor screen. He saw Sam's heart rate fluctuate between 54 and 50. He knew Sam was clinging, he was fighting, but for how long. "Please, Sammy," Dean's voice caught in his throat. Large tears welled and broke rolling down his cheeks. "Sammy, I can't lose you, too. You hear me? I can't," his voice pleaded and suddenly his tone dropped … urgent … angry … and then emphatically, "I won't."

"Dean," Ellen's voice was soft at the doorway. "They're here to take Sam to surgery." Dean cast his eyes toward the woman and nodded.

"You hold on Sammy," Dean squeezed his little brother's hand gently. He leaned forward despite the pain that laced through him as he did so and whispered into Sam's ear. Private words meant only for the two brothers. "Don't leave me, kiddo." Dean ran a hand through his brother's long and unruly bangs. Dean watched the OR staff take his brother away until he was out of sight.

"Dean," Ellen hazarded a touch. She placed her hand on his shoulder trying to offer some kind of support. Dean looked at her, but didn't withdraw from the tentative touch she offered. "The doctor wants you back in bed," she encouraged. The nurse and aide walked in to wheel him back to his room. Dr. Rosen appeared in the doorway.

"Okay, let's get you back to your room."

Dean was resettled in his room. "I'm going to order an ultra sound and a new blood count just to be on the safe side. I want to make sure you didn't do any more damage."

"Doc," Dean stopped the man before he left his room. "When will we know about Sam?"

"The surgery could take a few hours depending on the additional bleeders that may have developed. When I have any news I'll let you know. The CT staff will be up in an hour to take you down on a gurney for a new scan."

"I want to be here for information," Dean complained.

"There won't be any updates for a while and you need this."

"Dean just let them," Ellen encouraged from the door making an attempt not to sound like she was trying to dictate to him. Jo stood quietly behind her mother.

Two Hours Later

Ellen and Dean sat in a slightly tense, yet companionable silence. Jo had gone to get her mother a coffee in the cafeteria. "Dean," Ellen decided to break the silence and tension.

"Yeah," he answered absently. His CT scan had been negative and there hadn't been any complications from his short visit to see Sam before he left for surgery. He was in a lot of pain, but had declined anything stronger until he had word about his little brother.

"This isn't the time, but I'm not sure there ever would be," she began. "Hell," she grumbled. "This isn't coming out right."

"It's okay," Dean offered without looking at Ellen.

"No," she replied. "Look, Jo took out her anger out on you, and I shouldn't have told her, I… it's just that almost losing her on that hunt. I just…"

"I kept my promise," Dean answered quietly. Ellen smiled despite her best effort not to.

"Yeah, yeah you did," she replied. "Dean, I was wrong to say what I did. You boys aren't to blame for anything. And, if you hadn't been there for Jo," she paused. "I would have lost my daughter."

"I lied to you back then. I should have hauled her ass right back to the roadhouse. It was my fault she was taken," Dean offered.

"Yes, her ass should have been hauled back, but what is done is done. And," Ellen looked at Dean. "If it happens again I will kick your ass into the next decade. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Dean answered. "Thanks," his voice soft.

"For what?"

"Sitting with Sammy when I couldn't and for bein' there."

"No thanks needed. Look I know I had a rocky history with your daddy, but I really did mean it when I said John was like family once. And, you boys," Ellen met Dean's eyes. "Your John's boys and despite anything else … I got your backs. I know you and I haven't exactly been like butter and toast, but I'd like to try." Ellen paused a moment. "Trust doesn't come easy for our kind," she looked at Dean. He understood what she was implying. Trust didn't come easy among hunters and family of hunters. "But, I'd like to try," she offered. Dean nodded.

"How do you think Sammy's surgery is going? It's been two hours." Dean changed the subject. He had allowed the small mental distraction of casual conversation, but now his mind returned to thoughts of his brother.

"I'm sure when there is some news Dr. Rosen will tell us."

Meanwhile, the OR

"Dammit this kid's lost so much blood volume. Increase the rapid infuser."

"Dr. Paquet he's bleeding out faster than we can replace it," the young surgery intern replied to his mentor.

"The liver sutures are holding. The spleen bleeding is stopped," the doctor was speaking out loud more of a mental check list. "Christ, here we go again. Friggin' bleeders. He's bleeding like a stuck pig. Just when I think we're in the clear. Damn get some clotting factor in this kid."

"His blood pressure is bottoming out." The anesthesiologist called out.

"Lost his pulse," the young intern barked out before anyone else could.

"Start compressions," Dr. Paquet ordered. "I've got damage control with the bleeders. Just get his heart started again. Come on people hustle," the doctor commanded.

The OR was a flurry of activity. One noise was heard above everything else. The solid wail of the heart monitor indicating that Sam Winchester's heart wasn't beating.

To Be Continued

I hope you liked the newest chapter. I'm still holding to the five chapters total and I'm pretty sure I can keep to that quote. Thanks again for all of the reviews to chapter one. Let me know what you thought of this update.

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