Disclaimer: refer to chapter one

NOTE TO READERS: Thanks once again for the supportive reviews and comments for the two previous chapters. Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's around five pages. Happy Reading, I hope!

Borrowed Hope

Chapter Three

By Dawn Nyberg

"…wake me up I'm living a nightmare … I will not die, I'll wait here for you, I feel alive when you're beside me … I will wait here for you in my time of dying…" lyric excerpt by Three Days Grace, Time of Dying

Dean's ICU Room

"Dean, son," Bobby's eyes softened along with his voice. "Sam's in rough shape." Dean felt a chill come over him at those words.

"What'd you mean?" Dean tried to pull himself up, his face full of worry.

"Dammit, Dean," Bobby barked. "I said to be still. The doc said you could send yourself to the OR if you're not careful."

"I fucking don't care about me," Dean ground out. "What do you mean Sam's in rough shape?" Bobby stood up and loomed over Dean's prone body.

"Well, you better care about yourself you damn fool," Bobby chided. "You end up in the OR what good are you gonna be to Sam, huh?" Dean frowned.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Sammy?"

Ten Minutes Later, Dean's ICU Room

Bobby sat watching Dean process all of the information he'd told him about his younger brother. "But they fixed his heart and chest," Dean finally whispered out as he ran hand over his face. He couldn't wrap his brain around the fact his brother had had heart surgery.

"Yes, but the other stuff, it's still touch and go," Bobby tried to dance around the elephant in the room – Sam was critical, Sam could very well lose his life. "I think he'll be out of recovery soon…"

"You said his heart wasn't acting right," Dean pressed.

"The doc called it an irritable rhythm," Bobby supplied.

"So, his heart stopped in the OR…" Dean's voice sounded lost and on auto pilot, all at once as he spoke those words.

"Yeah, but the doc said he got him back after two shocks." Dean nodded numbly.

"I want to see Sam," Dean's voice suddenly sounded strong.

"Dean…"

"They're not keeping me from seeing my brother," Dean turned deadly eyes toward Bobby.

"Listen here," Bobby's tone changed. "I told the doc you'd want to see Sam but you're going to have to play by the rules here Dean whether you want to or not. Like I said you ain't gonna do Sam or me for that matter a damn bit of good if you end up doing more harm to yourself. You'll see Sam, okay, I promise, but when the doc says it's okay, alright?"

"I'll take it easy but I'm seeing him as soon as he's here and settled in his room," Dean asserted. "Now, I want to talk to the doc." Bobby nodded.

"I'll go have him paged," Bobby stood up and stopped. He leveled a hard gaze on Dean. "You keep your ass in this bed and don't you dare try doing anything but to keep stayin' right where you are, am I clear?" Dean rolled his eyes and bristled at the older hunter, but didn't object, his only reply was a small, barely perceivable nod and he looked away. That was good enough for Bobby Singer and he left the room.

One Day Later, Sam's ICU Room

"Sammy," Dean cleared his voice. He had been fighting with the doctor since yesterday to keep sitting with his little brother. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to stay very long the last couple times but the doc is a hard ass, Bobby, too." Dean looked over his shoulder to see if the older hunter was nearby. He wasn't and Dean knew the man was still downstairs getting himself a coffee. Bobby hadn't left except when they pushed him out at night an hour or two after visiting hours ended. Dean looked at his sibling and even after a day to adjust the sight of his little brother still made him nauseous. Sam's face was bruised and bore small nicks and cuts from shattered glass in the wreck. The ventilator clicked and whooshed as it did the work of helping his brother breathe. The three chest tubes that were still in his brother's chest where they had done the surgical stabilization of his ribs were daunting to look at, but nothing compared to the numerous sutures that covered various areas on his brother's chest. "Sammy, I'm here, okay," Dean placed a hand gently on his brother's left forearm.

Dean flinched at the movement it caused in his abdomen and he couldn't deny that he'd been feeling a little off all morning and the room occasionally shifted like he was on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Walt Disney World. If he allowed himself to think about it he'd admit he felt like shit.

Dean sat watching his Sam when he felt his brother's arm tense ever so slightly under his hand. He watched Sam closely, "Sammy?" he asked, hopeful that his brother would open his eyes. He watched as his little brother's eyebrows scrunched minutely. "Sam, I'm here, okay? Do you hear me? You're gonna be okay," Dean encouraged. Sam heard his brother's voice through the fog in his head.

Sam's eyes opened and stared at the ceiling. Dean saw the confusion and then the fear. "No, Sammy, you're okay," he comforted. "Don't fight the breathing tube. The doc says you need help right now." Sam's eyes watered as he looked at his big brother for help and comfort. Dean couldn't take it anymore and pushed himself up from the wheelchair, so his brother could see him better, the nurse had locked the wheelchair in place to prevent it from rolling.

"Don't move around Sammy … you had surgery and need to be still," he stood over his brother and reached up and ran a hand across his forehead pushing the long unruly chestnut bangs away. "Do you understand what I'm sayin' to you Sam?" Dean took his free hand and put it inside his sibling's own hand.

