Disclaimer: I do not own anything Supernatural, it is all property of the CW11 Network, and whatnot, so don't sue me, please.

Chapter 4

John and Dean walked side by side as they followed the Blue-eyed nurse down the hall to ICU.

Sam's room was at the very end of this long corridor.

Once again, Dean felt trepidation and anxiety with each step.

Just what exactly would he see when they reached Sam's room?

Would he be able to even take one look without passing out or bawling his eyes out?

John, seeming to sense Dean's nervousness, reached out and gripped his son's shoulder, giving it a strong squeeze.

Dean sent his father a greatful look before they stopped in front of a doorway.

The Nurse turned to them with a warm smile that reached her eyes, filling them with warmth as well as she spoke.

" He's sleeping, maybe having you guys around will give him good dreams. God knows, he could use some."

John nodded with a smile at the 'innocent' statement while Dean just looked at her funny for a second before nodding.

With a small bow of her head, the blue-eyed nurse took her leave, walking past them back to the front desk.

Her time to speak with Sam would come around soon enough. For now, she would leave the young man to his sleep, and the vigilance of his father and brother.

Dean and John both hesitated at the doorway before Dean took the first step over the threshold. John didn't immediately follow, he knew Dean needed to be with Sam, needed to see that his baby brother was alive, and though worse for, well.

Dean swallowed the urge to breakdown into sobs once again as he stared at Sam's prone form on the hospital bed.

His baby brother's skin tone matched the sheets of the hospital bed he was laying on. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, dew forming inside with each breath Sam took. There were dark circles under his eyes.

He looked terrible to be honest.

The only real reassurance that Dean felt was the steady beep of the heart monitor in the background and the way Sam's chest was moving up and down of its own volition.

With a shaky sigh, Dean slowly, hesitantly reached out towards Sam. It was silly but, a part of him felt like Sam would shatter at the faintest touch.

Blinking furiously, Dean brushed back a few of Sam's bangs before gently cupping a cheek. Dean felt a small smile tug at his lips, the skin beneath his hand was warm, alive.

" Hey squirt." He whispered as he pulled up a chair and sat by Sam's head, now feeling secure enough to start carding his hand through his brother's long shaggy hair.

With a steadying breath of his own, John Winchester stepped into the room. Slowly, he made his way over to the other side of Sam's bed.

The Eldest Winchester pulled up a chair and sat down wearily. He scrubbed as his stubble covered face before tentatively reaching out to grasp Sam's left hand.

For a while, he just held it in his own, calloused fingers grazing over still youthfully smooth skin.

Then, with tears welling in his eyes, he brought Sam's hand to his cheek, pressing the back of his son's hand to the stubble covered skin.

" H-Hey Sammy, it's Dad." Said John quietly, his throat already beginning to constrict painfully as he took in the sight of his youngest son looking so frail and vulnerable.

That was all that was said as John and Dean sat on either side of Sam's bed.

In the silence save for a small, rythmic beep from the heart monitor, the two eldest Winchester's sat and kept vigil till they could no longer fight their own need for sleep in the wee hours of the new morning.

Dean nodded off with his head coming to rest on Sam's pillow, the crown of his head just touching the side of his brother temple.

John dozed off in his chair, but as he slept, he continued to firmly grip his son's still lax hand in his own.

For now, all three Winchester's slept in utter exhaustion.

Six hours later...

Sunlight filtered in through the glass windows of Sam's room, gently bathing everything a warm, golden light.

A pair of moss green eyes slowly fluttered opened and blinked sluggishly at the remnants of sleep.

" Where am I?" Thought Sam, his mind still slightly muddled from being unconscious for so long.

As he blinked and stared up at the stark white ceiling, his mind began to clear with each passing second. He then felt a dull ache lance through his body, and his chest inched.

It was then that the memories of the night before assailed him. He began to remember with perfect clarity.

The demon.

His father laying on the ground, screaming at him to shoot.

Dean, bleeding to death against the wall of the cabin.

Everything going blank for a while before he was back inside his own head.

He'd forced the Demon out of his father, hurt it bad. It had slunk away through the walls into the night.

Pain. Shear agony in his leg and chest. The sticky wetness of his own blood spilling out of his body.

His family, the way John and Dean had both looked terrified.

Being in the back of the Impala, in his father's arms.

His father had told him he had nothing to be sorry for.

Dean driving frantically down the road.

The Demon zeroing in for another attack.

Stopping the Semi and repelling it with a final burst of energy.

Then, nothing...

Total and all consuming darkness...

Death.

" Now's not the time to be thinking about such things, Samuel Winchester." A soothing, whispery, female voice echoed through Sam's head, instantly stopping the youngest Winchester from going into a full blown panic attack.

