Kripke + brain = Supernatural. Not mine.
Can't Save Everyone
Sam, Dean, and John trudged into the small motel room. They were all soaked to the bone and just wanted the day to end.
The hunt had gone horribly wrong. A couple of teens had gotten themselves lost in the woods while the Winchester family was hunting a wendigo. They had tried to get to the teens in time, but they just weren't fast enough.
John sank down onto one of the beds. For him, this wasn't the first time someone had died during a hunt. It didn't happen often, but it had still happened so he was a bit more emotionally prepared. He was more worried about his boys. Dean was just thirteen, Sam was nine. They were too young to be worrying about people dying everywhere they turned. Once again, John wished their lives were normal. But, for someone with the last name Winchester, normal would never come. No matter how hard they tried.
Dean leaned against the bathroom doorframe. The oldest son had had to make a decision tonight, and it cost two teenagers their lives. It was either help Sam out of the tangled vines before the first wendigo got him, or defend the two civilians from the second wendigo. How could he just leave Sam? But, Sam had a gun. He could have defended himself. Dean dismissed the thought quickly. Sam was his responsibility. It was Dean's job to protect Sam, not for Sam to protect Sam. The sound of two screaming teenagers kept replaying in his head.
"Dean, you alright?" John asked, concern hinting in his voice.
"Yes sir." Dean said automatically, nodding.
Sam wasn't aware that his father and brother were even talking. He blamed himself. If he hadn't gotten his feet tangled in those vines, Dean wouldn't of had to save him and could have focused on the two teens. It was his fault. He wasn't good enough for hunting. Sure, he was relieved Dean had pulled him up and saved him from one of the wendigos, but the sounds and visuals he'd seen tonight would be with him for a long time. Their dad had tried to help the two teens, but he was too late. The wendigo had already ripped both kids to shreds. Of all the Winchesters, Sam was taking it the hardest.
"Sam? Sam." Dean snapped his fingers in front of his little brother, who was sitting in the corner. Sam finally answered his brother.
"Yeah?"
"You okay? You kinda zoned out on me there."
"Fine." Sam replied with the usual Winchester response.
Dean saw right through the lie, "Sammy, come on dude. You know this wasn't your fault, right? It was no one's fault."
"Sure."
"Sammy, we can't save everyone." John stated simply, cleaning his gun out to keep his mind from thinking. "Take your showers and get to bed. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Yes sir." Sam and Dean said in unison, beginning to carry out their tasks.