Sam squeezed his hand once in response. "Are you in pain?" Sam moved up his right hand and indicated 'a little' with fingers. "I'll get you some meds," Dean started to hit the call button and Sam squeezed Dean's hand a couple times. "What? You don't want any meds?" Sam moved his head slightly indicating 'no.' "You sure?" Sam weakly squeezed his brother's hand ... his eyes blinking sluggishly. Dean smiled at his brother.

"Close your eyes Sammy, sleep, I'm here," Sam's hand squeezed gently and his eyes closed as he succumbed to a deep sleep under his big brother's protective vigil. Dean brushed back his brother's bangs for a minute longer and decided he needed to sit before he fell down. "Damn," he muttered quietly. He sat watching Sam and couldn't fight the chill that was cascading over his body. He felt a cold trickle of sweat working its way down his back. He blinked at the tiredness that seemed pervasive and the room was tilting and dipping in his peripheral. When the spots in his field of vision began to dance he knew he was in trouble but darkness consumed him and the last thing he felt was himself slowly falling forward and stopping abruptly … his face coming to rest on his brother's forearm and Sam slept on.

A Few Moments Later, Sam's ICU Room

Bobby walked quietly into the room and stood just inside the doorway. He saw Sam sleeping as he had been for over a day now and he allowed a small smiled to tease the edges of his mouth as he saw Dean's head resting on his younger brother's arm … then something caught his attention, something was wrong about the whiteness of Dean's skin and his arms weren't resting up on the bed as he leaned forward, they danged, limp and lifeless. Suddenly he felt his heart in throat and he was moving quickly toward Dean. It took one touch, one close look and Bobby ran into the hallway.

"Help! I need help in here!"

A Few Minutes Later, ICU

"Push an epi bolus, his heart rate's for crap," Dr. Helman barked. "Sonofabitch, his belly's hard as a rock … he's bleeding out right in front of us. Call the OR and tell them we have a stat abdominal bleed coming. I knew this kid was pushing too hard, dammit!"

"Lost his pulse," a nurse called out urgently.

"Start compressions," Dr. Hellman ordered. The team was at a fever pitch as they fought to save Dean's life.

"He's in V-fib," a young intern called out.

"Charge to 200," Dr. Helman called out. "Clear!"

Dean's body arched up as the electricity was delivered to his chest. "No conversion."

"Charge to 250, come on! Clear!"

"Got him," the young intern yelled as he saw a rhythm appear on the monitor.

"Okay, let's roll, now!"

Twenty Minutes Later, ICU Waiting Room

Bobby paced like a caged tiger. He had been removed from the unit and made to wait for news on Dean. He continued his nervous pacing until his attention was refocused on a voice, Dr. Helman's voice. "Mr. Singer?"

"Dean, how is he?" Bobby pushed immediately.

"Let's sit," the doctor motioned to a chair. The room was empty and Bobby couldn't push the cold feeling out of his chest as he sat. "I checked in with Dr. Lefkovitz, he's the surgeon taking care of Dean."

"Surgeon? Dean's in surgery?"

"Yes, I'm afraid. What I was afraid of happening, happened," the doctor spoke evenly. "Dr. Lefkovitz, confirmed to me that Dean's spleen was bleeding and spleen's love to bleed."

"But, he's gonna be okay, right? I mean it was caught in time."

"Mr. Singer, I'm not going to lie to you," the doctor's face was solemn. "Dean lost a lot of blood volume and his heart arrested during treatment but we were able to get his heart going again and get him into the OR. Dr. Lefkovitz is trying to save the spleen but Dean may lose it, but he can live without it. They are replacing his blood volume as we speak, but he's lost a lot. If Dean hadn't pushed as much as he has he could have avoided this. His body just needed some time…"

"This is my fault …" Bobby began.

"No, it isn't. You were right about Dean and there wasn't anything we could have said or done for that matter, nothing short of sedating him to keep him from his brother. You're not to blame."

"What are his chances, doc?" Bobby needed to know.

"Dean's extremely critical right now and he was already in shock from the blood loss when you found him, but if you hadn't found him when you did …" Bobby only nodded at the statement the doctor left unfinished. "Look why don't you sit with Sam and I'll come find you as soon as I have more news on Dean, okay?" Bobby nodded and stood up.

"Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Dean and Sam are fighters," Bobby said with a firm voice. "I just wanted you to know that." The doctor offered an understanding smile and nodded.

Bobby left to go sit next to Sam's bedside and wait for news on Dean. He suddenly felt like the boys were slipping through his fingers and it scared him. He'd fight for them both. This wasn't a battle he was willing to lose. He wouldn't … he couldn't.

To Be Continued

Boy, I never expected my timetable to be, so bad. I'm going to try and start getting as much done, as possible because as of June 23 my schedule is going to hell in a hand basket, but I will make every effort to update at least once a week. I hope you're still enjoying the story. I know the boys haven't really had a chance to interact but hey, they are both pretty banged up. Thanks again for reading, I appreciate it!