" Who are you?" Asked Sam inside his own head, startling himself that he could be having this sort of mental conversation with... a disembodied voice.

" You will know me soon enough. For now, there are two guys who've been very very worried about you." With that, the voice faded away, leaving Sam in deep confusion.

" What the hell's goin on?" Thought Sam before he noticed a slight movement near the side of his head, and a warmth surround his left hand.

Sam moved his gaze from the ceiling and turned his head ever so slightly to see what was near the side of his head.

He came face to face with the sleeping visage of his big brother Dean.

Sam instantly felt himself grow calm again as he stared at his brother. Dean was safe, he was alive and well and at the moment, being very Chick Flicky.

Sam smiled beneath his oxygen mask before he remembered that someone was holding his hand. He turned his gaze to his left and felt his relief grow wider when his eyes fell on his father's sleeping form in the chair beside his bed.

Sam felt his smile grow wider when he realized that both his brother and father were gonna have monster kinks in their necks from sleeping the way they were.

Then suddenly, the female voice from before, no higher in octave than a whisper, echoed in his ears.

" You're a quiet strong, Samuel Winchester. It's why the Demon wants you under his control so badly."

" It's my job to make sure that that doesn't happen."

The echoes faded as Sam felt Dean shift a little, letting out a small grumble, but remaining asleep.

Sam decided to give him his wake-up call.

With a groggy right hand, Sam drew his arm back slightly and then let the blow fly. His aim was true as they back of his hand lightly bounced off Dean's shoulder, effectively startling his big brother out of La La land.

Dean jerk awake and looked around, muddled and trying to figure out several different things all at once. Where he was, what was goin on, and who the hell just hit him among those things.

Then, he noticed someone was watching him.

Dean's face took on an expression of shock as he stared back at a pair of familiar and much beloved pair of moss-green eyes.

The comotion brought John out of his own slumber. The first thing he saw was his oldest son gawking at his youngest.

" Sammy?" Asked Dean, not really believing what his eyes were seeing.

" You were drooling on me, jerk." Said Sam, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

" Sam?" Whispered John as he shot from his chair and stood beside his youngest son's bed.

Sam turned his gaze to his father and gave him a smile before squeezing John's hand that had been gripping his own.

" Hey dad."

John stared down at their joined hands and squeezed his son's hand, unconsciously reaching the level of a death-grip as a tearful smile spread across his face.

Dean snapped out of his stupor instantly and a goofy grin plastered itself onto his face.

" Well you didn't have to whack me like that, bitch." Before leaned forward and gave Sam an awkward but much welcomed hug.

Sam let out a small huff of laughter as he returned the embrace with his free arm, then heaving a deep sigh before he spoke.

" What happened after the Semi Truck tried to hit us?"

That made the looks of happiness vanish from both John and Dean's faces. They had no intentions of reliving what they'd had to go through six hours earlier so soon after their baby had woken up.

John was the first to speak.

" We can talk about it later. Right now, take it easy while I go get someone to look you over."

" Yes sir." Was Sam's muffled response, giving a mock salute with his right hand.

This made both Dean and John chuckle, joy filling them at seeing their youngest so playful.

Then, John squeezed Sam's hand firmly, before leaning down and gently wrapping his arms around his son's recovery body. Sam returned the embrace as best he could, the warm contact made him feel a good deal better.

Then John pulled back, dashing a hand across his eyes before he all but fled from the room to get Sam's doctor or a nurse.

This left Dean alone with Sam.

Sam reached up and began prying at the oxygen mask that was still around his face. Seeing this, Dean reached out and pulled Sam's hands away, he took the mask off for him.

" Hey Sammy, how you feelin'?" Asked Dean.

" Like I've been to Hell and back. And it's Sam." Answered Sam with a mock glare.

Dean beamed for a few seconds before the smile faded from his lips. He turned away as he felt the sting of tears burning his eyes.

" Hey Dean, you okay?" Asked Sam.

Dean blinked furiously as he turned to Sam.

" Y-Yeah, I'm good. I'm good." He said, nodding his head rapidly.

Sam didn't buy it for a second.

With a tremendous effort, Sam turned onto his side, much to Dean's disapproval, the older Winchester moved to stop him but intsead, found himself wrapped in a hug.

" M'sorry I scared you Dean." Whispered Sam as he buried his face into Dean's neck.

Dean let out what sounded like a tiny sob as he wrapped his arms around Sam, being mindful of his baby brother's injuries.

" It's okay, you're alright, that's all that matters. But Sammy, if you ever do that to me again, I'll..." Sam interjected here.

" You'll what... Kill me?"

" Dude, that is so not funny."